Fix NS_E_MEMSTORAGE_BAD_DATA (0XC00D117B) CD Burn Error
This error pops up in Windows Media Player when burning a CD. The data being written is corrupted or the disc itself is bad. Here's how to fix it.
When This Error Hits
You're in Windows Media Player, you've picked your playlist, and you click "Start burn." The drive spins up, maybe you hear a click or two, then that ugly error box appears: "Windows Media Player encountered an error while burning the CD." The error code is 0XC00D117B. This usually happens right as the burn starts, not halfway through. It can also show up if you're trying to burn a mixed-mode disc (audio and data files together) or if you're using rewritable media (CD-RW).
What's Really Going On
The error code NS_E_MEMSTORAGE_BAD_DATA means "bad data in memory storage." That's Microsoft's way of saying the data Windows Media Player is trying to write doesn't match what it expects. Think of it like this: you're copying a recipe from a cookbook, but some of the ink is smudged. You can still see most of the words, but when you try to read them out loud, you stumble and stop. The burner hits a chunk of data that's corrupted, incomplete, or just plain wrong, and it can't proceed.
The most common trigger? A bad CD-R disc. Cheap discs, old discs, or discs that have been sitting in a hot car are prime suspects. But it's not always the disc. Sometimes the audio file itself has a glitch—maybe it was downloaded from a shaky source, or it's a protected WMA file that won't burn. And occasionally it's a driver issue, or the burner's firmware is out of date.
How to Fix It
Skip the first thing you'd think of—running the Windows Media Player troubleshooter. It's useless here. The real fix is systematic. Follow these steps in order. Test after each one to see if the burn works.
Step 1: Try a Different Disc
Grab a brand-new CD-R from a known brand like Verbatim or Sony. Avoid cheap no-name discs. Insert it, close Windows Media Player, reopen it, and try the burn again.
What to expect: If the error goes away, the old disc was the problem. Toss it. If the error comes back, move to Step 2.
Step 2: Check Your File Types
Windows Media Player can burn audio CDs from MP3, WMA, WAV, and a few other formats. But if you've got a file that's protected by DRM (digital rights management), the burner might choke on it. Check your playlist: right-click each file, select Properties, and look at the General tab. Under Attributes, if you see "Protected" or "DRM," that file won't burn properly.
Also look for files with weird extensions like .m4a or .ogg—Windows Media Player's built-in burner doesn't support those without extra codecs.
What to expect: Remove any DRM-protected or unsupported files from the playlist. Try the burn again. If it works, you've found your culprit. If it still fails, move on.
Step 3: Lower the Burn Speed
Fast burns can introduce errors, especially with older or cheaper discs. In Windows Media Player, go to the Burn tab. Click the little checkbox or menu that says "Burn options" (it looks like a gear icon or a small arrow). Select "More burn options." In the dialog that opens, find the slider for "Burn speed." Set it to "Slow" or "4x" if available.
What to expect: After you apply this, the burn will take longer—maybe 10 minutes instead of 3. But it's more reliable. Try burning again.
Step 4: Update or Reinstall the Burning Driver
Windows uses a generic driver for CD/DVD burning. Sometimes it gets corrupted. Open Device Manager (press Windows+X and pick Device Manager). Expand "DVD/CD-ROM drives." Right-click your burner and select "Uninstall device." When it asks, check the box that says "Delete the driver software for this device" and click Uninstall. Then restart your computer. Windows will reinstall the driver automatically.
What to expect: After the restart, the drive should appear again. Try the burn. If it fails, try the next step.
Step 5: Check the Burner's Firmware
This is the most advanced step. Search online for your burner's model number plus "firmware update." You'll find the manufacturer's support page. Download the firmware update tool, run it, and follow the on-screen instructions. This isn't something you do every day, but it can fix deep bugs that cause data errors.
What to expect: After updating, the drive might act different—quieter, or faster. Try the burn one more time.
If It Still Fails
You've tried a new disc, checked the files, lowered the speed, reinstalled the driver, and even updated firmware. The error still shows. At this point, the hardware itself might be dying. Burners have a limited lifespan—usually a few hundred burns. If the laser is weak, it can't write data reliably anymore.
One last thing to try: use a different burning program. Download a free tool like ImgBurn or CDBurnerXP. If those work fine, the problem is Windows Media Player, not your hardware. If they also fail, replace the burner. They're cheap—about $20 for a decent internal model. Or just use a USB flash drive. Honestly, in 2025, CDs are on the way out. You might be better off skipping the disc entirely and using a playlist on your phone or computer.
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