ESXi host fails with a PSOD referencing Machine Check Exception (MCE) during support bundle generation

Products

• VMware vSphere ESXi

Issue/Introduction

• When generating an ESXi support bundle,  PSOD  may occur during the support bundle generation process.
• You may see a message related to "Machine Check Exception."
• On the ESXi console, a purple diagnostic screen may display a message similar to the following:
  
  VMware ESXi #.#.# [Releasebuild-####### x86 64]
Machine Check Exception on PCPU## in world #######: idle##
System has encountered a Hardware Error - Please contact the hardware vendor

Uncorrectable/unrecoverable machine check error

• In System Event Log, you see a message similar to:
  
  Message: Assert + Chassis Transition to Non-recoverable from less severe

Environment

VMware ESXi 8.0.x

Cause

A Machine Check Exception (MCE) is triggered when the hardware detects a critical or fatal condition.These exceptions are considered serious and uncorrectable, leading to ESXi crashes and often resulting in a Purple Screen of Death (PSOD).

Resolution

Contact the server hardware vendor with the acquired MCE/PSOD data.
A hardware-level investigation is necessary to identify the root cause of the MCE and evaluate whether hardware replacement or firmware updates are required.

Additional Information

Decoding Machine Check Error (MCE) output after an ESXi panic (Purple Screen)

Japanese version: ESXi のサポートバンドル生成時に Machine Check Exception (MCE) による PSOD が発生する