Microsoft restores Microsoft 365 services after global outage hits Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive

Microsoft has begun restoring services after a major global outage disrupted its Microsoft 365 suite, affecting nearly 130,000 users worldwide who reported problems accessing Outlook, Teams, and OneDrive. The company identified elevated server load as a key issue and is working to rectify it. Microsoft said a portion of affected servers had been returned to service and remained stable, while it shifted traffic to alternative routes and limited certain traffic types to ease disruption. The elevated load stemmed from reduced server availability, not increased overall traffic, after servers failed automated health checks. Experts warn of cascading failures as remaining infrastructure faces heavier loads, with configuration updates under review as a possible cause. The outage also impacted AI integrations, including connectors for ChatGPT and Claude, while Microsoft paused deployments during its investigation.