| Recurring |
one_organization |
(a) The software failure incident having happened again at one_organization:
The incident of files disappearing after a Windows 10 update has happened before with Microsoft. In the past, Microsoft has faced issues with updates for Windows 10, and this specific incident with the October 2018 update is not the first time users have experienced problems with updates from Microsoft. This recurrence of software failure incidents could impact the trust users have in Microsoft's update process and quality control [77091, 76914].
(b) The software failure incident having happened again at multiple_organization:
There is no specific mention in the provided articles about the same software failure incident happening at multiple organizations or with their products and services. Therefore, it is unknown if this incident has occurred elsewhere beyond Microsoft's Windows 10 update. |
| Phase (Design/Operation) |
design, operation |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles is related to the design phase. Microsoft paused the October 2018 update of Windows 10 after users reported that their files disappeared once the update was installed. Users experienced the loss of documents, photos, cloud files, battery issues, and problems with applications after updating to version 1809 [77091, 76914].
(b) The software failure incident is also related to the operation phase. Users who had already installed the update were advised to limit the use of their devices and contact customer support for assistance. Microsoft recommended affected users not to install the update manually and provided instructions on how to revert to the previous version of Windows 10 [77091, 76914]. |
| Boundary (Internal/External) |
within_system |
(a) within_system: The software failure incident reported in the news articles is primarily within the system. Microsoft's Windows 10 October 2018 update led to users experiencing the disappearance of their files after installation [77091, 76914]. This issue originated from within the system as a result of the update process itself, causing files to be deleted or missing on users' devices. Microsoft acknowledged the problem and paused the update rollout to investigate the reports of file loss, indicating an internal system failure.
(b) outside_system: There is no information in the articles suggesting that the software failure incident was caused by contributing factors originating from outside the system. The focus of the incident was on the issues arising directly from the Windows 10 update process and the resulting file disappearance experienced by users [77091, 76914]. |
| Nature (Human/Non-human) |
non-human_actions, human_actions |
(a) The software failure incident in the articles was primarily due to non-human actions. Microsoft paused the October 2018 update of Windows 10 after users reported that their files disappeared once the update was installed. This issue was identified as a bug in the update, leading to the loss of documents and other data without direct human involvement [77091, 76914].
(b) Human actions also played a role in exacerbating the software failure incident. Users who manually downloaded and installed the update were advised not to do so, indicating that human actions in initiating the update installation contributed to the issue [77091, 76914]. |
| Dimension (Hardware/Software) |
software |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is primarily related to software issues rather than hardware. Microsoft paused the Windows 10 October 2018 update after receiving reports from users that their files disappeared after installing the update. Users complained about losing documents, photos, experiencing battery issues, and problems with applications [77091, 76914]. The incident was attributed to the update itself causing the loss of files and profiles, indicating a software-related failure.
(b) The software failure incident was caused by contributing factors originating in the software. Users reported that their files disappeared, profiles were deleted, and various issues arose after installing the Windows 10 October 2018 update. Microsoft acknowledged the reports and paused the update rollout to investigate further [77091, 76914]. This indicates that the failure was due to software issues within the update rather than hardware-related issues. |
| Objective (Malicious/Non-malicious) |
non-malicious |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles is categorized as non-malicious. Users reported that their files disappeared after installing the Windows 10 October 2018 update. Microsoft paused the update and advised affected users to limit the use of their devices and contact customer support for assistance [77091, 76914]. There is no indication in the articles that the disappearance of files was due to malicious intent; instead, it seems to be a result of a flaw or bug in the update. |
| Intent (Poor/Accidental Decisions) |
poor_decisions |
(a) The intent of the software failure incident was due to poor_decisions. Microsoft paused the Windows 10 October 2018 update after receiving reports from users that their files were disappearing upon installation. The update was described as the largest one for Windows 10 at that time, but users complained of losing important documents, photos, and experiencing issues with battery and applications [77091, 76914]. Microsoft acknowledged the isolated cases and advised affected users to limit the use of their updated devices and contact customer support. The incident highlighted the importance of quality control and building trust with users when pushing updates [77091, 76914]. |
| Capability (Incompetence/Accidental) |
development_incompetence |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles can be attributed to development incompetence. Microsoft's Windows 10 October 2018 update led to users experiencing the loss of files after installation. Users complained about important documents, financial information, photos, and cloud files disappearing. One user mentioned that the update deleted their entire user profile, causing significant inconvenience in reinstalling and reconfiguring programs and applications [77091, 76914].
The incident highlighted issues with the update's quality control, impacting users' trust in Microsoft's ability to deliver reliable updates. Analysts mentioned that Microsoft aims to encourage frequent updates but emphasized the importance of ensuring quality control to build trust with users [77091, 76914]. |
| Duration |
permanent |
(a) The software failure incident reported in the articles was considered permanent. Users reported that their files disappeared after installing the Windows 10 October 2018 update, and some mentioned losing important documents, financial information, photos, and other data permanently [77091, 76914]. Microsoft paused the update rollout and advised affected users to limit the use of their devices and contact customer support for assistance. The company acknowledged the reports of file loss and stated that they were investigating the issue, indicating that the impact of the failure was significant and not easily reversible. |
| Behaviour |
crash, omission, value, other |
(a) crash: The software failure incident described in the articles can be categorized as a crash. Users reported that after updating to the Windows 10 October 2018 version, their files disappeared, including important documents and financial information. This loss of data indicates a failure of the system to maintain its state and perform its intended functions, resulting in a crash [77091, 76914].
(b) omission: The incident also involves an omission behavior. Users mentioned that their documents were deleted or missing after the update, indicating that the system omitted to perform the intended function of preserving the user's files [77091, 76914].
(c) timing: There is no specific mention of a timing-related failure in the articles.
(d) value: The software failure incident can be associated with a value behavior. Users reported that the system performed its functions incorrectly by deleting files and causing data loss, which is not the expected behavior of a software update [77091, 76914].
(e) byzantine: The incident does not align with a byzantine behavior where the system behaves erroneously with inconsistent responses and interactions.
(f) other: The other behavior observed in this software failure incident is a lack of proper quality control and testing before the update rollout. Analysts mentioned that this incident could affect the trust users have in Microsoft, highlighting the importance of ensuring quality control and building trust with the community before pushing updates [77091, 76914]. |