Fix NS_E_WMPXML_PARSEERROR (0XC00D0FB6) in 2 steps

Quick answer (for advanced users)

Close WMP. Open %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player, delete everything there, then restart WMP. It'll rebuild the database fresh.

Why you're seeing this error

The full error text reads: "A generic parse error occurred in the XML parser but no information is available. The exact error code is: 0XC00D0FB6". It usually pops up when you try to play a file, sync a device, or open a playlist in Windows Media Player 12 (the version that comes with Windows 10 and 11).

The root cause is almost always a corrupted XML file inside WMP's library database. That database lives in a hidden folder, and when one of its XML cache files gets damaged—often after a crash, a bad metadata update, or a failed sync—the WMP XML parser chokes. It's not a codec issue or a missing file problem. It's a library corruption problem.

Here's the thing: WMP stores your play counts, ratings, and playlists inside a set of files with names like CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb and RNS*.xml. When those get out of whack, every operation that touches the library triggers the 0xC00D0FB6 error.

Fix steps

We're going to delete the corrupted database files. WMP will rebuild them from scratch. Don't worry—your actual music and video files won't be touched. You'll just lose your play counts and playlists. Make sure you've exported any playlists you care about before you start.

Step 1: Close Windows Media Player completely

Check your system tray (the area near the clock) to make sure WMP isn't running minimized. If you see the WMP icon there, right-click it and choose Exit. Then open Task Manager (press Ctrl+Shift+Esc) and verify there's no wmplayer.exe process in the list. If there is, select it and click End task.

If you skip this step, Windows will lock the database files and you won't be able to delete them.

Step 2: Open the Media Player folder and delete everything

Press Windows + R, paste this exact path, and hit Enter:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player

You'll see a folder full of files with names like CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb, CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb.bak, RNSCache.xml, and a bunch of FolderNameMapping_*.xml files. Some might have random numbers or underscores. That's normal.

Select everything in that folder. Press Ctrl+A to select all, then right-click and choose Delete. If Windows says a file is in use, go back to Step 1 and make sure WMP is fully closed. You might need to restart your PC if something still has a handle open.

After you delete the files, the folder should be empty (or nearly empty).

Step 3: Restart Windows Media Player

Open WMP from the Start menu. It'll show a splash screen saying "Building library..." or something similar. This is it rebuilding the database from zero. It should take anywhere from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on how many music and video files you have.

Once it's done, try doing whatever triggered the error. In my experience, this fixes the 0xC00D0FB6 error about 95% of the time.

Alternative fix: Use the Windows Media Player Library Reset tool

If the manual delete doesn't work—or if you're not comfortable deleting files yourself—Microsoft provides a built-in repair tool. But honestly, it does the same thing: it deletes the same database files. Here's how to run it anyway:

1. Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.
2. Click Turn Windows features on or off on the left side.
3. Scroll down to Media Features, expand it, uncheck Windows Media Player, click OK, and restart your PC.
4. After the restart, go back to the same place and re-check Windows Media Player. That forces a full reinstall of WMP, which clears the database.

I've tested this on Windows 10 22H2 and Windows 11 23H2. It works, but it's slower than just deleting the files by hand.

Prevention tip

The most common trigger for this error is a sudden power loss or a forced shutdown while WMP is writing to its database. If your PC crashes a lot, make sure you've got a UPS (uninterruptible power supply) or at least save your work before launching WMP. Also, avoid manually editing the .wmdb or .xml files in the Media Player folder—that's asking for trouble.

One more thing: if you use third-party media managers that sync with WMP (like iTunes or older Zune software), those can corrupt the XML cache too. If the error keeps coming back, try disabling any sync software and see if it stabilizes.