On Monday, a widespread outage in Microsoft’s systems left many customers unable to access key services such as Outlook, the company’s email platform, and Teams, its videoconferencing and communications tool.
The issue, which began around 9 a.m. ET, was attributed to a faulty software update within Microsoft’s extensive computer network.
Users across the United States and several other countries reported difficulties accessing the services, according to Downdetector, a site that tracks internet outages. While Microsoft did not specify the number of affected users, the outage appeared to disrupt operations for numerous businesses that rely on Microsoft products for their daily work.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Microsoft acknowledged that a “recent change” to its software had affected some servers, leading to the outages. The company stated that it had deployed a fix, which had reached 98% of the affected environments by the afternoon. However, the recovery process was slower than anticipated for many users. Microsoft assured customers it was taking immediate action to address the issue and working to restore full service.
“We understand the significant impact of this event to your businesses and are working to provide relief as soon as possible,” the company said.
By Monday evening, most affected services had been restored, with the exception of Outlook on the web, which remained inaccessible for a small group of users. Microsoft estimated full recovery by Tuesday and continued monitoring and troubleshooting to ensure stability.
While Microsoft’s outages are rare, they highlight the occasional fragility of modern digital infrastructure and the world’s reliance on cloud-based systems. Earlier this year, a faulty software update from CrowdStrike, a cybersecurity firm, disrupted systems globally, affecting airlines, hospitals, and even train networks. Though less widespread, Microsoft’s outage caused significant inconvenience, particularly for office workers dependent on its tools.
CNN and the New York Times contributed to this report.
