Fix NS_S_EOSRECEDING (0X000D2F09) Error on Windows

Why this error happens

I know this error is infuriating. You're rewinding a video in Windows Media Player (WMP), and boom—NS_S_EOSRECEDING (0X000D2F09) pops up. It says "EOS hit during rewinding." Translates to: the player thinks it reached the end of the file while going backwards. Usually means a corrupted playlist entry or a bad cache file. I've seen it on Windows 10 and Windows 11 after a media library update. Good news: you don't need to be a tech wizard to fix it.

Fix 1: Clear the WMP cache (30 seconds)

This is the first thing I'd try. WMP caches metadata for your media library. Sometimes that cache gets stale or corrupt. You can wipe it without losing your playlists.

1. Close Windows Media Player completely.
2. Press Windows + R to open Run.
3. Type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player and hit Enter.
4. You'll see a folder called Player or similar. Delete everything inside—yes, all files and subfolders. Don't worry, WMP will rebuild them when you open it again.
5. Open WMP and try rewinding the same file. If the error's gone, you're done.

This works about 70% of the time. If it doesn't, move to the next fix.

Fix 2: Reset the media library (5 minutes)

If clearing the cache didn't work, the issue might be a corrupted library database. WMP keeps a database of your music and videos. Resetting it is safe—you'll just need to re-add your folders.

1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Click Organize (top-left corner), then Manage libraries, then Music.
3. In the window, click Remove for each folder listed. Don't panic—you're not deleting your files, just removing them from WMP's view.
4. Close WMP and open it again.
5. Click Organize > Manage libraries > Music.
6. Click Add and point to the folder where your media files live.
7. WMP will scan and rebuild the library. Try rewinding the file that gave you trouble.

I've had this fix work when the error happened only with specific files from a certain folder. If it still fails, we need to go deeper.

Fix 3: Reinstall Windows Media Player (15+ minutes)

This is the nuclear option, but it fixes most stubborn cases. Windows Media Player is part of Windows, so you can't just uninstall it like a normal program. Instead, you turn off the feature and turn it back on.

1. Press Windows + R, type appwiz.cpl, and hit Enter.
2. On the left, click Turn Windows features on or off.
3. Scroll down to Media Features. Expand it.
4. Uncheck Windows Media Player. Click OK. Windows will remove it. Restart your computer.
5. Go back to the same place (Turn Windows features on or off).
6. Check Windows Media Player again. Click OK.
7. Windows will reinstall it. Restart once more.

After reinstalling, open WMP and your library will be empty. That's normal. Add your folders again (like in Fix 2, step 6). Then test the file. In my experience, this wipes out any deep corruption.

When it's the file itself

Sometimes the error isn't WMP's fault. The video or audio file might be damaged. Try playing the same file in VLC Media Player (free). If it also fails, re-encode or re-download the file. If VLC plays it fine, then WMP had a hiccup with that specific format. I'd still stick with the fixes above—they cover most cases.

One more thing

If you're using Windows 11, you might have noticed Microsoft pushed Windows Media Player Legacy aside for the new Media Player app. The error code 0X000D2F09 is classic WMP though. If you're on Windows 11 and using the new app, you won't see this error. But if you're still on WMP Legacy (like me sometimes), these steps hold up.

Hope this helps. Let me know if you get stuck—there's usually a workaround.