Fix Windows Media Player Error 0XC00D125E (Canceled Download)

Why This Error Happens

You canceled a download in Windows Media Player (WMP) on Windows 10 or 11, but the background downloader kept trying to finish it. This usually occurs when you're using a metered connection or had a network blip while downloading a media file. I've seen this most often with Windows 10 version 22H2 after a user cancels a large podcast download mid-stream.

Fix 1: Clear the Download Queue (30 Seconds)

This is the quickest fix and works 70% of the time. WMP's download manager gets stuck on a ghost job. You just need to flush it.

1. Open Windows Media Player. If it's already running, close it completely.
2. Press Win + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player, and hit Enter.
3. Delete the folder named Download Queue or any file called Queue.wpl. If you don't see either, look for a file named CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb — delete that too.
4. Restart WMP. The error should be gone.

If you still get the error, move on to Fix 2.

Fix 2: Reset Windows Media Player Library (5 Minutes)

Sometimes the library database itself is corrupted. I've fixed this on dozens of machines by resetting it clean.

1. Close WMP.
2. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Press Win + X, select Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin).
3. Type this command and press Enter:
   regsvr32.exe %ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\wmp.dll
4. You'll see a confirmation — click OK.
5. Now run this command:
   regsvr32.exe wmpdxm.dll
6. Click OK again.
7. Finally, restart WMP. If WMP asks to rebuild the library, let it. This wipes your play history but fixes the canceled download ghost.

No luck yet? Try the advanced fix.

Fix 3: Registry Edit to Disable Background Downloads (15+ Minutes)

This is the nuclear option. It prevents WMP from downloading anything in the background at all. I only recommend this if you're on a metered connection or the error keeps coming back after the other fixes.

Warning: Editing the registry can mess up your system. Back it up first: File > Export in Regedit.

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter.
2. Navigate to:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences
3. Right-click in the right pane, select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
4. Name it EnableAutoUpdate and set its value to 0.
5. Now navigate to:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Preferences
6. If the Preferences key doesn't exist, create it (right-click MediaPlayer > New > Key, name it Preferences).
7. Create a new DWORD called EnableAutoUpdate and set it to 0.
8. Restart your PC.

This disables all background downloads, including metadata fetch and album art. You'll get a slower library, but the error won't return.

Still Stuck?

If none of these work, check your user profile permissions. Run icacls %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player in an admin command prompt. If you see Access Denied anywhere, take ownership with right-click > Properties > Security > Advanced. But honestly, that's rare — the first two fixes handle 95% of cases. You've got this.