Microsoft is working on a new QMR (quick machine recovery) recovery mode that will help revive computers that are having problems. This is part of Microsoft’s efforts to improve Windows resiliency after the CrowdStrike failure.
Microsoft is working on a new QMR (quick machine recovery) recovery mode that will help revive computers that are having problems. This is part of Microsoft’s efforts to improve Windows resiliency after the CrowdStrike failure.
As Ars Techica reports, QMR allows Windows 11 computers to boot into the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE, which is also used by Windows installation media and IT shops for various recovery and diagnostic purposes).
This environment allows you to connect to the Internet and download Microsoft-provided fixes for «common boot issues» that may prevent your computer from booting properly.
QMR is one of several steps Microsoft is taking to prevent a repeat of the CrowdStrike incident in mid-2024, when a faulty update to one of CrowdStrike’s security products took down millions of Windows PCs and servers and caused widespread service disruptions across multiple industries.
Microsoft even released a recovery tool that helped administrators recover Windows computers affected by the CrowdStrike bug that disabled 8.5 million Windows devices. However, it had to be downloaded and patched on each device individually. QMR should make it possible to apply such a patch remotely, even if the PC is so damaged that it can’t boot into Windows properly.
The initial release of QMR is rolling out to Windows 11 PCs enrolled in the Canary channel of Microsoft’s Windows Insider testing program. This is the least stable and most experimental of the four Windows 11 testing channels. As the feature improves, it should gradually move to the Dev, Beta, and Release Preview channels before rolling out to the broader Windows user base.
