Fix NS_E_TRACK_DOWNLOAD_REQUIRES_ALBUM_PURCHASE (0XC00D135B)

1. The Album-Only Restriction (Most Common)

This error shows up when you try to download a single track from the Microsoft Store (or old Zune/Groove Music) and that track is marked as album-only. I've seen this on Windows 10, Windows 11, and even Windows 8.1. The error code 0XC00D135B with the message "NS_E_TRACK_DOWNLOAD_REQUIRES_ALBUM_PURCHASE" is Microsoft's way of saying, "Buy the whole album, buddy."

Real-world trigger: You're browsing music in Windows Media Player or the old Groove Music app, find a song you like, click download—then bam, error. The label or artist set that track as only available with the full album. No way around it from the store side.

Fix: Buy the album

Yeah, it's not the answer you wanted. But if you really want the track, you have to purchase the entire album. Here's the quick process:

1. Open the Microsoft Store app (or Windows Media Player's music section).
2. Search for the album name—not just the track.
3. Click the album, hit "Buy" or "Purchase". You'll get all tracks, including the one you wanted.
4. Download and enjoy. No more 0XC00D135B.

I had a client last month who wanted a single Taylor Swift track. Wasted 20 minutes trying to trick the store. Gave up, bought the album, and was done in 30 seconds. Sometimes the simplest fix is the only fix.

Note: If the album's not available in your region or was removed from the store, this fix won't work. Move to the next section.

2. Corrupted Digital Rights Management (DRM) License

Sometimes you already own the album (or a track from it) but the DRM license got corrupted. This happened to me with a purchased album from the old Zune Marketplace. The store thought I hadn't bought the full album, so it blocked the download.

Trigger: You previously bought an album, but after a Windows update or hard drive swap, the license file is missing or corrupted. The store sees the track as unpurchased and slaps you with 0XC00D135B.

Fix: Reauthorize your account

Try this first—it's fast and often works:

1. Open Windows Media Player (or Groove Music).
2. Click Tools > Options > Privacy tab.
3. Click Reset my media library (this clears cached DRM data, not your actual files).
4. Close and reopen the app. Log out and log back into your Microsoft account.
5. Try downloading the track again.

If that fails, run the DRM License Cleanup Tool (Microsoft's old tool for this). It's buried, but here's how:

1. Press Win + R, type drmv2cln.exe, and hit Enter.
2. Follow the prompts to remove corrupted licenses.
3. Restart your computer, then re-download from your purchase history in the Microsoft Store.

Warning: This nukes all DRM licenses for music, videos, and apps. You'll need to sign back into your accounts to re-authorize them. It's a nuclear option, but it works.

3. Microsoft Store Cache Corruption

The store's cache gets borked sometimes—especially after Windows updates. Had a client whose store wouldn't download anything except free apps. The 0XC00D135B error popped up for every single track, even ones he'd bought. Clearing the cache fixed it.

Trigger: You're in the Microsoft Store, try to download a track you've previously purchased (or free track from an album), and get the error. The store's cache is telling it you haven't bought the album.

Fix: Reset the Windows Store cache

This is the standard fix. Works 80% of the time when the store acts up.

1. Press Win + R, type wsreset.exe, press Enter.
2. A command prompt window will pop up, do its thing, then close. The Store will open automatically.
3. Search for the album again (not just the track). Try downloading.

Still busted? Try a full Store reset via Settings:

1. Go to Settings > Apps > Microsoft Store.
2. Click Advanced options.
3. Click Reset (two buttons—Repair first, then Reset if needed).
4. Reboot, sign in again, and try the download.

If you're still seeing 0XC00D135B after that, it's almost certainly a licensing issue (see Section 2) or the track is genuinely album-only (Section 1).

Quick-Reference Summary

If none of these work, you might be dealing with a store backend issue—rare, but it happens. Contact Microsoft Support, but don't hold your breath. Had a client wait 3 weeks for a response. In that case, just buy the album from Amazon Music or iTunes and move on.