SYMPTOMS
Your computer may generate the following Stop error message on a blue screen:
STOP: 0x0000009C (0x00000004, 0x00000000, 0xb2000000, 0x00020151)
"MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION"
Note that the four parameters that are inside the parentheses may vary.
CAUSE
This behavior occurs because your computer processor detected an unrecoverable hardware error and reported it to Windows XP. To do so, it used the Machine Check Exception (MCE) feature of Pentium processors or the Machine Check Architecture (MCA) feature of some Pentium Pro processors. The error may be a result of any of the following:
System bus errors.
Memory errors that may include parity or Error Correction Code (ECC) problems.
Cache errors in the processor or hardware.
Translation Lookaside Buffers (TLB) errors in the processor.
Other CPU-vendor specific detected hardware problems.
Vendor-specific detected hardware problems.
STATUS
This behavior is by design.
MORE INFORMATION
A machine check exception occurs when Windows XP and your hardware platform cannot recover from some type of hardware error so that the system can continue to run successfully and reliably. More specific diagnosis of machine check exceptions is difficult and there is no general solution. Contact your hardware manufacturer or a computer hardware technician for help with troubleshooting this issue.
Machine check exceptions are frequently caused by one of the following conditions:
Running the processor or mainboard beyond its specifications. For example, overclocking the processor or bus. Microsoft recommends that you run your hardware at the manufacturer-rated speeds.
Noisy power, overstressed power strips, outmatched power supplies and failing power supplies can destabilize your computer. Make sure that you have a stable, reliable power supply to your computer.
Extreme thermal conditions caused by the failure of cooling devices such as fans. Make sure your cooling devices are all working.
Damaged memory, or memory that is not the correct type for your computer. If you recently changed the memory configuration, revert to the previous configuration to determine what is wrong. Make sure that you are using the correct memory for your computer.
NOTE: Your hardware may support additional error logging features that capture the machine check exception and suggest a more specific solution.
The Pentium and Pentium Pro processors provide a mechanism to detect and to report hardware-related problems such as memory parity errors and cache errors. To signal a hardware error, the processor signals the detection of a machine check error by generating a machine check exception (Interrupt 18). Windows XP reports that the error occurred and displays parameters that you can use to decode the exception. Contact your hardware vendor or processor manufacturer for information about the Machine Check Architecture or see the Intel Pentium Pro Family Developer's Manual - Volume 3: Operating System Writer's Manual.
