Incident: Windows 10 April 2018 Update Freezing Issue with Google Chrome

Published Date: 2018-05-03

Postmortem Analysis
Timeline 1. The software failure incident of freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome following the Windows 10 April 2018 Update happened in May 2018 as per the article published on May 3, 2018 [Article 71297].
System 1. Windows 10 April 2018 Update 2. Google Chrome 3. Firefox 4. Office 5. Visual Studio Code [71297]
Responsible Organization 1. Microsoft - Microsoft's Windows 10 April 2018 Update caused freezing or hanging issues for some users after launching Google Chrome [71297]. 2. Google - Google is investigating the issue as it is aware of the problem with Chrome after the Windows 10 update [71297].
Impacted Organization 1. Users who installed the Windows 10 April 2018 Update and launched Google Chrome experienced freezing or hanging issues [71297]. 2. Users who used Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code may also have faced freezing problems [71297].
Software Causes 1. The software cause of the failure incident was related to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, which led to freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome, Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code [71297].
Non-software Causes 1. Hardware compatibility issues with the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, leading to freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome [Article 71297] 2. Potential keyboard or button-related triggers for the issue, such as pressing the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B on a physical keyboard, pressing volume-up and volume-down buttons three times quickly on a tablet, or closing the laptop's lid on a laptop [Article 71297]
Impacts 1. Users who installed the Windows 10 April 2018 Update reported freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome [71297]. 2. The issue also affected other applications like Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code, causing freezing [71297]. 3. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and provided potential fixes for users experiencing the freezing or hanging [71297].
Preventions To prevent the software failure incident of freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome following the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, the following measures could have been taken: 1. Thorough Compatibility Testing: Conducting extensive compatibility testing between the Windows 10 April 2018 Update and popular third-party applications like Google Chrome, Firefox, Office, and Visual Studio Code could have helped identify and address potential issues before the release [71297]. 2. Early Detection and Resolution: Implementing robust monitoring systems to detect issues early on and having a proactive approach to resolving them before they impact a significant number of users could have prevented the widespread freezing problem [71297]. 3. Improved Communication and Collaboration: Enhancing communication channels between Microsoft, Google, and other software vendors to promptly address compatibility issues and work together on solutions could have mitigated the impact of the bug [71297]. 4. User Feedback Mechanisms: Implementing effective user feedback mechanisms to gather information on software issues post-update could have provided early insights into the problem and allowed for quicker resolution [71297]. 5. Controlled Rollout Strategy: Implementing a controlled rollout strategy for updates, starting with a smaller group of users to monitor for any unexpected issues before a full release, could have helped catch the freezing problem before it affected a larger user base [71297].
Fixes 1. Pressing the Windows logo key + Ctrl + Shift + B on a computer with a physical keyboard [Article 71297]. 2. Simultaneously pressing the volume-up and volume-down buttons three times quickly on a tablet [Article 71297]. 3. Closing the laptop's lid on a laptop [Article 71297].
References 1. Microsoft forum post [71297] 2. ZDNet [71297] 3. Google spokesperson statement to CNET [71297]

Software Taxonomy of Faults

Category Option Rationale
Recurring one_organization, multiple_organization (a) The software failure incident of freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome following the Windows 10 April 2018 Update has been reported to affect not only Chrome but also other software like Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code [71297]. (b) The article mentions that Google is aware of the issue and is investigating, indicating that similar incidents may have occurred with other organizations or their products/services as well [71297].
Phase (Design/Operation) design, operation (a) The software failure incident related to the design phase can be seen in the article where Microsoft released the Windows 10 April 2018 Update, and users reported freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome [71297]. This indicates a failure introduced during the system development or update process. (b) The software failure incident related to the operation phase is evident in the same article where users experienced freezing after launching various applications like Google Chrome, Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code [71297]. This suggests a failure introduced by the operation or use of the system.
Boundary (Internal/External) within_system (a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in Article 71297 is related to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update causing freezing or hanging issues after launching Google Chrome. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and is working on a fix to be released in an update. The freezing can also occur with other applications like Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code. Google is aware of the issue and is investigating, indicating that the root cause of the problem lies within the software system itself [71297].
Nature (Human/Non-human) non-human_actions (a) The software failure incident occurring due to non-human actions: The software failure incident reported in Article 71297 is related to freezing or hanging issues experienced by users after launching Google Chrome following the installation of the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. This issue is not directly caused by human actions but rather by a compatibility issue between the update and certain applications like Chrome, Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code. Microsoft is working on a fix for this problem and plans to release it in an upcoming update. Google has also acknowledged the issue and is investigating it, indicating that the root cause is likely related to non-human factors such as software compatibility or bugs introduced during the update process. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to human actions: There is no specific mention in the article about the software failure incident being caused by human actions. The freezing or hanging problem experienced by users seems to be a result of compatibility issues between the Windows 10 April 2018 Update and certain applications, rather than any direct human error or action.
Dimension (Hardware/Software) hardware, software (a) The software failure incident occurring due to hardware: - The article mentions a potential fix for the freezing issue caused by the Windows 10 April 2018 Update involving pressing specific keys on a physical keyboard, pressing volume buttons on a tablet, or closing the lid of a laptop [71297]. (b) The software failure incident occurring due to software: - The freezing or hanging issue reported after launching Google Chrome, Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code is attributed to the Windows 10 April 2018 Update [71297].
Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) non-malicious (a) The software failure incident described in the article is non-malicious. Users who installed the Windows 10 April 2018 Update reported freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome, as well as other applications like Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code. Microsoft is actively working on a fix for the issue and plans to release it in an upcoming update. Google is also aware of the problem and is investigating it. There is no indication in the article that the failure was due to malicious intent; instead, it appears to be a technical issue that needs to be addressed ([71297]).
Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) poor_decisions (a) The software failure incident related to the freezing or hanging issue after launching Google Chrome following the Windows 10 April 2018 Update can be attributed to poor decisions. Microsoft released the update without fully addressing compatibility issues with popular applications like Chrome, Firefox, Office, and Visual Studio Code, leading to user-reported problems [71297]. Additionally, Google is investigating the issue, indicating that there might have been a lack of coordination or communication between Microsoft and Google regarding the update's impact on Chrome [71297].
Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) accidental (a) The software failure incident related to development incompetence is not explicitly mentioned in the provided article. (b) The software failure incident related to accidental factors is evident in the article. The freezing or hanging issue reported by some users after launching Google Chrome following the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is likely an accidental software failure. Microsoft is working on a fix for this issue, and Google is also investigating the problem. The incident seems to have occurred unintentionally due to the interaction between the Windows update and Google Chrome, rather than being a deliberate act of incompetence [71297].
Duration temporary The software failure incident described in Article 71297 is temporary. Users who installed the Windows 10 April 2018 Update reported freezing or hanging specifically after launching Google Chrome, but the issue was not permanent as Microsoft was actively working on a fix and planned to release it in an update on May 8 [71297]. Additionally, Microsoft provided some potential fixes for users to try in the meantime, indicating that the issue was not a permanent one [71297].
Behaviour crash, other (a) crash: The software failure incident reported in Article 71297 involves freezing or hanging after launching Google Chrome for some users who installed the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. This behavior indicates a crash where the system loses its state and fails to perform its intended functions [71297]. (b) omission: The article does not mention any instances of the system omitting to perform its intended functions at an instance(s) [71297]. (c) timing: The article does not mention any instances of the system performing its intended functions correctly, but too late or too early [71297]. (d) value: The software failure incident does not involve the system performing its intended functions incorrectly [71297]. (e) byzantine: The article does not mention any instances of the system behaving erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions [71297]. (f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is freezing or hanging after launching specific applications like Google Chrome, Firefox, Office, or Visual Studio Code, indicating a specific issue related to application compatibility or system interaction [71297].

IoT System Layer

Layer Option Rationale
Perception None None
Communication None None
Application None None

Other Details

Category Option Rationale
Consequence delay (a) death: People lost their lives due to the software failure (b) harm: People were physically harmed due to the software failure (c) basic: People's access to food or shelter was impacted because of the software failure (d) property: People's material goods, money, or data was impacted due to the software failure (e) delay: People had to postpone an activity due to the software failure (f) non-human: Non-human entities were impacted due to the software failure (g) no_consequence: There were no real observed consequences of the software failure (h) theoretical_consequence: There were potential consequences discussed of the software failure that did not occur (i) other: Was there consequence(s) of the software failure not described in the (a to h) options? What is the other consequence(s)? The articles do not mention any consequences related to death, harm, basic needs, property loss, or impact on non-human entities due to the software failure incident. The main consequence discussed is the freezing or hanging issue experienced by users after launching Google Chrome following the Windows 10 April 2018 Update. Microsoft is working on a fix to address this issue, and users may have faced delays or inconvenience in using their devices until the fix is released [71297].
Domain information (a) The software failure incident reported in Article 71297 is related to the information industry. The issue occurred after users installed the Windows 10 April 2018 Update and experienced freezing or hanging specifically when launching Google Chrome [71297].

Sources

Back to List