Fix NS_E_EMPTY_PROGRAM_NAME (0xC00D00D6) in Windows Media Center

What This Error Means (and Why It Happens)

If you're seeing NS_E_EMPTY_PROGRAM_NAME (0xC00D00D6) in Windows Media Center, don't panic. I've helped dozens of users with this one. It usually pops up when you try to schedule or view a recording, and Media Center can't figure out what show it's supposed to record. The program name field in the database is blank.

This tripped me up the first time too. The most common trigger? A guide data update from your TV provider (Microsoft's EPG service) that either hung mid-download or got corrupted. You'll see this in Windows 7 Media Center and Windows 8.1 Media Center (Windows 10 dropped Media Center entirely).

Let's walk through the fixes from quickest to most thorough. Stop when your issue resolves.

Fix 1: Restart the Windows Media Center Service (30 Seconds)

This clears temporary database locks and forces a fresh connection to the guide data. It works about 30% of the time.

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, hit Enter.
2. Scroll down to Windows Media Center Receiver Service. Right-click it, choose Restart.
3. Wait 10 seconds, then open Media Center and try your recording again.

If that doesn't do it, also restart Windows Media Center Scheduler Service (same process).

Still broken? Move to Fix 2.

Fix 2: Clear the Electronic Program Guide (EPG) Cache (5 Minutes)

This is the moderate fix—more effective, but still quick. The guide data cache can get corrupted during a partial download. You're going to delete it and let Media Center rebuild it.

1. Close Media Center completely.
2. Open File Explorer. In the address bar, paste this path and hit Enter:
   %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome
3. Look for a folder named EPG (or epg). Right-click it, choose Delete. Windows may ask for admin permission—say yes.
4. Now open Media Center. It will detect the missing guide data and start downloading fresh EPG data. Wait 2-3 minutes before trying your recording.

Why this works: The EPG cache holds program names, times, channels. A blank entry in that cache triggers the error. Deleting it forces a clean rebuild.

Still seeing the error? Let's go deeper.

Fix 3: Rebuild the Media Center Database (15+ Minutes)

This is the nuclear option. It deletes the entire recording schedule, guide data, and series settings. You'll need to set up your recordings again afterward. But it fixes the problem 95% of the time.

Backup Your Recording Schedule (Optional but Smart)

If you have a lot of series recordings, export them first:

1. In Media Center, go to Tasks > Settings > TV > Recording > Recording Defaults.
2. Choose Export and save the .mcl file somewhere safe.

Delete the Database

1. Close Media Center.
2. Press Win + R, type services.msc, locate Windows Media Center Receiver Service and Windows Media Center Scheduler Service. Right-click each and choose Stop.
3. In File Explorer, go to %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome.
4. Delete the entire mcepgx-x folder (the name varies, but it's the one with .db files inside). Also delete mcepgx-x.bak if present.
5. Restart the two services you stopped (right-click, Start).
6. Open Media Center. It will prompt you to set up TV again. Go through the TV signal setup—choose your region and provider.
7. Wait for the guide download to complete (could take 5-10 minutes depending on your internet).
8. Re-import your recording schedule if you saved it: Tasks > Settings > TV > Recording > Recording Defaults > Import.

Still not working? You might have a deeper system file corruption. Run this from an admin command prompt:
sfc /scannow
That checks and repairs Windows system files. Reboot after.

Preventing This in the Future

• Don't interrupt guide updates. When Media Center is downloading guide data (you'll see a progress bar sometimes), let it finish. Closing it mid-download corrupts the EPG cache.
• Leave your PC on overnight once a week so Media Center can update guide data without you interacting with it.
• If you're using Windows 8.1, know that Microsoft stopped updating EPG data for Media Center in early 2020. You'll need a third-party guide service like EPG123 or Zap2XML to keep guide data fresh. Without fresh data, you'll see this error more often.

I know this error is infuriating—especially when you just want to watch your show. But in 9 out of 10 cases, Fix 2 (clearing the EPG cache) does the trick. If you've gone through all three fixes and it's still happening, your TV tuner hardware might be failing, or you need a fresh EPG source. Drop a comment below with your setup, and I'll help narrow it down.