Final week, a great chunk of the digital world shut down and stopped working as a result of an replace that brought on Microsoft’s Home windows working system to crash and show a blue display screen on tens of millions of gadgets. This affected locations like hospitals, faculties, and airports. However one airline, not like the others, was spared from the chaos. And plenty of are saying it’s as a result of it’s nonetheless utilizing an historic working system, however that’s not the case.
On July 19, tens of millions of computer systems and different Home windows-powered gadgets crashed and stopped working across the globe. It was later found that Crowdstrike, a big cybersecurity firm, had pushed out an replace that was borked and broke every little thing for hours. And as is widespread on the web today, folks started joking about it and making up tales, a few of which went viral. For instance, lots of people nonetheless suppose the Las Vegas Sphere crashed throughout the Crowdstrike occasion. (It didn’t.)
However maybe essentially the most viral declare, which was reported by a number of retailers and shared on-line as the reality, was that Southwest Airways in the US averted all the Crowdstrike chaos as a result of its programs nonetheless run on Home windows 3.1. This isn’t correct, although Southwest Airways does certainly use some older software program that it ought to most likely improve.
As identified by OS Information, digging into this story reveals that loads of locations are citing a tweet that went viral claiming Southwest nonetheless makes use of Home windows 3.1. This individual later confirmed that they have been trolling, however that didn’t cease the declare from spreading. Later, folks found an article from 2023 that compares Southwest’s inside software program with Home windows 3.1, suggesting it’s practically as previous. But it surely by no means says that Southwest is really nonetheless utilizing Home windows 3.1.
Dig slightly deeper and also you can discover a December 2022 article from The Dallas Morning Information all about that point Southwest Airways’ programs began melting down throughout the holidays. The article, and others since, lay the blame squarely on the airline’s getting old software program—SkySolver and Crew Internet Entry. Within the article, it’s talked about that these applications seem like they have been designed in Home windows 95.
Since then, folks have been spouting off the inaccurate notion that Southwest is utilizing Home windows 95, which was then backed up by a viral tweet and a few retailers working with the story.
However there seems to be no proof that Southwest is definitely nonetheless utilizing Home windows 3.1. Positive, the software program they’re utilizing to plan flights and handle their staff seems previous and has apparently been round since 2007 or so. That’s true, and scary. However no, Southwest didn’t keep away from the Home windows Crash as a result of they use an working system from 1992. As for why Southwest principally averted the chaos of July 19? Easy. They reportedly don’t use Crowdstrike.
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