Encountered a blue screen after Crowdstrike update? Here’s the fix!

Since yesterday, Windows users in many regions have been facing an error on their computers known as the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). In general, the idea of blue screen errors on Windows is not new; we have discussed them several times before, such as the “Just a Moment” issue or the “Getting Windows Ready” problem. Essentially, this screen appears whenever your Windows system encounters a problem, with different codes appearing each time.

However, what sets this situation apart from previous errors is that this update has affected millions of users worldwide, especially those in companies, offices, universities, and banks (institutions in general). They all encountered a single error message that states:

Your device ran into a problem and needs to restart. We’re just collecting some error info, and then we’ll restart for you.

And if you decide to choose any of the options below, the computer will restart only to face the same blue screen again with the same error message, regardless of the option you chose! Ultimately, you end up with a computer that keeps restarting and showing the same error continuously.

Now, you might be wondering, who is responsible for this error? The cybersecurity company Crowdstrike has revealed that they are responsible for the error occurring in most parts of the world due to a security update they released early yesterday morning. In case you didn’t know, Crowdstrike is responsible for securing, updating, and patching vulnerabilities in many Microsoft products, including the Windows operating system itself.

Who has been affected by this error? According to numerous reports and news since yesterday, this blue screen has appeared in many countries across Asia, Australia, North America, the Middle East, and many other regions. Additionally, those most affected by this problem are airlines, which currently rely heavily on Microsoft Azure services.

At this point, you’re probably wondering what you can do if you encounter this error or how to resolve the blue screen issue caused by the Crowdstrike update. Well, don’t worry because we have several effective solutions if you haven’t been able to get rid of this error yet.

Fixing Blue Screen and Repeated Restart Issues on Windows

Fortunately, there are several solutions for the issue caused primarily by the Crowdstrike Falcon update on Windows 11 or 10 computers. By applying these solutions, you can restart your computer, access Windows as usual, and permanently resolve the repeated restart (boot-loop) problem.

Solution 1: Enter Safe Mode and Delete the Problematic File

Many users have reported being able to access their operating system again after fixing the Crowdstrike update error by entering Safe Mode and deleting the corrupted files from the update. After removing the problematic files, restarting the computer should resolve the issue permanently.

If you’re currently facing the blue screen, follow these steps:

1. From the options on the blue screen, go to See Advanced Repair.
2. Select Troubleshoot.
3. Go to Startup Settings and then choose Restart.
   
4. Now, press the button to open Safe Mode; it will be visible on the screen.
   
5. Now, the computer will boot into Safe Mode.

Delete the Problematic Files

Now, assuming your PC is in Safe Mode, you’ll need to follow these instructions carefully to delete the affected folder.

1. From the Start menu, search for Command Prompt.
2. Make sure to select Run as administrator.
   
3. Now, you’ll need to access the Crowdstrike folder by copying and pasting the following command into the Command Prompt window:
   • d C:\Windows\System32\drivers\CrowdStrike
4. To search for the infected file, copy and paste the following command into the Command Prompt window and press Enter:
   • dir C-00000291*.sys
5. When you find the file you’re looking for, simply type the following line in the Command Prompt window to delete it:
   • del C-00000291.sys

The previous solution has proven effective. However, you should know that these files might have different names on different computers. Generally, the files will have similar names. So, if the file on your device has a different number but the same name, it should be safe to delete it to resolve the issue.

Solution 2: Rename the Affected Folder

The second option to resolve the Crowdstrike update issue involves renaming the problematic folder to prevent the system from interacting with it during startup. To do this, you’ll also need to restart your computer in Safe Mode as done previously, and then follow these steps to rename the folder using the Command Prompt:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator from the Start menu.
2. In the Command Prompt window, type the path of the following folder:
   • cd \windows\system32\drivers
3. Now, after selecting the path, copy and paste the following command:
   • ren CrowdStrike CrowdStrike_old

Solution 3: Temporarily Block the Service via Registry Editor

As with the previous methods, you’ll need to restart your computer in Safe Mode to follow the third and final solution today, allowing you to finally overcome the issue of not being able to access the system due to the Crowdstrike error.

Assuming your computer is now running in Safe Mode, follow these instructions:

1. Press `Windows + R` on your keyboard.
2. A dialog box will appear. Type `regedit` and then click OK.
   
3. A new window will appear showing all your Registry files.
4. In this window, navigate to the following path:
   • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\CSAgent
     
5. Select the CSAgent key on the left side, and on the right side, look for the Start value.
6. Now, double-click the Start value to change it.
7. By default, the Start value will be set to 1. You need to change it to 4.
8. Make sure to save all changes, and then restart your computer to verify that the issue is resolved.

And now we’re done! These were the methods you can follow to resolve the repeated restart issue currently affecting Windows 10 and Windows 11 due to Crowdstrike services. As you might have read elsewhere, thousands of services have been affected by this issue, and many computers are still displaying the blue screen error.

So, what can you do to avoid such problems in the future? First, always wait for some time before installing any new system update; don’t install it immediately in case someone else encounters issues that you might avoid. Second, read reports and news about the update to ensure it hasn’t caused problems for those who installed it.

If you find the steps and solutions mentioned here complex or difficult to implement, I recommend asking someone knowledgeable about these matters—often a friend who is experienced in such issues. Don’t wait any longer; reach out to them immediately.