Microsoft Azure Archives

Tech Optimizer

November 19, 2025

pgEdge Announces pgEdge Control Plane for Simplified Management and Orchestration of PostgreSQL Databases

pgEdge has launched the pgEdge Control Plane, a distributed application designed to manage and orchestrate PostgreSQL databases for single-region and globally distributed deployments. Key features include consistent database management through a declarative approach, high availability with read replicas and automated failover, seamless migration from single-region to distributed architectures, immutable infrastructure support, automated backup and restore capabilities, zero downtime maintenance, and multi-database host support. The Control Plane is compatible with pgEdge Enterprise Postgres and pgEdge Distributed Postgres, is fully open source, and supports deployment across major cloud providers and on-premises environments. It is included with paid pgEdge subscriptions, which offer 24/7 enterprise support.

AppWizard

November 18, 2025

Is Minecraft facing an outage? Gamers report login and server issues

On November 18 at 1:57 AM, many Minecraft players experienced difficulties accessing the game due to a significant network outage affecting Microsoft’s networks. Downdetector recorded over 250 user complaints, with 80% related to server issues, 10% to login errors, and 10% to gameplay challenges. This incident is the second occurrence of server issues for Minecraft in a few weeks, following a previous outage linked to Microsoft Azure. Microsoft transitioned Minecraft hosting from Amazon to its own Azure platform in 2020 to enhance Azure's growth. Minecraft, developed by Mojang Studios and launched in 2011, was acquired by Microsoft for .5 billion in 2014.

Winsage

November 17, 2025

Microsoft: Windows bug blocks Microsoft 365 desktop app installs

Microsoft is addressing an issue preventing users from installing Microsoft 365 desktop applications on Windows devices due to misconfigured authentication components. The affected versions are Microsoft 365 desktop apps version 2508 (Build 19127.20358) and version 2507 (Build 19029.20294). Microsoft is working on reconfiguring the authentication components, with a resolution expected to be deployed soon. The issue has been classified as incident OP1186186, indicating a critical service disruption. Additionally, another problem, tracked as MO1176905, is affecting some admins and users by restricting access to various Microsoft 365 services due to a misconfiguration related to Microsoft 365 Group SecurityEnabled settings. Recently, Microsoft resolved a bug related to Microsoft Intune and mitigated a DNS outage that affected global customers.

AppWizard

November 9, 2025

Microsoft Flight Simulator isn’t just for nerdy dads anymore: Boeing will start using its tech to train actual pilots

Microsoft and Boeing have collaborated to develop a virtual training program for novice pilots called the Virtual Airplane Procedures Trainer, which was announced during the European Aviation Training Summit in Portugal. The program utilizes Microsoft Azure and Microsoft Flight Simulator to provide immersive and customizable training tools for pilots and flight training teams. Dayan Rodriguez, Microsoft's corporate vice president, emphasized the company's commitment to enhancing pilot training and safety through this partnership.

AppWizard

November 1, 2025

Microsoft Azure global service outage impacts Minecraft and Xbox services worldwide

Microsoft experienced a significant Azure cloud outage starting around 16:00 UTC on October 29, 2025, affecting services like Microsoft 365, Xbox, and Minecraft, as well as companies such as Capital One, Alaska Airlines, and Starbucks. The outage was caused by an inadvertent configuration change, leading to latencies, timeouts, and errors for customers using Azure Front Door (AFD). AFD services have since recovered to over 98% availability, with full restoration expected by October 30, 2025. Xbox Support confirmed that all gaming services are back online, although some players needed to restart their consoles. UK internet provider Community Fibre reported connectivity issues for its customers due to the Microsoft outage, which was linked to DNS problems.

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Heathrow, NatWest and Minecraft sites down in Microsoft global outage

Websites for Heathrow, NatWest, and Minecraft resumed operations late Wednesday after a global outage linked to Microsoft. The disruption affected numerous websites for several hours, with thousands of users reporting issues. Microsoft acknowledged delays for Microsoft 365 users, particularly with Outlook. By 21:00 GMT, many affected websites were back online after Microsoft rectified a previous update. The Azure cloud computing platform reported a "degradation of some services" starting at 16:00 GMT due to "DNS issues." Other impacted sites included Asda, M&S, and O2 in the UK, as well as Starbucks and Kroger in the US. Despite the outage, NatWest maintained its mobile banking, web chat, and telephone customer services. The Scottish Parliament faced disruptions due to technical issues with its online voting system. Microsoft attributed the outage to "an inadvertent configuration change." Azure accounts for approximately 20% of the global cloud market, and recent outages have highlighted vulnerabilities in modern internet infrastructure.

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Amazon Web Services, Minecraft Face Outage? Cloud disruptions impact users globally

On Wednesday, a significant outage affected Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Minecraft, coinciding with disruptions in Microsoft Azure. Users globally reported difficulties accessing various websites, applications, and games reliant on these cloud platforms. Over 250 users in India reported issues with AWS, while Minecraft players faced login problems, with over 3,500 complaints recorded. The Azure outage was linked to issues within its global content delivery network and a configuration change. Popular platforms such as Microsoft 365, Outlook, Starbucks, and Costco also experienced slow performance or unavailability. This incident followed a similar outage on October 20, which disrupted services for games, apps, and banking due to issues with Amazon's servers.

AppWizard

October 30, 2025

Microsoft Azure outage Knocks Xbox and Minecraft offline, here’s the latest update

A significant outage of Microsoft's Azure cloud services occurred due to a configuration error, affecting millions of users and various platforms, including gaming services and business applications. Gamers experienced issues signing into Xbox Live, halted multiplayer sessions, and offline Minecraft servers. Major corporations, such as Alaska Airlines, also reported service interruptions. Microsoft has implemented a fix to restore traffic through its Azure Front Door network, and as of Thursday morning, access to Xbox and Minecraft services has largely been reinstated, though some users may still face intermittent issues. The engineering team is actively monitoring the situation.

AppWizard

October 28, 2025

‘There isn’t really another choice:’ Signal chief explains why the encrypted messenger relies on AWS

Meredith Whittaker highlighted the significant concentration of power within the cloud infrastructure sector following the recent Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage, which affected various services, including Signal. She emphasized that the issue extends beyond Signal's reliance on AWS, pointing out that the cloud ecosystem is largely dominated by three to four major entities, leaving limited options for companies. Whittaker noted that many users are unaware of this dependency and the lack of realistic alternatives to AWS and other major providers. She identified AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud as the primary options for maintaining reliable global service, which requires extensive infrastructure. Additionally, she clarified that Signal operates only partly on AWS with encryption to protect user conversations. The outage also disrupted services for other companies, including Starbucks and Snapchat. Whittaker expressed hope that the incident could provoke a broader discussion about the risks of centralized power in the tech industry.

Winsage

October 21, 2025

Microsoft’s ancient icon library still lurks in Windows 11

The pifmgr.dll file, introduced with Windows 95, manages Program Information Files (PIF) for virtual MS-DOS sessions. It contains a whimsical assortment of icons created for fun, rather than for specific applications, and remains in Windows 11, sized at 36 kilobytes. The icons reflect a nostalgic design era with limited colors and pixel resolutions, and some hint at future developments, such as an icon depicting a window with clouds, which may reference Microsoft Azure. One design features an apple with a bite taken from the left side, diverging from Apple's logo.