Fix: Machine Check Exception BSOD Error 0x0000009C in Windows 10

Is your Desktop screen turns blue and displays Machine Check Exception Error 0x0000009C? Well, this is a Blue Screen of death error that can appear owing to different reasons. A few of them are – dusty HDD/RAM, obsolete device drivers, corrupt or missing system files, etc. 

To fix the Stop error 0x0000009C, go through the below list of solutions, and check whether any of them matches with your recent activities. If not, try approaching these workarounds sequentially –

How to Fix BSOD Error 0x0000009C on Windows 10

Since this is a blue screen of death error, you can’t access the login screen normally. So, you must enter the Safe Mode with networking then only apply the below fixes. 

To solve the Machine Check Exception BSOD Error 0x0000009C, try the following –

1] Detach Computer Cables, Clean them, and Reconnect 

The peripheral devices play a significant role in our day-to-day activities. However, when you encounter a Blue Screen, remove all the secondary devices, and see whether it does solve the bug or not. 

For Desktop Users Only – Try detaching the computer cables, connecting wires of the HDD and RAM, clean them properly then reconnect the wires carefully. Performing this step alone fixes the BSOD error at times. 

If you have recently installed an incompatible software or network devices, this may also lead to 0x0000009C bugcheck. In such cases, just unplug/remove the newly added devices and see if it solves the system crash error. 

Note: Make sure to plug in the devices one by one so as to identify the corrupt one. In case the 0x0000009C error is still hanging, follow the next solution.

2] Run Blue Screen Troubleshooter

Microsoft provides several in-built utility programs that can take care of such issues. Blue Screen Troubleshooter is one such tool designed especially for BSOD errors. All you need is to follow the below guideline –

• Right-click on the Windows icon and select the gear icon (Settings).
• Select Update & Security thereafter Troubleshoot on the upcoming screen. 
• Now, jump to the right and expand Blue Screen.
• Next, click Run the troubleshooter to start the scanning/repairing process.
• Once over, Restart your PC so as to incorporate the recent changes.

3] Update/Rollback Device Drivers

The BSOD 0x0000009C may also appear when you don’t regularly update the device drivers. This is because an obsolete driver starts interfering with the computer’s normal start-up process. If that’s the case, update whatever drivers are present on the device. Here’s how to proceed –

Step-1: Jointly press Win + Pause keys together to open the Control Panel.

Step-2: Click Device Manager on the left column.

Step-3: Next, expand each category and see whether any contains a yellow exclamation mark.

Step-4: If yes, right-click on the same and hit “Update driver“.

Step-5: On the upcoming screen, hit “Search automatically for drivers” and it starts looking for updates online.

Once over, Restart your PC so as to implement the recent changes. 

Note: At times, things are just the opposite. What I mean is sometimes you may start experiencing a new set of errors after updating the device drivers. If you had updated the drivers recently and are experiencing the Blue screen error 0x0000009C afterward, you must rollback the driver to its previous state –

• Follow the first two steps above to reach out to the Device Manager.
• Now, locate and click the recently updated driver. 
• On its properties window, go to the “Driver” tab.
• Here, click “Roll Back Driver” followed by OK.
• Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the remaining steps.

4] Run SFC Utility Program

Many a time, if you didn’t perform Windows 10 update regularly can also result in such Stop errors. This occurs because system files start missing or simply become corrupt over a period of time. Moreover, sudden power fluctuation (pretty common these days) can also cause this kernel error. To get rid of this issue, you should scan the entire PC for possible obsolete system files using SFC utility. This tool not only finds the damaged core files but also repair them instantly. Here is the complete procedure –

• Launch the Search bar using Win & S keys together and type “cmd”.
• Right-click on the top result and choose the Run as administrator option.
• If the UAC pop-up window appears, tap Yes.
• On the elevated command prompt, type sfc/scannow and press the Enter key.

• The file scanning/repairing starts immediately afterward, so wait accordingly. 
• Once over, Reboot your PC and check whether you can boot into Windows 10 normally or not.

5] Disable Third-party Antivirus

The presence of third-party antivirus may also result in error 0x0000009C. A minor conflict between your system and anti-malware program can lead to such BSOD errors. To confirm whether this is responsible or not, try to disable third-party antivirus applications. 

If this indeed resolves the issue, switch to some other antivirus program. Microsoft Security is a nice in-built app on Windows 10 that can take care of anything whether viruses, Trojans, malware, etc. 

6] Check your RAM

The Machine Check Exception BSOD Error 0x0000009C may also occur due to defective or mismatched RAM. So, it’s better to check the RAM using Windows Memory Diagnostic Tool. 

Note: If you are using a Desktop, make sure to physically inspect RAM for any wear & tear. In case, it appears to be dusty, clean it using a microfiber cloth. Do clean the RAM slot as well.

Here’s how to run the diagnostic tool –

• Jointly press WinKey + R to launch the Run dialog.
• Type “mdsched.exe” at the void and hit OK to start Windows Memory Diagnostic.
• Next, click “Restart now and check for problems“.

When the diagnosis completes, you will receive one of the following results –

1. Your RAM has no problem.
2. The computer is suffering from a bad memory. 

If you get the first result, move to the next workaround. Otherwise, replace the existing RAM with a new one.

7] Remove the latest installed programs

If you have lately installed new 3rd-party apps on your computer and the error 0x0000009C starts appearing, make sure to locate and uninstall such programs. Follow the below steps to remove the recently installed software –

• Type “Control Panel” in the search bar and hit the well-matching result.
• Click “Uninstall a program” under the “Programs” category. 

• Next, locate and select the newly-installed application. 
• Move to the top-ribbon and hit Uninstall.
• If any confirmation window appears, hit Uninstall again.

Note: After the application is removed from the PC, do Restart your computer so as to delete any leftover files as well.

• From the next login, check whether you can enter Windows normally or are still getting the Stop error.

8] Use a system restore point

In case, you can’t figure out which application is exactly causing the trouble, it’s better to switch to an earlier state where everything was functioning properly. Performing a system restore will affect system files, however, it won’t affect any personal files. A few files stored on the PC may be overwritten by the previous files. 

Here’s how to use restore points –

• Jointly press WinKey + Pause to launch the System window.
• On the left pane, click System Protection.

• After the System Properties window comes into view, Click “System Restore“. Henceforth, hit Next.

• On the System Restore window, select the latest backup and hit “Scan for affected programs“. If none found, click Next again to restore PC to an earlier point where everything was working pretty normal.

• Make sure to Restart your PC so as to implement the recent changes. 

9] Clean Install Windows

If you haven’t created any system backups previously, you won’t be able to restore your PC to an earlier state. In such cases, what you can do is clean install Windows 10 using a bootable device. 

Note: To create a bootable device, use either Media Creation Tool version 2004 or Rufus.

Once you have the installation media at hand, read how to fresh install Windows 10 on the computer.

10] Replace corrupt/malfunctioning Hardware

After performing a clean installation of Windows 10, the error 0x0000009C simply will fade away. However, at times, users start experiencing this or similar BSOD issues again. If that’s the case, the hardware must have gone corrupt or is malfunctioning. Or, the computer’s cooling fans aren’t functioning properly. Anyways, it’s time to take your PC to a technician and replace the hardware components.

That’s it, if you have any queries or suggestions related to this post, let us know in the comment section.