Fact Check: Las Vegas Sphere Showed 'Blue Screen of Death'?

Claim:

The Las Vegas sphere displayed a Microsoft "error" message following a worldwide IT glitch in July 2024.

Rating:

Fake ( About this rating? )

On July 19, 2024, Crowdstrike, a cyber security company utilized by Microsoft, launched a global software update that had massive repercussions. An Information Technology(IT) outage caused businesses, airlines and medical buildings around the world to have glitches in their Microsoft computing systems, according to NBC News .

According to The Associated Press , these outages caused delays to air travel and business operation, "highlighting the fragility of a digitized world dependent on just a handful of providers."

The "Blue Screen of Death"(BSOD), a term coined for the Microsoft "error" message on computing systems, was displayed on Microsoft computing systems internationally. Examples of this happening can be seen in this special report from NBC:

Another more peculiar example of a BSOD was posited to have been displayed on the Las Vegas Sphere. X users posted a photo of the attraction with a Microsoft "error" message on its screen. This photo, although it may have appeared authentic to some, was digitally altered and fake.

We did fact checks on this same image in 2023 and 2024 . In both cases, we found that the image was fake. Utilizing the software FotoForensics , a platform that specializes in digital image forensics, we were able to test the authenticity of the image and detect any potential alterations or manipulations.

With the software, we performed an Error Level Analysis (ELA) technique, intentionally resaving the image at a known error rate (such as 95%), then subtracting the resaved image from the original image to reveal the differences. These differences, or "error levels," can help identify areas of the image that were added or modified. If an image is unaltered, the entire image should have a similar error level. However, if parts of the image were added or altered, those areas will likely have a different error level, indicating potential manipulation. The result was as follows:

(FotoForensics)

When the original elements of the image are stripped away, the text and overlay of the Sphere after the fact becomes clear, meaning this image was manipulated.

In addition to that manipulation, no reputable news sources have spread any news of the Sphere showing a BSOD as a result of the global IT outage. For these reasons, we label the claim, "Fake."

Sources:

"A Faulty Software Update Causes Havoc Worldwide for Airlines, Hospitals and Governments." AP News , 19 July 2024, https://apnews.com/article/microsoft-crowdstrike-outage-australia-internet-banks-media-0a5f792b6571b37a35181d64028fefc4. "FotoForensics Analysis." FotoForensics , https://fotoforensics.com/analysis.php?id=66d06d9bd607882d18eb255df519eb5c717f74f6.92009. Accessed 19 July 2024. "Mass IT Outage Hits Airports, Businesses and Broadcasters around the World." NBC News , 19 July 2024, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/mass-cyber-outage-airports-businesses-broadcasters-crowdstrike-rcna162664. NBC News. Special Report: Major Computer Outages Occur Worldwide . 2024. YouTube , https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZZBdGRnScA&list=RDNS0ZZBdGRnScA&index=1. Wrona, Aleksandra. "Did Las Vegas Sphere Really Show a Windows Error Message?" Snopes , 27 Feb. 2024, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/las-vegas-sphere-error-pic/. ---. "Is This a Real Pic of the Las Vegas Sphere Displaying a Windows Error Message?" Snopes , 10 July 2023, https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/las-vegas-sphere/.