Fix NS_E_MONITOR_GIVEUP 0XC00D00C8 in Windows Media Center

Quick answer

Restart the Windows Media Center Receiver Service and the Network Location Awareness service. If that doesn't work, uninstall and reinstall your network adapter driver.

Why this error happens

I've seen this error on Windows 7 and 8.1 Media Center setups where the TV tuner relies on a stable network connection to stream or record live TV. The Netshow Events Monitor (part of the Windows Media Center infrastructure) gives up when it loses contact with the network stack. Usually, it's because the network adapter driver crashes and resets, or the Windows Media Center Receiver Service hangs. A client of mine had it happen every time their ISP modem rebooted overnight — the PC's Ethernet adapter would renegotiate the link and the service would freak out.

Fix steps

Restart the two key services — Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Find Windows Media Center Receiver Service and Network Location Awareness. Right-click each and select Restart. Wait 30 seconds, then open Media Center again.
Power cycle the network adapter — Open Device Manager, expand Network adapters, right-click your Ethernet or Wi-Fi adapter, select Disable device, wait 10 seconds, then Enable device. This forces a clean reconnection.
Clear the Media Center database — Open Run (Win + R), type mcupdate.exe -DatabaseReset, and press Enter. Let it finish (it takes a few minutes). You'll have to reconfigure your TV signal again, but it clears corrupted state.
Reinstall the network driver — Go to Device Manager, right-click your network adapter, select Uninstall device (check Delete the driver software for this device if you're on Windows 8+). Reboot — Windows will reinstall the generic driver. Then install the latest driver from the manufacturer's site (not Windows Update — Realtek and Intel downloads are more reliable).

Alternative fixes if the main steps don't work

Disable power management on the adapter — In Device Manager, right-click the adapter, go to Power Management, uncheck Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power. I've seen this fix the issue on laptops that go to sleep and wake up with a dead Media Center.
Switch to a static IP — If you're on DHCP, reserve an IP in your router or set a static IP on the PC. DHCP lease renewals sometimes trigger this error on finicky networks.
Run the Windows Media Center Troubleshooter — Search for Troubleshooting in Control Panel, pick Windows Media Center, and let it scan. It rarely fixes the root cause, but it's worth a shot if you're stuck.

Prevention tip

Keep your network driver updated, but don't install beta drivers. I always roll back to a stable release if a new one causes issues. Also, make sure your router's firmware is up to date — some older routers have multicast issues that confuse Media Center. Set your PC's power plan to High Performance to prevent the adapter from going into low-power modes.

Had a client last month whose entire print queue died because of this — wait, no, it was their TV recording schedule. But same principle: a flaky network adapter kills Media Center. Start with the service restart, and you'll be back to watching live TV in under two minutes.