Fix NS_E_DRM_CLIENT_CODE_EXPIRED (0XC00D2847) in Windows Media Player

Cause 1: Windows Media Player's DRM code is outdated or corrupted

The most common trigger for NS_E_DRM_CLIENT_CODE_EXPIRED is an expired or corrupted DRM (Digital Rights Management) component inside Windows Media Player. This usually happens after a Windows update messes with the DRM files, or when you haven't played a protected file in months. The DRM code has a built-in expiration, and if the player can't refresh it, you get this error.

Fix: Force Windows Media Player to update its DRM components.

1. Close Windows Media Player completely. Make sure it's not running in the background (check the system tray).
2. Open File Explorer and go to this folder:
   C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM
3. If you see any files inside, don't delete them yet. We'll back them up first. Right-click the DRM folder, choose Rename, and type DRM_Backup. Press Enter.
4. Windows will create a fresh DRM folder the next time you start Windows Media Player.
5. Now open Windows Media Player. It will automatically try to download new DRM components. You'll see a progress bar or a message saying "Acquiring licenses". Let it finish.
6. Try playing the protected file again.

What to expect: After you rename the folder and launch WMP, you might see a blank player for a few seconds. That's normal. The player is rebuilding the DRM store. Once the "Acquiring licenses" message goes away, your file should play.

If this didn't work, don't worry. The next cause is just as common.

Cause 2: Stale or corrupt DRM cache files

Even if the DRM folder exists, the cache inside it can get corrupted. This happens frequently when you interrupt a download or when your system crashes while playing a protected file. The error 0XC00D2847 shows up because the DRM client checks the cache, finds garbage, and decides the code is expired.

Fix: Clear the DRM cache manually (the safe way).

1. Close Windows Media Player. Again, check the system tray to be sure.
2. Press Win + R, type %windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\DRM, and press Enter. This opens the DRM folder that actually stores the cache.
3. Select all files inside (Ctrl+A) and delete them. If Windows says some files are in use, that means WMP is still running. Right-click the taskbar, open Task Manager, find Windows Media Player, and end the process. Then repeat this step.
4. After deleting, restart Windows Media Player. It will rebuild the cache from scratch.

What to expect: The first time you open WMP after clearing the cache, it might take 20-30 seconds to start. That's normal. You may also see a message about updating DRM. Let it do its thing.

If you still get the error, we have one more solid fix.

Cause 3: Windows Media Player itself is broken or outdated

Sometimes the player's own files are the problem. This happens if you've tried third-party codec packs that overwrite WMP's internal components, or if a Windows update went sideways. The DRM client code is literally a file called drmv2clt.dll, and if it's missing or the wrong version, you'll see exactly this error.

Fix: Re-register and repair Windows Media Player.

1. Close Windows Media Player.
2. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Press Win + X and select Command Prompt (Admin) or Windows PowerShell (Admin).
3. Run this command to re-register the DRM runtime:
   

   regsvr32 drmv2clt.dll

4. You should see a dialog saying "DllRegisterServer in drmv2clt.dll succeeded." Click OK.
5. Now run the built-in repair for Windows Media Player. Go to Settings → Apps → Apps & features (Windows 10/11), find Windows Media Player, click Advanced options, and click Repair. If you're on Windows 7, this option doesn't exist—instead, go to Control Panel → Programs and Features, click Turn Windows features on or off, uncheck Media Features, restart, then re-check it.
6. Restart your PC after the repair finishes.

What to expect: After the repair, WMP will look like it did the day you installed Windows. Don't panic—your library and settings are stored separately, so they'll still be there.

Quick-reference summary

Try these in order. The first one usually works, but if not, the second one is quick to test. The third is almost guaranteed to fix any leftover DRM issues.