Short for non-maskable interrupt, NMI is the highest priority interrupt capable of interrupting all software and non-vital hardware devices. The NMI is not commonly used and usually only used to verify if a serious error has occurred or stop all operations because of a failure. For example, when you press Ctrl+Alt+Del when the computer freezes or stops responding, an NMI is sent to the CPU.

Computer acronyms, Hardware terms, Interrupt

Unlike an INTR or interrupt, the NMI cannot be interrupted by any other interrupt.

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  • Computer hardware help and support.