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Windows Upgrade, FAA Error Cause LAX Shutdown

Posted by michael on from the first-woodpecker-to-come-along dept.

fname writes "The recent shutdown of LAX due to an FAA radio outage was apparently caused by a Windows 2000 integration flaw, possibility related to an old Windows 95 bug. An article at the LA Times claims that the outage was caused by human error, as the system will automatically shut down after 49.7 days (related to this Windows 95 flaw?), and a technician didn't reboot the system monthly as he should have. This happened after an upgrade from Unix to Windows. I don't think blame should be assigned to the technician who missed the task; rather, it seems a gross oversight for the FAA to guarantee that such a critical system will crash after only one missed maintenance task. Who's really at fault?"

4 of 862 comments (clear)

  1. Which begs the question... by mind21_98 · · Score: 1, Redundant

    ...why did they switch to Windows in the first place?

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    US businesses that currently accept chip and PIN/signature
  2. Upgrade?? by Zevets · · Score: 1, Redundant

    Since when is going from Unix to Windows and upgrade?

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    Mod Wisely.

  3. upgrade? by drseuss9311 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    upgrade from Unix to Windows

    does that statement boggle anyone else's mind?

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    ------ no thanks... I've quit
  4. Can't be a common problem... by mrgreen4242 · · Score: 0, Redundant

    I can honestly say I have never encountered a situation where this would be a problem, as I have never had a Windows box stay up for more than a week without either crashing, getting so bogged down it needed a reboot just to open Word, or requiring me to reboot after I installed some ridiculously little program.