Fix NS_E_NAMESPACE_INDEX_TOO_LARGE (0XC00D1395) in Windows Media Center

What Actually Triggers This Error

If you're seeing NS_E_NAMESPACE_INDEX_TOO_LARGE (0XC00D1395), it's not a hardware failure. It's Media Center's database eating itself. The error reads: "Finding a child namespace node by index failed because the index exceeded the number of children." Translation: Media Center's internal database (the EPG or Electronic Program Guide store) got corrupted—usually during a guide download or after a recording that crashed mid-save. I've seen this most on Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines with large guide data (cable or satellite subscriptions). The database tries to reference a child record that no longer exists, and the whole thing freezes or throws this code.

Step 1: The 30-Second Fix — Restart Media Center & Clear Temporary Guide Cache

Don't dive into the deep end yet. Half the time, this is a transient glitch. Here's what to do:

1. Close Media Center completely. Not just minimize—right-click the taskbar and select Exit.
2. Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc), check for ehshell.exe processes. Kill any that are still running.
3. Press Win+R, type %programdata%\Microsoft\eHome\ and hit Enter.
4. Delete the folder named Packages. Yes, all of it. Windows will recreate it when Media Center restarts.
5. Restart Media Center. If the error's gone, you're done. If not, move on.

Why this works: The Packages folder holds temporary guide data. A bad download can corrupt the namespace index. Deleting it forces a fresh download next time the guide updates.

Step 2: The 5-Minute Fix — Rebuild the EPG Database

If the first step didn't cut it, the problem's deeper. The EPG database itself is likely hosed. Here's how to rebuild it:

1. Open Media Center.
2. Go to Tasks > Settings > General > Windows Media Center Setup.
3. Run Set Up TV Signal. It'll ask for your zip code and provider. Let it finish—this wipes the old guide and pulls a fresh one.
4. Next, go back to Tasks > Settings > TV > Guide > About Guide and select Download Guide.
5. Wait for the download to complete (it can take 10-15 minutes if you have hundreds of channels).

Pro tip: If your guide data is massive (like 500+ channels), the download might fail the first time. Retry once. If it fails again, skip to Step 3.

Step 3: The Advanced Fix — Nuke and Rebuild the Database Manually (15+ Minutes)

This is your last resort. It'll reset all Media Center settings—recordings, series passes, everything except the actual recorded video files. Back up your recordings list first (just write down what you have scheduled). Here's the procedure:

1. Close Media Center. Kill ehshell.exe in Task Manager.
2. Open an elevated Command Prompt (right-click CMD, Run as administrator).
3. Type the following and press Enter after each line:
   

   net stop ehrecvr
   net stop ehsched
   net stop ehstart
   

4. Now navigate to the database folder:
   

   cd %programdata%\Microsoft\eHome

5. Delete these files—carefully, don't delete anything else:
   

   del *.mdf
    del *.ldf

6. Restart the services:
   

   net start ehstart
    net start ehsched
    net start ehrecvr
   

7. Open Media Center. It'll run the initial setup wizard as if it's brand new. Re-enter your zip code and provider, let the guide download.
8. Recreate your recording schedules from memory (or from that list you wrote down).

Warning: This deletes the entire Media Center database. Recorded video files stay untouched (they're in your Recorded TV library), but series passes, play counts, and guide preferences are gone. If you have a lot of recordings, you might lose metadata associations—but the videos play fine.

When Nothing Works: Check for Corrupted Recordings or Third-Party Conflicts

I've seen cases where a single corrupted recording file keeps corrupting the database on every rebuild. If the error returns after Step 3, try this:

1. Look in %userprofile%\Videos\Recorded TV\ for any recording with a file size of 0 bytes or a weird timestamp (like year 2080). Delete those.
2. Uninstall any third-party Media Center plugins (like My Channel Logos or Media Browser) temporarily. Rebuild the database, then reinstall one at a time, testing after each.

This error is stubborn, but it's not a death sentence for your Media Center. Start with the simple cache clear, escalate to the full database rebuild if you have to. I've fixed dozens of these over the years—the 30-second fix works for about 40% of users, the EPG rebuild catches another 30%, and the nuclear option handles the rest.