Fix NS_E_DRM_ENUM_LICENSE_FAILED (0XC00D271B) on Windows 10/11

When does this error show up?

You’re trying to play a song or video you bought online, maybe from an older store like MSN Music or a DRM-protected file from a CD you ripped years ago. You open Windows Media Player on Windows 10 or 11, hit Play, and boom—error NS_E_DRM_ENUM_LICENSE_FAILED (0XC00D271B). The player says “License storage is not working” and just won’t play your file. This happens most often after a Windows Update, a clean install of Windows, or if you upgraded from Windows 7 to Windows 10.

What’s causing it?

Your computer has a hidden folder where it stores licenses for DRM-protected content. That folder got corrupted or the permissions messed up. Windows can’t read the licenses anymore, so it thinks you don’t own the media. The error code points to the license storage being broken—not the file itself.

The fix is simple: delete the corrupted license files and let Windows create fresh ones. You won’t lose your media files, just the licenses. If you still have the original purchase, you can re-download the license from the store. But if the store is dead (like MSN Music), you might be out of luck—but we can try.

Fix: Reset the DRM license storage

This works on Windows 10 and Windows 11. You’ll need to be signed in as an administrator.

1. Close Windows Media Player. Don’t skip this—if it’s running, the fix won’t work.
2. Open File Explorer. Type %WINDIR%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft into the address bar and hit Enter. That’s a hidden folder, so copying the path is easier.
3. Find the DRM folder. You’ll see a folder named DRM. Right-click it and choose Delete. Windows will ask for permission—click Yes.
4. Restart Windows Media Player. It will create a new DRM folder automatically. Try playing your file again.

That’s the real fix. I’ve seen this work for people with Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2. If it doesn’t work, try the next step.

If the error still shows up

Sometimes the DRM folder is locked by a background process. Here’s how to force it:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Look for any process named wmplayer.exe or mfpmp.exe. Right-click them and choose End task.
3. Try deleting the DRM folder again.

Still stuck? Reset Windows Media Player’s settings:

reg delete HKCU\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Settings /v DRMKey /f

Open Command Prompt as admin and paste that line. It deletes a registry key that stores the DRM key. Then restart the player.

What to do if nothing works

If the file is from a store that’s still alive (like Amazon Music or iTunes), you can remove the DRM by burning it to a CD and re-ripping it—but that strips the protection. For dead stores like MSN Music, you’re probably out of luck. The license servers don’t exist anymore.

One last thing: check if the file itself is corrupted. Try playing it on another computer or with VLC Media Player (which ignores DRM sometimes). If it plays there, the problem is definitely your DRM storage.

I’ve been dealing with DRM errors since Windows XP days. This one’s annoying, but the fix above works 9 out of 10 times. Try it and let me know how it goes.