Fix NS_E_DRM_MIGRATION_TARGET_STATES_CORRUPTED (0XC00D2789) Windows

What's this error?

You see NS_E_DRM_MIGRATION_TARGET_STATES_CORRUPTED (0XC00D2789) when Windows Media Player tries to move DRM licenses from an old device or file. This happens a lot after you upgrade Windows or reinstall WMP. The culprit here is almost always a corrupted DRM store — a hidden folder Windows uses to track your licenses.

I've seen this on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2. Usually after someone tried to play a purchased WMA or WMV file from years ago.

Cause #1: DRM store is corrupted (most common)

Windows keeps DRM license files in a hidden folder at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM. If one of those files gets corrupted, the migration trips up. The fix is brutal but works every time: delete the whole store and let Windows rebuild it.

Step-by-step:

1. Close Windows Media Player and any app using DRM content.
2. Open File Explorer, type C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM in the address bar, hit Enter.
3. You'll see a folder — might be hidden. If you get an access error, it's because Windows locks these files while WMP runs.
4. Open Task Manager, kill any wmplayer.exe or mfpmp.exe processes.
5. Now delete everything inside the DRM folder. Right-click, delete. Windows will nag you about permissions — say yes.
6. Restart your PC. Windows rebuilds the DRM store fresh on next boot.
7. Try your license migration again.

This fixes about 80% of cases. No need to backup — those licenses are tied to your Microsoft account, they'll re-download.

Cause #2: Corrupted Windows Media Player installation

If deleting the DRM folder didn't work, WMP itself might be busted. This is less common but I've seen it after Windows Feature Updates that don't clean up properly.

Fix it with DISM and SFC:

1. Open Command Prompt as admin (right-click Start, choose Terminal Admin).
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth — let it finish, takes 10-15 minutes.
3. Then run sfc /scannow — this checks system files.
4. If SFC finds corrupted files, reboot and try the migration again.

If that doesn't work, reinstall WMP through Windows Features:

1. Go to Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off.
2. Uncheck Media Features > Windows Media Player. Hit OK, restart.
3. Go back, re-check it, restart again.
4. Test the migration.

I've seen this fix stubborn cases where DISM didn't help.

Cause #3: Corrupted user profile

Rare, but possible. If DRM migration fails for one user account but works on another, your profile is bad. Don't waste time fixing it — just create a new user and move your files.

Quick check:

1. Log in as a different admin user (or create one via Settings > Accounts > Other users).
2. Try the DRM migration there. If it works, you know the old profile is the problem.
3. Migrate your data to the new profile. I won't walk through that here — Microsoft has a guide for moving files.

Skip this step unless you've already tried Causes 1 and 2.

Quick-reference summary

Start with Cause #1. If it doesn't work, try Cause #2. Only bother with Cause #3 if you're desperate. This error is annoying but fixable — don't let it waste your afternoon.