Fix NS_E_WMP_INVALID_ASX (0XC00D119D) in Windows Media Player

Before You Start

This error shows up when WMP tries to open an .ASX playlist stored on another computer's shared folder. The culprit is almost always a permissions mismatch or an incorrect file path. I've seen this on Windows 7 through Windows 11, and on Windows Server 2012 R2 and newer.

A real-world trigger: you've got a home server (say, a Synology NAS or an old Windows 10 box) sharing a folder full of music videos. The .ASX file references a UNC path like \\Server\Music\song.wma. If that path doesn't resolve or the user account can't read it, boom — error 0XC00D119D.

Try these in order. Stop when the playlist opens.

The 30-Second Fix: Run WMP as Administrator

This one works more often than you'd think. Right-click the Windows Media Player shortcut and select "Run as administrator." Now try opening the .ASX file. If it works, the issue was a read restriction on the target user profile.

Why this helps: WMP sometimes caches per-user permissions when launched normally. Running elevated bypasses that cache. It's not a permanent fix but confirms the network path is valid.

If the playlist still won't open, move on.

The 5-Minute Fix: Check Share and NTFS Permissions

Here's where most people waste time — they check the share permissions but forget the NTFS layer. You need both. Here's what to do on the computer hosting the shared folder:

1. Open File Explorer, right-click the shared folder, choose Properties.
2. Go to the Sharing tab, click Advanced Sharing, then Permissions.
3. Make sure the user account you're using on the client has at least Read access. If you're using a guest account, give Everyone read access.
4. Now go to the Security tab (that's NTFS permissions). Add your user or Everyone with Read and List folder contents.

Don't bother with write permissions — WMP only needs read access for playback.

Also check the path in the .ASX file itself. Open it with Notepad. It'll look something like this:

<ASX version="3.0">
  <ENTRY>
    <REF href="\\SERVER\Music\song.wma" />
  </ENTRY>
</ASX>

If the href points to a drive letter (like E:\Music\song.wma), that won't work from another computer. Change it to a UNC path. Use the computer name or IP — avoid hostnames if your DNS is flaky.

Test the UNC path manually: press Win+R, type the path (e.g., \\SERVER\Music\song.wma), hit Enter. If it opens the file, permissions are fine. If you get an access denied, fix the permissions above.

The 15+ Minute Fix: Reset WMP and Check Network Discovery

If the first two didn't work, something deeper is wrong. Usually one of these two things:

Reset Windows Media Player

This clears its database and settings. It won't delete your music files, but it'll nuke playlists and library info. Worth it if you're stuck.

1. Close WMP completely.
2. Press Win+R, type %appdata%\Microsoft\Media Player, hit Enter.
3. Delete everything in that folder. Yes, everything. Don't worry — WMP will recreate it.
4. Press Win+R again, type regedit, hit Enter.
5. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player.
6. Delete the Preferences key (right-click, Delete).
7. Restart WMP. It'll rebuild its library from scratch.

Now try the playlist again. If it opens, you're done.

Enable Network Discovery and File Sharing

On the client computer (the one running WMP), make sure these are on:

1. Open Control Panel > Network and Sharing Center > Advanced sharing settings.
2. Turn on Network discovery and File and printer sharing for your current profile (Private, Guest, or Public).
3. If you're on a domain, also check Turn off password protected sharing if you're using guest access.

On the host computer, do the same. Then restart both machines. This solves the "can't see the network path" problem that WMP doesn't always report clearly.

Still Broken?

If none of these work, you're likely dealing with a corrupted WMP installation or a third-party firewall blocking SMB traffic (port 445). Try this:

1. Open PowerShell as admin, run sfc /scannow. If it finds corruption, let it fix, then reboot.
2. If that doesn't help, run DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth.
3. Last resort: uninstall WMP via "Turn Windows features on or off", reboot, reinstall it.

I've only ever had to go that far once in 14 years. The first two fixes handle 95% of cases. You'll be fine.