Fix NS_E_WMPZIP_NOTAZIPFILE (0XC00D1018) – WMP ZIP Error
Windows Media Player can't open a file because it thinks it's a ZIP but the signature doesn't match. Usually a corrupted download or wrong file extension.
Quick answer for the impatient
Right-click the file, rename it to .zip, extract it, then look for the actual media file inside. If that fails, re-download the file—it's likely corrupted.
What's actually going on here?
Windows Media Player (WMP) uses a ZIP reader to handle certain container formats like WMA or ASF. When you get error 0XC00D1018 (NS_E_WMPZIP_NOTAZIPFILE), it means the file's internal header—the first few bytes—doesn't match what a valid ZIP file should look like. This usually happens because:
- The file download got cut short or corrupted (common on slow connections)
- Someone renamed a non-ZIP file to have a .zip or .wma extension by mistake
- The file is actually a different format but was mislabeled
Had a client last month who downloaded an album from a shady site—every track threw this error. Turned out the files were actually HTML pages with malware scripts.
Step-by-step fix
- Check the file extension – Right-click the file and select Properties. Look at the Type of file. If it says .zip but you expected a media file (like .wma or .mp3), that's your clue.
- Rename to .zip – Press F2 on the file, change the extension to .zip, hit Enter. If Windows warns you the file might become unusable, click Yes.
- Try to extract it – Right-click the renamed file and choose Extract All (or use 7-Zip if you have it). If it extracts successfully, look inside for the actual media file—often it's a .wma or .wmv.
- If extraction fails – You'll get a "corrupt archive" or "unexpected end of data" error. That confirms the download was incomplete. Delete the file and re-download it from a reliable source.
- Re-open in WMP – Once you have a clean file (either extracted or re-downloaded), open Windows Media Player and drag it into the library. The error should be gone.
Alternative fixes if the main one doesn't work
Try a different media player
Sometimes WMP's ZIP reader is too strict. Install VLC Media Player—it's free and handles corrupted or mislabeled files much better. Open the same file in VLC; if it plays, the issue is purely with WMP.
Run a system file check
If the error happens with multiple files, your Windows Media Player installation might be damaged. Open Command Prompt as admin and run sfc /scannow. Wait for it to finish—it'll fix any corrupted system files.
Manually check the file signature
For technical users: open the file in a hex editor like HxD. The first 2 bytes of a ZIP file should be 50 4B (PK). If you see something like FF D8 (JPEG) or 47 49 46 (GIF), the file is actually a different format with the wrong extension. Rename it accordingly.
Prevention tip
Stop downloading media from random sites that don't verify their files. Stick to trusted sources like the artist's official site or a reputable streaming service. If you must download, always check the file size before opening—a 100 KB "album track" is almost certainly fake. And keep your antivirus updated; I've seen this error mask malware more times than I can count.
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