Fix NS_DRM_E_MIGRATION_UPGRADE_WITH_DIFF_SID (0XC00D278B)

This error hits when Windows Media DRM fails during license migration after a user SID change. You'll need to reset DRM files or re-register components.

Quick answer

Delete the DRM store folder at %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player and reboot. That forces a clean DRM state and usually resolves the SID mismatch.

Why this happens

This error (NS_DRM_E_MIGRATION_UPGRADE_WITH_DIFF_SID) appears when Windows Media Player's DRM component tries to migrate licenses after a user profile's security identifier (SID) changes. Typical triggers: you cloned a system image to different hardware, restored from a backup to a new PC, or your user profile got corrupted and rebuilt. The DRM store holds encrypted license keys tied to the old SID. When the new SID shows up, the migration fails with 0XC00D278B. I've seen this most often on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2 after migration tools like USMT or Laplink PCMover run.

Fix steps

Close all media apps. Kill Windows Media Player, Groove Music, Movies & TV, or anything playing DRM content. Use Task Manager to be sure.
Delete the DRM store. Open File Explorer and paste this path: %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player. Delete everything inside this folder. Don't worry — Windows rebuilds it fresh.
Reboot your PC. This clears any cached DRM handles and forces a clean re-initialization.
Open Windows Media Player. Go to Organize > Options > Privacy tab and check Download usage rights automatically when I play or sync a file. Apply and OK.
Play a DRM-protected file. Windows will prompt you to acquire a new license. Accept it. That's the core fix — the old SID is gone, and a fresh license binds to your current SID.

Alternative fixes if the main one fails

Re-register DRM components

Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Run these commands one by one:

regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\drmv2clt.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\blackbox.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\mpg4dmod.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\wmadmod.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\wmasf.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\wmnetmgr.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\wmp.dll
regsvr32.exe %systemroot%\system32\wmpdxm.dll

Reboot after this. I've had this salvage cases where the folder deletion alone didn't take.

Check for corrupted user profile

If the error keeps coming back, your user profile itself might be the problem. Create a new local admin account, log into it, copy your files over, and test the DRM playback there. If it works, migrate fully to the new profile — old SID is likely toast.

Prevention tip

Before you migrate your PC to new hardware or restore from a system image, back up your DRM licenses manually. Use the Windows Media Player License Backup tool (it's built into older versions but on Windows 10/11 you can grab a free utility like DRM Backup from majorgeeks). Save the backup to an external drive. After migration, restore the licenses before you play anything. This sidesteps the whole SID mismatch mess.

Also — and this is hard-earned advice — never use user profile migration tools on the same PC after a motherboard swap. Reinstall Windows clean. It's annoying but it saves you from DRM errors and driver hell.