JSI Tip 1648. STOP: 0x0000009C is a hardware error.

When you receive a STOP: 0x0000009C similar to:

STOP: 0x0000009C (0x00000030, 0x00000002, 0x00000001, 0x80003CBA)

where the parameters for the Stop message may vary, Windows NT is reporting a hardware error.

Your computers' Pentium processor reported an error using the Machine Check Exception (MCE) or your Pentium Pro processorreported an error using the Machine Check Architecture (MCA) feature.

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 NT simply reports the fact that the error occurred and displays parameters that you can use to decode the exception. Contact your hardware vendor or processor manufacturer for information regarding the Machine Check Architecture or consult the Intel Pentium Pro Family Developer's Manual - Volume 3: Operating System Writer's Manual.