Fix NS_E_DRM_INDIVIDUALIZE_ERROR 0XC00D2736

Quick answer for the impatient

Open Windows Media Player, go to Tools > Options > Privacy tab, click "Clear PlayReady DRM data", then retry. If that fails, uninstall Silverlight and let the site reinstall it. That fixes 80% of cases.

Why this happens

This error means the DRM stack on your machine couldn't get a fresh security upgrade from Microsoft's servers. DRM individualization is that handshake where your player downloads a unique certificate to prove it's not a pirate box. When that handshake fails — usually because of a corrupt local DRM database, a busted network proxy, or a leftover Silverlight install that's out of date — you get 0xC00D2736.

I've seen it most often after a Windows feature update, especially on Windows 10 21H2 and older builds. The update nukes part of the DRM cache, but leaves enough behind to trip up the next attempt. Also happens in corporate environments where the network blocks the DRM URLs — that's a whole other headache.

The good news: you don't need to reinstall Windows or run third-party registry cleaners. It's a local data problem, and you can fix it in a few minutes.

Fix steps (do these in order)

Clear PlayReady DRM data in Windows Media Player
Open WMP (yes, it's still there). Click the three-dot menu > Tools > Options > Privacy tab. Under "PlayReady DRM," click "Clear PlayReady DRM data." Accept the warning, close WMP, and try your stream again.
Delete the DRM folder manually
Sometimes the UI button doesn't do squat. Press Win+R, type %windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\DRM and hit Enter. Delete everything inside that folder. You'll need admin rights — take ownership if prompted. Restart the machine. Windows will rebuild the DRM store from scratch on next use.
Reset Silverlight if you have it
Many legacy streaming sites (think old Netflix on PC) use Silverlight. Go to Control Panel > Silverlight > Application tab > "Delete individualization data" and confirm. Then uninstall Silverlight completely via Programs and Features, and let the site reinstall it fresh when you next visit.
Check your date/time and network
DRM handshakes require correct system time and a clear route to Microsoft's servers. Run w32tm /resync in an admin Command Prompt to sync time. Also flush DNS: ipconfig /flushdns. If you're behind a proxy, whitelist *.microsoft.com and *.playready.microsoft.com.

When the main fixes fail

If you're still stuck, try these in order:

Reinstall Windows Media Player — Go to Optional Features in Settings, uninstall WMP, reboot, reinstall it. This forces a full DRM re-registration.
Manually re-register the DRM DLLs — Open an admin Command Prompt and run:
regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\drmv2clt.dll
regsvr32 c:\windows\system32\drmstor.dll
Then reboot. I've had this work when nothing else did.
Check for corrupted system files — Run sfc /scannow and if it finds issues, follow up with dism /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth. Takes a while but worth it if the DRM store is tied up with system corruption.
Use the PlayReady reset tool — Microsoft has a dedicated tool buried on their support site. Search for "PlayReady Reset Tool" on microsoft.com, download it (it's a tiny exe), and run it. It wipes all DRM data cleanly. This is my nuclear option when even manual deletion fails.

Prevention for next time

Don't let Windows Update run wild without checking what's pending. DRM breaks most often when a feature update lands mid-session. Set your active hours so updates install when you're away, and if you're on a domain, make sure your admin isn't stripping DRM permissions via group policy — I've seen that twice.

Also, if you're still using Silverlight for anything, get off it. Microsoft stopped supporting it in 2021. Move to HTML5-based players. That alone will save you a dozen headaches down the road.

And keep your system time honest. A drift of more than five minutes breaks the DRM certificate validation, and it's the dumbest fix to diagnose.

One last thing: don't bother with "DRM removal" tools from random websites. They're all snake oil or malware. Stick with the built-in cleanup and Microsoft's official tools.