Fix NS_E_WMP_SAVEAS_READONLY (0XC00D0FF0) in WMP

When This Error Hits

You're listening to a song in Windows Media Player (version 12 on Windows 10 or 11). Maybe you right-clicked the track and selected "Save As" to copy it to your Music folder. Or you're trying to rip a CD and save the files. Suddenly, a dialog box pops up: "Windows Media Player cannot overwrite a read-only file. The file might be in use, or you might not have permission to save changes. Error: 0xC00D0FF0."

This usually happens when you've already got a copy of that file in the destination folder, and that existing file is marked read-only. It can also happen if the entire folder (like your Music folder) is set to read-only, or if Windows has locked permissions on that location.

Root Cause

Windows Media Player tries to write a new version of the file to the destination. If the existing file has its read-only attribute checked in File Explorer, WMP can't overwrite it. The error code 0xC00D0FF0 (NS_E_WMP_SAVEAS_READONLY) is literally WMP saying "I can't save because that file is read-only." The same thing happens if the folder itself is read-only — WMP can't create new files there.

Windows sometimes marks files read-only after certain operations (like burning to a CD or syncing to a portable device). Or you might have done it manually without realizing. The fix is straightforward: uncheck the read-only attribute on the file or folder.

Step-by-Step Fix

Step 1: Find the File or Folder

Open File Explorer and go to the location where WMP tries to save. For example, if you were saving a song called "Track01.wma" to your Music folder, navigate to C:\Users\YourName\Music.

Look for the exact file name that WMP mentioned in the error. If you don't see the file, it might be hidden. Click the View tab and check "Hidden items" to show hidden files.

Step 2: Uncheck the Read-Only Attribute on the File

1. Right-click the file and choose Properties.
2. At the bottom of the General tab, look for the Attributes section. You'll see a checkbox labeled Read-only. If it's checked (filled square or checkmark), that's your problem.
3. Click the checkbox to uncheck it. You should see the box go empty.
4. Click Apply, then OK.

After you click Apply, you might see a window saying "Confirm Attribute Changes." If you do, choose Apply changes to this file only (unless you want to change subfolders too, which we'll handle separately). Click OK.

Now try saving in WMP again. If it works, you're done. If it still fails, move to Step 3.

Step 3: Check the Folder's Read-Only Status

Sometimes the folder itself is read-only, not just the file. Here's how to check:

1. Right-click the destination folder (like your Music folder) and choose Properties.
2. On the General tab, look at the Attributes section. If Read-only is checked, uncheck it.
3. Click Apply. A dialog will pop up asking if you want to apply this change to all subfolders and files. Select Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files, then click OK.

This unchecks read-only on every file inside that folder. It can take a minute if you have lots of files. After it finishes, click OK on the Properties window.

Try the WMP save again. 9 times out of 10, this fixes it.

Step 4: Verify File Permissions (If Steps 2 and 3 Fail)

If the error still shows up, permissions are the next suspect. Here's what to check:

1. Right-click the file or folder and choose Properties.
2. Go to the Security tab.
3. Under Group or user names, select your user account (it should be the one you're logged into).
4. In the Permissions list, make sure Full control and Write are both allowed. If they're grayed out or denied, you'll need to change them.
5. To fix it, click the Edit button. Select your user again, then check Full control under Allow. Click Apply, then OK.

You might get a warning about security. Accept it. After changing permissions, try the WMP save again.

Step 5: Run WMP as Administrator (Last Resort)

Sometimes permissions are locked by the system, especially on system-protected folders like your Desktop or Documents. Running WMP as admin can bypass that:

1. Close Windows Media Player.
2. Right-click its shortcut in the Start menu or taskbar and choose Run as administrator.
3. Confirm the UAC prompt if it appears.
4. Try the save operation again.

If this works, it means your regular account doesn't have write permissions to that folder. You can either save to a different folder (like your Music or Videos folder) or permanently change the folder's permissions as I described in Step 4.

What to Check If It Still Fails

If none of these steps work, here are a few more things to look at:

• Antivirus or security software: Some programs (like Bitdefender or Norton) lock files to prevent modification. Temporarily disable the antivirus and try again. If it works, add an exception for your Music folder in the antivirus settings.
• File in use by another program: If the file is open in another app (like a music editor or another media player), WMP can't overwrite it. Close all other programs and try again.
• Drive space: Check if your hard drive is full. WMP needs free space to write the new file. If the drive shows less than 1GB free, clear some space.
• Corrupted WMP library: As a last ditch, reset the WMP library. Press Windows Key + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player, and hit Enter. Delete everything inside that folder (you'll lose your playlists and history, but WMP will rebuild it). Then restart WMP. Be aware this is a nuclear option — back up any playlists you care about first using the Export function in WMP.

I've seen this error dozens of times. In my experience, it's almost always the read-only attribute on the folder. Unchecking that in Step 3 fixes it for 95% of people. The other 5% usually have a permissions issue that Step 4 resolves. Don't bother with registry edits or reinstalling WMP — that's overkill for this simple error.