Fix NS_E_EMPTY_PLAYLIST (0XC00D14B5) on Windows Media Player

30-Second Fix: Refresh the Library

Most times, this error hits when WMP’s library is out of sync. Not the actual files — the player's internal list. Here's the quick kick:

1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Press Ctrl+Shift+R to refresh the playlist view.
3. Close and reopen the player.
4. Try opening the playlist or folder again.

Didn't work? Skip to the next step. This usually helps if you just renamed a file or moved it to a new folder.

5-Minute Fix: Clear the Library Cache

The library database gets stale. Corruption in the cache file is the real culprit here. Here's how to nuke it clean:

1. Close Windows Media Player completely. Check Task Manager to make sure it's not running.
2. Press Win+R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player, hit Enter.
3. Delete everything in that folder. Don't worry — WMP rebuilds it on next launch.
4. Open WMP again. It'll re-scan your library folders. Give it a minute.
5. Try your playlist or folder now.

This works for 9 out of 10 cases. The database file CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb (or similar) gets corrupt after Windows updates or media transfers. Blowing it away forces a fresh scan.

15-Minute Fix: Rebuild the Playlist or Folder Structure

If the error still shows, the playlist itself is broken or the folder has permissions issues. Don't bother with registry edits — they rarely help here.

Check the Playlist File

If you're using a .wpl or .m3u file:

1. Open the playlist in Notepad.
2. Look for file paths. If you see lines like D:\Music\BrokenSong.mp3 and that file doesn't exist, that's your problem.
3. Delete bad entries or recreate the playlist from scratch.

Check Folder Permissions

This error also pops up when WMP can't read the folder. Happens with external drives or network shares.

1. Right-click the folder containing your media.
2. Go to Properties > Security.
3. Make sure Users or Everyone has at least Read & Execute permission.
4. Apply changes and retry.

Reset WMP Completely

Last resort — this wipes all settings:

1. Press Win+R, type control admintools, open Services.
2. Find Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. Stop it.
3. Go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player again.
4. Delete all files and subfolders.
5. Open WMP. It'll ask to set up library folders. Point it to your music or video locations.
6. Restart the service from step 2.

This fixes permission corruption that sticks around after simple cache clears.

When to Give Up and Use Something Else

If none of this works after 30 minutes, WMP is probably hosed. Windows 10 and 11 users should switch to VLC Media Player or Media Player (the newer app). Those don't rely on this fragile library system. Error 0xC00D14B5 is rarely a hardware problem — it's WMP being WMP.

Pro tip: If you see this error on a network share, check the drive letter mapping. WMP hates UNC paths like \\Server\Share. Map it to a drive letter instead.

Overall, start with the library cache delete. That's your best bet. If you're on Windows 7 or 8, also run sfc /scannow — but only after trying the above. Don't jump straight to System File Checker, it's rarely the fix for this specific error.