I recently have been getting this Error, I was sent here, to maybe find out how to fix this.

machine_check_exception stop: 0X0000009C (0X00000004 0X80546E70 0XB2000000 0X00070F0F)


It does it all the time, it seems, mostly on bootup, but has just been crashing now as well.
I have ran memtest and ram looks fine.I have limited self taught knowledge of P.C.'s.
I can follow directions to a T, though.

Any help in figuring this out, will be greatly appreciated.Driving me crazy...

Running Win Xp Home, SP3
AMD Athlon 64 3400+
MOBO- K8NHA Grand nForce3 250GB
1 Gig of Ram
New Video card installed - AGP-X1650 Pro 512 mb

Can provide any more info needed.

Sincerely, Mongoose333

Your error is 0x0000009C: MACHINE_CHECK_EXCEPTION

This is a hardware issue: an unrecoverable hardware error has occurred. The parameters have different meanings depending on what type of CPU you have but, while diagnostic, rarely lead to a clear solution. Most commonly it results from overheating, from failed hardware (RAM, CPU, hardware bus, power supply, etc.), or from pushing hardware beyond its capabilities (e.g., overclocking a CPU).


The newer code designation under Vista is 0x124. As the definition indicates this is a very difficult error code to work with. I have seen the issue centered on NIC cards, DVD/CD drives, sound cards, etc.

How long did you run memtest? Have you taken RAM stick(s) and tried them in another slot(s)?

How are your system temps? Are all fans working? Did you get these system issues before installing your new video card?

Google is our friend

see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/329284

To Rule out memory issues... Use Memtest www.techspot.com/vb/topic62524.html
Make sure you allow it to run at least seven full passes (8 tests each, of increasing complexity & duration)... may take a long time.

To Rule out overclocking issues ... Use Bios to restore to factory specs.

To Rule out thermal stress... review this related thread http://www.techspot.com/vb/topic91450.html and
get Everest here... http://www.techspot.com/downloads/433-everest-ultimate-edition.html

I hope this helps.

I have ruled out Memory before this thread, I ran memtest for all last night, All my fans are running fine, Temps. are fine, I had already moved ram to different slot,.
I am 90% sure, I had just started getting this error, just before upgrading video card....


Thanks, Mongoose333

Hello Mongoose...
See if you have some minidumps in the minidump subfolder of your windows directory.
If so, attach some of the most recent to your next post.
Zip some together (up to five) for easy uploading and downloading.
Several here can review and see if we can find a more conclusive diagnosis for you.

My minidump folder is empty, I assume because my p.c. is setup to keep clean and efficient...


Thanks, Mongoose333

To Enable Minidumps / Error Reporting

Go to
My Computer | Properties | Advanced | Startup and Recovery Settings |
Enable (Check/Tick) the following options
Write an Event to the System Log
Send an Administrative Alert
Automatically Restart

Under write debugging information, select the "Small Memory Dump" option
Directory should be
%SystemRoot%\Minidump

OK, I looked at what you said, the only thing I had to check, was automatically restart, the rest was already checked....

Sincerely, mongoose333

Hmmm... are you using CCleaner or another utility that might be automatically wiping this folder?

hmmm

Ok, after I checked the auto restart, I rebooted, and once again, I got this error, so I reboot, go into windows, then minidump folder, and there still is nothing there...



Thanks, mongoose333

Yes, I use ccleaner, ATF -cleaner, as well as cleanup, but I am fairly sure, none of em are set to autowipe. I have to manually do the cleaning, I think...


Mongoose333

Well... what we know for sure is that ... It is hardware... and you have no on-board graphics...
So we cannot just pull the graphics card and see if the problem resolves... :haha:

I had assumed initially that you had checked your hardware against the MB compatibility list. Reviewing that assumption, I did some quick checking...
ftp://ftp.biostar-usa.com/manuals/K8NHA PRO/K8NHAPROreport.pdf

If you have already done this checking, then skip the rest of my note.

Possible Problems...
Your graphics card is not on their compatibility list.... at least I do not find it there.
The only ATI card on their list is the 8500. You should check this. Do some calling if necessary.
Other ATI chipsets are supported, but I do not see the 1650 listed under either model or chipset.

Again, I do not know if your RAM is on their list... but they have a long list...
you might check this, just to be sure.

Continue the process of checking the rest of your hardware against the compatibility list...

ok, will take a look at this a little later, thanks for your patience and help...


Sincerely, mongoose333

Had a thought on the video card, that may help...
This error started before this ati x1650 pro agp...
This error started when there was a geforce 6200 agp in it, and that cards been in it for years, running fine. I just upgraded to the ati, and the error is still there...
I do not think its the video, just because it was going on, with the geforce too..




Thanks, mongoose333

I do not know if this matters, but I notice that biostar link doesn't open fer me, fer some reason, but I noticed that's a K8NHA PRO, and my mobo is a K8NHAGrand.I am not knowledgeable enough to know if that matters...I am kinda self taught fer the last 10 years+,(not trying to learn, but have had too, lol) kinda trial and error, teaches me. and my brother-in-law, who is a tech, and he also built this pc for me, out of little extra stuff he had.
He is who sent me here, actually to another thread on this, as he said it could be 20 million things.
This error, seems to happen on bootup, sometimes back to back on bootup.
It rarely, but does crash while in windows/programs, sometimes.

When, I replaced the video card, I totally disassembled this P.C., I took mobo out, and cleaned it, all hardware. I then reassembled it.A neighbor tech, had his hands in it, when I was not looking, but I have never questioned it.As he knows more than I about P.C.'S.
But, I am wondering, if a wrong placed jumper, or a different IDE cable, could cause this error...???
I remember, I had Grey Ide cables in it, but my neighbor saw, I had black spare ones, and he said, they were better...
I am just trying to help pin this error down..

Sincerely, mongoose333

Going back to basics for the moment, your reported behavior occurs when your computer reports an unrecoverable hardware error to Windows XP.
The computer/processor uses a Machine Check Exception, also commonly referred to as (MCE). These are sometimes the reason for this error message... Thinking it through, the problems that result in this MCE msg: system bus, memory parity or error correction, cache errors, cache errors in the CPU or some other hardware, buffer (TLB) errors in the processor, and a few other CPU-vendor specific problems, and vendor-specific hardware issues.

I would boil it down. Reduce the computer to the most simple setup you can... remove everything you can, so that you end up with a hard drive, one memory module, and a video card reduced to low resolution.

Then it is a matter of test and change, test and change until you begin to narrow it down.

Be sure your cpu has just barely the right amount of thermal paste, and the fan is turning smoothly.
Then put in another hard drive that doesn't matter and install basic Windows...
Begin to exchange memory... video cards if you can borrow another.
Check back here for advice, but do not get too fancy at first... it is a slow process for something that sounds pretty serious.

Hey...

Looking through my event viewer, I found 2 events, and they are linked to the error earlier, as their time stamps, coincide, but is this relavant? or just a result of the error earlier???

1.
The Following boot-start or system-start driver(s) failed to load:
atapi
PCIIde

2.
The X4HSX32 service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the path specified


Thanks, Kenny

So it is a driver error... just some reinstalls needed? Or how do you interpret it?

info

I don't know, its weird. and its storming here now.
1. where are my minidump files?
2. it has just given me this error 3 times in the last 10 minutes.
3.description-Left the room for a few minutes, came back and this BSOD error, was sitting there, oh, did i mention on this BSOD, there is a little graphic pink square box, kinda like graphic phenomena.about 11/2in. by 11/2in.
Anyways, came back to the first of these BSOD's, and rebooted, got it the second time, then the 3rd boot, it went into windows, I was hoping there was now a minidump file, as soon as I went into minidump folder, my arrow icon froze, and it went to the bsod error above.
I will take it apart tomorrow, I guess.
I don't know what its deal is,...
I don't know if those events are involved or not.
I am almost starting to believe my brother-in-law who is a tech, for 15-20 yrs, but he says all the time, "windows sucks", I am starting to realize this.It seems, its one thing after another for 20 yrs...When I get this problem fixed, I am sure its a matter of time until the next problem...

I do appreciate the efforts in helping guys... Thank You...


Sincerely,mongoose333

Does it give you any error codes on the blue screen with possible driver?