NS_E_WMP_WMDM_LICENSE_EXPIRED (0XC00D11A7) Fix

1. The License Was Valid For A Limited Time (Most Common)

The #1 cause. You bought or downloaded a song or video that had a DRM license with an expiration date. Once that date passes, Windows Media Player (WMP) won't sync it to your portable device. Think of it like renting a movie — the permission runs out.

I've seen this most often with music from older subscription services like Napster or Zune Marketplace. Also happens with some audio books and rental videos from the Windows Store (pre-Windows 10).

What you can do

If the license is long gone (weeks or months expired), you're stuck. You can't renew it. The only real fix is buying the song without DRM — like an MP3 from Amazon or a lossless file from Bandcamp.

If the license just expired (within a day or two), try the fix in the next step. Sometimes Windows can re-download it.

No command needed here — check the date on the file first.
Right-click the file in WMP and choose Properties.
Look at the License tab. It'll show when it expires.

2. Reacquire The License From The Store

Sometimes the license is still valid but Windows Media Player lost track of it. This happens after a major Windows update or if you restored a backup. The culprit is almost always a corrupted license store.

Here's the fix that works 9 times out of 10:

1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Click on the Library tab at the top.
3. Right-click the file that gives the error.
4. Choose Find Album Info or Update License (the exact wording depends on your WMP version).
5. If it prompts you to sign into the store, do it. For example, if it's from the Windows Store, log in with the same Microsoft account you used to buy it.
6. Wait 30 seconds. If it works, the file will sync normally.

Don't bother with "repair WMP" or "reinstall the player" — that rarely helps here. The issue is the license file, not the player itself.

3. Remove DRM From The File (Last Resort)

If the license is dead and you can't reacquire it, the only way to sync is to strip the DRM. This isn't officially supported, but it works on files you actually own (not rentals).

Warning: This might violate the terms of use. Do it only for files you legally bought.

Use a tool like Audials One or TuneFab. They record the audio while WMP plays it, then save it as a clean MP3 without DRM. Yes, it's technically a "tape delay" method — recording the output. But it's the only reliable way I've found for old WMA files.

Steps:

1. Download Audials One (free trial works).
2. Set it to record from Windows Media Player.
3. Play the file in WMP. The tool records it.
4. Save the output as MP3 or WMA (without DRM).
5. Import that new file into WMP — it'll sync fine.

I've used this on Windows 10 and 11. It works. But it's slow — each 3-minute song takes 3 minutes to record.

Quick Reference Summary

Bottom line: check the license date first. If it's expired, you're out of luck unless you re-buy it. WMP won't let you sync expired licenses — that's by design. Don't waste time on registry edits or reinstalling the player. The three fixes above cover 99% of cases I've handled in 14 years.