Fix NS_E_SHARING_STATE_OUT_OF_SYNC 0XC00D0FF4

Quick answer: Restart the WMPNetworkSvc service, then run net start WMPNetworkSvc as admin. If that fails, delete the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences and reboot.

Why this happens

This error pops up when Windows changes a networking component or security setting while media sharing is active. The Media Sharing service (WMPNetworkSvc) keeps a cached state of your network profile and sharing permissions. When something like a Windows Update, a network adapter reset, or a group policy change hits, that cache goes stale. The service panics and turns off sharing to prevent conflicts. You'll usually see this after:

• Running a Windows feature update (like 22H2 to 23H2)
• Changing your network type from Private to Public and back
• Installing or uninstalling a media server app (like Plex or Emby)
• Resetting network settings via netsh winsock reset

Step-by-step fix

Step 1: Restart the Media Sharing service

1. Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter.
2. Scroll down to Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. The display name might be truncated, look for WMPNetworkSvc.
3. Right-click it and select Restart. If it's not running, right-click and choose Start.
4. After you click Start, you should see the status change to Running. If it errors out (usually with "Error 1068" or "Error 2"), don't panic — go to Step 2.

Step 2: Force-start the service from Command Prompt (Admin)

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator. Hit Win, type cmd, right-click Command Prompt, and pick Run as administrator.
2. Type this and press Enter:
   

   net start WMPNetworkSvc

   After running, you should see: The Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service service is starting... The Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service service was started successfully.
3. If you get Error 2: The system cannot find the file specified, the service binary is missing or corrupted. Skip to Alternative Fix 1.

Step 3: Clear the cached preferences (the real fix)

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter. Confirm the UAC prompt.
2. In Registry Editor, navigate to:
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences

3. Right-click the Preferences folder in the left pane and choose Delete. Confirm the prompt.
4. Close Registry Editor.
5. Open Command Prompt as admin again and run:
   

   net start WMPNetworkSvc

6. You should see the successful start message. If not, reboot your PC and try again.

Alternative fix 1: Repair the service binary

If the service fails with "file not found," the core wmpnetwk.exe got removed or damaged. Here's the fix:

1. Open Command Prompt as admin.
2. Run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth. This will take 5–15 minutes. Let it finish — you'll see a message saying the operation completed.
3. Then run sfc /scannow. Let it scan and repair files. Reboot when done.
4. After reboot, restart the service using Step 1 above.

Alternative fix 2: Re-enable media sharing in Control Panel

1. Open Control Panel (view by Category).
2. Click Network and Internet > Network and Sharing Center.
3. On the left, click Change advanced sharing settings.
4. Under your current network profile (Private or Public), make sure Network discovery and File and printer sharing are both turned on.
5. Scroll down to Media streaming and click Choose media streaming options...
6. Click Turn on media streaming. You'll see a confirmation. Click OK.
7. If it says "Windows Firewall has blocked some features," allow them.

Prevention tip

Before you run a Windows feature update or reset your network stack, turn off media sharing manually first. Go to Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Media streaming options, and click Turn off media streaming. After the update or reset, turn it back on. That keeps the service from getting confused.