What's actually happening here
Error 0XC00D1164 means Windows Media Player ran into a problem with the DVD's authoring structure. The disc was burned improperly, the region code doesn't match your drive, or a codec that Windows needs to decode the MPEG-2 video stream is missing or broken. I've seen this most often on Windows 10 and 11 after a big update that wipes out the DVD decoder, or on older DVDs that were authored for a different region.
The fixes below are ordered by time investment. Start with step 1 and stop when your DVD plays.
Quick fix — 30 seconds: Clean the disc and drive
Before you blame software, check the obvious. A smudged or scratched disc can confuse the laser and trigger this error. Take the DVD out, wipe it from center to edge with a soft cloth, and blow any dust out of the drive tray. Try again. If the error persists, move on.
Why this works sometimes: The DVD's authoring data is stored in a narrow spiral near the center. A smudge there makes the drive read garbage, and Windows interprets that as an authoring problem rather than a physical read error.
Moderate fix — 5 minutes: Check and change the DVD region code
A region mismatch is a common hidden cause. Windows Media Player respects region locking. If the DVD is region 2 (Europe) and your drive is set to region 1 (North America), you get 0XC00D1164. Here's how to check and fix it:
- Open Device Manager. Press Win + X and select Device Manager.
- Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives. Right-click your optical drive and choose Properties.
- Go to the DVD Region tab.
- Look at the Region Code dropdown. If it says "Current Region: Not Selected" or a different region than the disc, change it to match the disc's region.
- Click OK. You might need to reboot.
Important: Most drives let you change the region only 5 times, then it's locked. If you've already used all 5 changes, you're stuck. In that case, skip to the advanced fix and use VLC instead — VLC ignores region codes entirely.
Advanced fix — 15+ minutes: Install a proper DVD codec or switch to VLC
Windows 10 and 11 no longer ship with a built-in MPEG-2 decoder. That's the codec required for standard DVDs. Without it, Windows Media Player can't decode the video stream and throws 0XC00D1164. Microsoft used to sell the "DVD Playback" pack for a few bucks, but they killed that. There are two real solutions here.
Option A: Install the Microsoft DTV-DVD Video Decoder (free, but buried)
Microsoft still provides the codec as part of the Windows DVD Player app from the Store — but that app costs $14.99. Don't buy it. Instead, you can get the decoder via the Windows 10 N edition media feature pack. If you're on Windows 10 N or KN, install the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft's site. For everyone else, the simplest path is Option B.
Option B: The real fix — install VLC media player
Skip the headache. VLC includes its own DVD codec stack — MPEG-2, AC3 audio, and region code bypass. It also handles scratched discs better than Windows Media Player because it uses its own error correction logic. Here's what to do:
- Download VLC from videolan.org. Get the 64-bit version if you're on 64-bit Windows (which you almost certainly are).
- Install it. Accept default options.
- Open VLC. Insert your DVD. Go to Media > Open Disc. Select DVD, pick your drive letter, and click Play.
That's it. If VLC can't play the disc, the DVD itself is damaged beyond recovery. Burn a new copy if you have the original files.
Further reading — why VLC doesn't have this problem
Windows Media Player relies on system codecs registered in the DirectShow pipeline. If a codec is missing, the whole chain breaks. VLC doesn't use DirectShow — it has its own demuxer and decoder built from libavcodec. It doesn't care about the registry, doesn't care about region codes, and handles broken authoring tables more gracefully. That's why I always recommend VLC for DVD playback on modern Windows.
One more thing: If you're determined to stick with Windows Media Player, you can try installing the K-Lite Codec Pack (basic version is free). It includes an MPEG-2 decoder that Windows Media Player can use. But K-Lite sometimes conflicts with other apps, so I'd go with VLC first.