CrowdStrike Strikes Again: Office Programs Left Useless

Microsoft has identified an issue affecting certain organizations and managed IT environments using its latest operating system, Windows 11, version 24H2. According to a recent statement from Microsoft, some users may experience issues with first-party and third-party apps, including Office applications like Word and Excel, when antimalware security solutions enable specific features.

The affected devices typically have CrowdStrike's Falcon sensor software installed and the Enhanced Exploitation Visibility Prevention Policy setting enabled in the Prevention Policy applied to the host. Most organizations reported this issue after performing in-place upgrades or clean installs of version 24H2, although Microsoft is investigating whether this problem can occur with previous versions of Windows and other third-party security software.

This issue specifically affects organizations and managed IT environments, whereas users running Home or Pro editions of Windows on personal devices are unlikely to encounter these issues. If you're a consumer using Home or Pro editions of Windows in your personal device not managed by an IT department, you may not be affected.

It's worth noting that CrowdStrike has faced similar issues in the past. Last summer, a bug in their software led to widespread system failures across various sectors, including hospitals, banks, retail stores, and airports. Yet somehow, despite these headline-grabbing setbacks, CrowdStrike’s stock has managed a remarkable recovery. Apparently, being at the center of a software disaster isn’t quite the deal-breaker one might expect in the cybersecurity world.