Microsoft 365 Outage: On Thursday morning, thousands of Microsoft 365 users faced a major outage, affecting key services like Outlook and Teams. Here’s what happened and how the issue was resolved.
What Happened?
Around 7:30 a.m. ET, users began reporting problems with Microsoft 365. Downdetector, a site that tracks tech outages, showed that more than 23,500 people were affected by 9 a.m. ET. The issues caused major disruptions for businesses and individuals who rely on Microsoft’s suite of tools.
Impact on Microsoft Services
The outage had a significant impact on Microsoft’s products:
- Outlook: Many users couldn’t access their email accounts.
- Teams: Affected communication for teams and businesses.
- OneDrive: Some users experienced issues with their cloud storage.
Microsoft’s Response
Microsoft was quick to address the situation. At 8:38 a.m. ET, Microsoft 365 Status, the official Microsoft account on X (formerly Twitter), tweeted that the company was investigating the issue. They provided a ticket number for users to track updates.
Later, it was suggested that the problem might be linked to users with AT&T as their internet service provider. By 9:42 a.m., Microsoft tweeted that they were reviewing recent infrastructure changes and working with a third-party ISP, likely AT&T, to understand the cause.
Resolution
At 10:06 a.m., Microsoft announced that the outage was caused by a change within the third-party ISP’s environment. They reversed the change, and users began to see improvements.
By 10 a.m., the number of outage reports had dropped to around 2,500. Microsoft continued to monitor the situation and reported ongoing service degradation for some users.
What to Do Next?
If you are still experiencing issues with Microsoft 365, it is recommended to:
- Check Microsoft’s Service Health Status page for the latest updates.
- Follow Microsoft 365 Status on X for real-time information.
- Contact your internet service provider if you suspect a connection issue.
The outage underscores the importance of reliable tech services and the impact that disruptions can have. Microsoft’s quick response helped resolve the issue, and services are gradually returning to normal.
