Windows Media Player Error Message Help

You've encountered error message C00D11E2 while using Windows Media Player. The following information might help you troubleshoot the issue.

Cannot play protected file

Windows Media Player cannot play the specified protected file. This is typically caused by the corruption of a key component of your computer's DRM system. You might encounter this error message for one of the following reasons:

• If Windows Media Player 11 was uninstalled, it deleted or corrupted some DRM components.

• The Windows user account trying to play the file is a member of both the Guests and the Administrators user groups. Since DRM access is denied for guest accounts, that denial will override the permissions given to members of the Administrator group.

Follow one or more of these steps to resolve the problem:

• If you are running Windows XP, uninstall and then reinstall Windows Media Player 11.

   To uninstall and reinstall Windows Media Player 11

  1. Roll back to the previous version of the Player.

     For instructions, see the Readme for Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP.

  2. Reinstall Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP.

     To download the Player, see the Windows Media Player Download page.

• If the previous step failed to resolve this error, you will need to reset your computer's DRM system by performing the following:

   To reset the Windows Media DRM system

  Warning   Resetting the DRM system will delete the media usage rights (also known as licenses) for your protected files. To play, burn, or sync any protected files on your computer, you will need to download new rights from your content providers. In some limited cases, it might not be possible to download new rights for certain files. Before resetting your DRM system, contact your online store for more information about its policies regarding rights download. In addition, if you are running Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Media Center for Windows Vista and you reset your DRM system, you might not be able to play any copy-protected TV shows that you have previously recorded.

  1. Verify that Windows is configured to show hidden files and protected operating system files.

      To show hidden and protected files

     1. Do one of the following:

        • If you are running Windows XP, click Start, and then click My Computer. Click the Tools menu, click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.

        • If you are running Windows Vista, click Start, and then click Computer. Click Organize , click Folder Options, and then click the View tab.

     2. Click Show hidden files and folders, and then clear the Hide protected operating system files check box.

  2. If you are running Windows XP Media Center Edition or Windows Media Center for Windows Vista, stop Media Center Receiver Service (ehrecvr).

      To stop the ehrecvr service

     1. Do one of the following:

        • If you are running Windows XP, click Start, click Run, and then type cmd in the Open box.

        • If you are running Windows Vista, click Start, and then type cmd in the Search box.

     2. At the command prompt, type the following:

        net stop ehrecvr

  3. Open the Windows Media DRM folder.

     In Windows XP, the DRM folder is typically located at C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\DRM. In Windows Vista, the DRM folder is typically located at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM. If you cannot locate the DRM folder on your computer, perform the following procedure.

      To find the location of the DRM folder

     Warning   Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. At the very least, you should back up any valued data on the computer before making changes to the registry. For information about backing up and restoring the registry, see Windows Help and Support.

     1. Do one of the following:

        • If you are running Windows XP, click Start, click Run, and then type regedit in the Open box.

        • If you are running Windows Vista, click Start, and then type regedit in the Search box.

     2. Expand the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\DRM key.

     3. In the pane on the right, double-click DataPath.

     4. In the Edit Binary Value dialog box, look at the column on the right to find the location of the DRM folder.

  4. Select all of the files in the DRM folder, and then press DELETE.

  5. Restart your computer.

  Resetting the Windows Media DRM system will not allow you to use your existing protected content, but it will allow to use protected content that you download in the future. To use your existing protected content, you will need to download new, valid media usage rights from your content provider. Consult your content provider for more information.