Fix DRM Migration Error 0xC00D2788 on Windows

DRM migration error when moving protected media files. Fix starts with a quick file reset, then a cleanup tool, and finally a full DRM reinitialization.

What's Happening Here

The NS_E_DRM_INVALID_MIGRATION_IMAGE error (0xC00D2788) pops up when Windows Media Player or another DRM-protected app tries to move licenses from one machine to another — or, more commonly, when it attempts to re-validate a license that's already on your system. The DRM component stores a snapshot of your license state as a 'migration image.' If that snapshot gets corrupted (power loss mid-write, disk error, botched update), the system can't verify ownership of your purchased files.

I've seen this trigger after a Windows update, after moving media between PCs via an external drive, or just randomly when opening a protected WMA file. The fix hierarchy below lets you attack the corruption without nuking everything.

Fix 1: Quick File Reset (30 seconds)

This deletes the cached migration image files. The DRM system rebuilds them on the next access. You won't lose your licenses.

Press Win + R, type %windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\DRM, and hit Enter.
Delete only these files — nothing else:
- drmstore.hds
- drmstore.hds.bak
- indivbox.key
Empty the Recycle Bin. Reboot.

Why this works: The migration image (indivbox.key) is what's corrupt. Deleting it forces a fresh one. The drmstore files are backups that get remade. If this doesn't fix it, the corruption runs deeper — hit Fix 2.

Fix 2: DRM Cleanup Tool (5 minutes)

Windows has a built-in DRM reset tool (it's been there since Vista). This wipes the entire license store — you'll need to re-download licenses for any purchased content.

Close all media players — Windows Media Player, Groove, Films & TV.
Type cmd in Start, right-click Command Prompt, and choose Run as administrator.
Run:
```
cd /d %windir%\System32\
```
Then:
```
unregmp2.exe /ResetDRM
```
A dialog appears — click Reset. Wait for it to finish. Reboot.

What's actually happening: unregmp2.exe is the Windows Media Player unregistration tool. The /ResetDRM switch tells it to blow away the DRM database and reinitialize the component from scratch. This clears the bogus migration image and every license entry. Downside: you'll need to re-authenticate any protected files you bought.

Test by opening a known-broken protected file. If it still errors, the DRM component's registration itself is corrupted — move to Fix 3.

Fix 3: Full DRM Reinitialization (15+ minutes)

This is the nuclear option — it re-registers the entire DRM stack and clears all caches. You'll need your original media installed.

Step 3a: Kill the DRM service and delete everything

Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), find Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service (if running), right-click, and End task.
Open an admin Command Prompt again.

Stop the DRM service:

net stop "Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service"

Delete the entire DRM folder — this is more aggressive than Fix 1:

rmdir /s /q "%windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\DRM"

Step 3b: Re-register Windows Media Player

In the same admin Command Prompt, run:
```
regsvr32.exe %windir%\System32\wmp.dll
```
Then re-run the DRM reset from Fix 2:
```
unregmp2.exe /ResetDRM
```

Step 3c: Reinstall media foundation components

Some DRM operations rely on the Media Foundation platform. Run these two commands:

regsvr32.exe %windir%\System32\mf.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\System32\mfplat.dll

Step 3d: Reboot and test

Reboot. Open a protected file. It'll prompt you to re-authenticate — you'll need to sign into your original purchase account (e.g., the Microsoft Store account that bought the content).

The reason step 3 works: The DRM migration image lives inside the DRM folder. By deleting the folder itself, you remove every trace of corrupt state. Then re-registering wmp.dll and the MF DLLs ensures the COM plumbing that connects the DRM component to the media stack is fresh. If you still get the error at this point, the corruption is in the system files themselves — run sfc /scannow or DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth to check.

One last thing: If you encounter this on the same machine without any migration attempt, it's almost always a failed Windows Update that scrambled the DRM store. Fix 2 is usually enough. If you moved files from an old PC, the migration image only works if the source machine generated it — you can't copy the DRM folder manually between PCs. That always breaks.