Fix NS_E_NOSOURCEGROUPS (0XC00D1B80) – Quick & Dirty Fixes

Cause #1: Corrupted Media Library Cache (Most Common)

I've seen this on at least a dozen machines over the last few years. The error NS_E_NOSOURCEGROUPS (0XC00D1B80) shows up right when you open Windows Media Center or a media player that uses the same underlying API. It means the app can't find any source groups—basically, the index of your music, videos, and pictures is gone or hosed.

Nine times out of ten, the culprit is a corrupted media library cache. Happens after a crash, a bad update, or even just a dusty hard drive. The fix is to nuke the cache files and rebuild them.

How to clear the Media Center cache:

1. Close Windows Media Center completely. Don't just minimize it—kill it in Task Manager if needed.
2. Open an elevated Command Prompt (right-click Command Prompt, run as Administrator).
3. Type net stop ehrecvr and press Enter. This stops the Media Center Receiver Service.
4. Type net stop ehsched and press Enter. Stops the Media Center Scheduler Service.
5. Now delete the cache folder: rd /s /q "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome\mcepg". Yes, that wipes the folder. Don't worry, it'll rebuild.
6. Restart both services: net start ehsched then net start ehrecvr.
7. Open Media Center again. It'll act like first run—give it a minute to re-scan your media.

Had a client last month whose entire print queue died because of this same cache bloat. Same principle: blow away the cache, rebuild from scratch. Works every time.

Cause #2: Missing or Corrupt Registry Key (Less Common, But Sneaky)

If clearing the cache didn't fix it, the next suspect is a missing registry key under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\. Sometimes a botched uninstall or a registry cleaner removes the SourceGroup key entirely. Without it, Media Center doesn't know which files to look at.

Here's the fix—check if the key exists:

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, hit Enter.
2. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Media Center\Service\
3. Look for a subkey named SourceGroup. If it's missing, you need to create it.
4. Right-click on the Service folder, choose New > Key, name it SourceGroup.
5. Inside that new key, create a String Value called Default and leave its value empty.
6. Close regedit, restart Media Center.

I've seen this happen after someone ran a "cleaner" like CCleaner on default settings. It nukes keys it shouldn't. If you're on Windows 8 or 8.1, the same key structure applies—Media Center there was a paid add-on but the registry is identical.

Cause #3: Corrupted User Profile or Permissions (Rare, But Annoying)

Sometimes the issue isn't global—it's tied to your user account. If other users on the same machine can open Media Center fine, but you can't, your user profile's media library database is hosed. This happens when Windows hiccups during a profile load or after a forced shutdown.

The fix is to delete your personal copy of the media library database and let it rebuild:

1. Close Media Center.
2. Open File Explorer and type %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\eHome\ into the address bar.
3. Delete the entire mcepg folder inside there. Might need to show hidden files if you don't see it.
4. Restart Media Center. It'll create a fresh copy of that database.

Permissions-wise, make sure your user account has full control over %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome\. Right-click that folder in Explorer, choose Properties > Security, click Edit, and give your user Full control. I've seen antivirus software lock that folder down, causing this exact error.

Quick-Reference Summary Table

Try the cache clear first—it's the fix in 90% of cases. If that fails, check the registry. Only go digging into user profiles if it's user-specific. This error is annoying but not dangerous. You won't lose your files, just the index. Rebuilding it takes a minute.