Microsoft has released a tool to repair Windows computers affected by the CrowdStrike update. The update caused the largest computer outage, with 8.5 million Windows devices out of service. The tool is downloaded to a USB drive. This was reported by The Verge.
Although CrowdStrike has released an update to fix its software, not all computers may automatically receive this fix. Some administrators report that several computer reboots help, while others write that the only way is to manually boot into Safe Mode and delete the problematic CrowdStrike update file.
Microsoft's recovery tool now makes the recovery process easier by booting into the Windows PE environment via USB, accessing the affected computer's disk, and automatically removing the problematic CrowdStrike file to allow the computer to boot properly.
The tool doesn't even require administrator privileges on the computer, as it accesses the disk without booting into a local copy of Windows. If the disk is protected by BitLocker encryption, the tool will prompt for the BitLocker recovery key and then proceed with the CrowdStrike patch.
Microsoft also offers separate recovery methods for Windows virtual machines running on Azure, and has published guide for all Windows 10 and Windows 11 devices.