Yeah, that error is a pain. You're trying to burn a CD and Windows Media Player just refuses, throwing NS_E_DRM_TRACK_EXCEEDED_TRACKBURN_RESTRICTION. Let's fix it.
The Quick Fix
First, check if you're burning to a CD-RW. If you are, that's the problem. This DRM restriction specifically prohibits burning protected tracks to rewritable media. Switch to a standard CD-R disc. That's it. Burn again and it'll work.
CD-RW → Replace with CD-RIf you're already on a CD-R and still getting the error, the track's burn count is genuinely maxed out. The license that came with the file only allows a certain number of burns, typically 10. Once you've used them, that's it. You can't reset that counter. The only real way around it is to get a DRM-free version of the song.
Why This Works
What's actually happening here is the Windows Media DRM system (the one that handles .wma and .wmv files with licenses) embeds a burn counter inside the license. Every time you burn that track to a CD, the counter decrements. When it hits zero, the error appears. The restriction is deliberately strict with CD-RW because the DRM spec treats rewritable media as a way to copy tracks infinitely—write, erase, write, erase. So the license says: 'You can burn to a one-time disc, but not to something that can be reused.'
The CD-RW Trap
Most people hit this because they grabbed a rewritable disc from a drawer without thinking. The error text doesn't mention media type, so it looks like the file itself is the problem. But the DRM system is checking the disc's write characteristics, not just the track's counter. That's why swapping to a CD-R instantly clears the error—the license's burn counter still has room, but the media type check was blocking you.
Less Common Variations
Sometimes you'll see this error on a CD-R, and the counter really is exhausted. But there are a few other scenarios that produce the same code:
1. Copying to a Portable Device
The error can also appear when syncing to an old MTP device (like a Zune or a pre-2010 Samsung phone) if the device's internal storage is flagged as removable media with the same burn-like restriction. If that's the case, try syncing to a device that supports PlaysForSure, or just convert the track to MP3 first and sync that.
wma → mp3 (using a converter) then sync2. After Reinstalling Windows
Reinstalling the OS doesn't reset the burn counter—it's tied to the license file, which gets restored from your backup. If you've burned the same track on multiple machines, each license has its own counter, but if you used the same license file across installs, the counter carries over. So don't expect a reinstall to give you a fresh batch of burns.
3. Track from an Old Store
Songs bought from MSN Music or the old Yahoo! Music Store often had stricter limits than the later Zune Marketplace. Some of those licenses only allowed 3 burns. If you're running an old file from 2006, you might be hitting a very low limit. The fix is the same: get a DRM-free copy.
Prevention
Honestly, the best prevention here is to strip DRM off your music before you need to burn it. If you have a track you legally purchased, use a DRM removal tool (like NoteBurner or TunePat) to convert it to plain MP3 or WAV. That gives you unlimited burns, no counters, no media-type checks. Do that once for your whole library and you'll never see this error again.
If you're still buying DRM-protected files today (unlikely, but possible from some stores), keep track of how many burns you've used. Most licenses let you check the remaining count in Windows Media Player's License Management section under Tools → Options → Privacy. But that's a pain, so just convert early.
One more thing: don't try to hack the license file. There's no legit way to reset the counter, and messing with licenses can corrupt your whole DRM store, making all your protected files unplayable. Stick with the CD-R workaround or get DRM-free versions.