Fix NS_E_WMP_CANT_PLAY_PROTECTED (0XC00D0FF3) in Windows

What triggers this error

You see NS_E_WMP_CANT_PLAY_PROTECTED (0XC00D0FF3) when you try to add a DVR-MS file to Windows Media Player library. This happens a lot after you move recorded TV shows from an old Windows Media Center PC (like Vista or Windows 7) to a new computer running Windows 10 or 11. The file has copy protection locked to the original machine's DRM license.

The error message says "The file cannot be added to the library because it is a protected DVR-MS file." It's not a hardware failure — it's a DRM handshake problem. The file is fine, but the license says "no."

Let's fix it. Try these in order. Stop when the error goes away.

Fix 1: Quick 30-second fix — Change library folder permissions

Sometimes Windows Media Player just can't read the folder where the DVR-MS file lives. This happens when files come from an external drive or a network share.

1. Right-click the folder that contains the DVR-MS file (example: D:\Recorded TV).
2. Click Properties.
3. Go to the Security tab.
4. Look at the list under "Group or user names." You should see your username there.
5. If it's missing, click Edit, then Add.
6. Type your Windows username (example: John) and click Check Names. It should underline the name.
7. Click OK.
8. In the permissions list, check the box for Full Control.
9. Click Apply and then OK.

What you should see after this: Open Windows Media Player and try to add the file again. If the error still shows up, move to Fix 2.

Fix 2: 5-minute fix — Re-register the Windows Media Player DRM component

This resets the DRM subsystem that tries to read the license. It's safe — it won't delete your files.

1. Close Windows Media Player completely.
2. Press Windows key + R to open the Run box.
3. Type cmd and press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to open Command Prompt as Administrator. Click Yes if you get a UAC prompt.
4. In the black window, type this command exactly and press Enter:
   

   regsvr32 wmp.dll

5. Wait for the popup that says "DllRegisterServer in wmp.dll succeeded." Click OK.
6. Now type this next command and press Enter:
   

   regsvr32 wmdrmsdk.dll

7. Wait for the same success message. Click OK.
8. Restart Windows Media Player and try to add the file again.

What you should see after this: If the error still shows, the DRM license is probably tied to a different machine. Move to Fix 3.

Fix 3: 15+ minute fix — Convert the file to MP4 with FFmpeg (removes DRM)

The real fix here: convert the DVR-MS file to a format without DRM. I use FFmpeg for this — it's free and works on Windows 7 through 11. This strips the copy protection because the conversion doesn't pass the license check.

1. Go to ffmpeg.org/download.html and download the Windows build (the "Windows builds from gyan.dev" link works fine).
2. Extract the zip file to C:\ffmpeg.
3. Open Command Prompt as Administrator again (same steps as Fix 2).
4. Type this command to go to the folder where your DVR-MS file is. Replace the path with your actual file location:
   

   cd "D:\Recorded TV"

5. Now type the conversion command. Change filename.dvr-ms to your actual file name, and output.mp4 to whatever you want to call the new file:
   

   "C:\ffmpeg\bin\ffmpeg.exe" -i "filename.dvr-ms" -c:v libx264 -c:a aac "output.mp4"

6. Press Enter. You'll see a bunch of text scroll by. Wait until it finishes (look for "video:xxxkB audio:xxxkB").
7. Close Command Prompt.
8. Delete the original .dvr-ms file (or keep it — your call). Windows Media Player will now add the .mp4 file to your library without the error.

What you should see after this: Open Windows Media Player, go to Organize > Manage libraries > Videos, then Add the folder with the new MP4. The file will show up in your library. No error.

One more thing: If the file doesn't play after conversion, try adding -vf "scale=trunc(iw/2)*2:trunc(ih/2)*2" right before "output.mp4". Some DVR-MS files have weird dimensions FFmpeg can't handle.

Why this error happens

DVR-MS is a format from Windows Media Center. Microsoft added copy protection so recorded TV can only play on the machine that recorded it. That protection uses a DRM license stored in your Windows Media Player DRM store. When you move the file to another PC, the license doesn't travel with it. The error 0XC00D0FF3 is Windows Media Player saying "I don't have permission to play this."

You can't restore the license — it's tied to the original computer's hardware ID. So converting the file is the only real fix for most users.