Fix Windows Media Player Error 0XC00D1262 (Temp File)

The 30-Second Fix: Free Up Space and Clear the Cache

I've seen this error on a client's machine last month—they were trying to download a podcast episode and got the dreaded 0XC00D1262. First thing I check is disk space. Windows Media Player needs room to stash temporary files while it downloads. If your drive is full, it can't create that temp file, and you get this exact error.

So, first: check how much free space you have. Open File Explorer, right-click your system drive (usually C:), and hit Properties. If you're under 1 GB free, that's your problem. Delete some junk—temp files, old downloads, whatever.

Next, clear WMP's own cache. It stores cover art, metadata, and download chunks. A corrupted cache file can also trigger this error.

1. Close Windows Media Player completely.
2. Press Win + R, type %temp% and hit Enter. Delete everything inside this folder (some files might be in use—skip those).
3. Now, go to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Media. Delete the contents of the "Media Player" folder inside. Don't worry, it rebuilds.

Restart WMP and try the download again. If the error persists, move on.

The 5-Minute Fix: Reset Permissions on the Temp Folder

If space isn't the issue, it's almost always permissions. WMP runs under your user account, and if it doesn't have write access to the temp folder it uses, it can't create that file. This happened after a Windows update reset folder permissions on one of my clients—drove them nuts.

WMP uses the Local\Temp folder under your profile. Let's make sure you have full control:

1. Press Win + R, type %temp% and press Enter. This opens the temp folder.
2. Right-click an empty area, select Properties, then the Security tab.
3. Click Edit to change permissions. Select your username in the list.
4. Check the box for Full control under Allow. Click Apply and OK.

If you don't see your username, click Add, type your email or username, and grant Full control.

Also, make sure the folder isn't set to read-only. Right-click the Temp folder, go to Properties, and uncheck Read-only if it's checked. That's a common culprit—I've seen it trip up more than one small business server.

The 15+ Minute Fix: Re-register WMP and Check Services

If you're still stuck, something deeper is wrong. Usually it's a broken Windows Media Player installation or a service that's stopped. Here's the thorough approach.

Step 1: Re-register the WMP DLLs

Open Command Prompt as Administrator (right-click Start, select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows Terminal (Admin)"). Run these commands one at a time:

regsvr32 wmp.dll
regsvr32 wmpui.dll
regsvr32 wmpdxm.dll
regsvr32 wmnetmgr.dll
regsvr32 wmplayer.exe

You'll get confirmation dialogs—hit OK. Then restart WMP.

Step 2: Check the Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service

That service handles background downloads. If it's disabled, you get this error. On a Windows 10 machine last week, it was set to Disabled by a third-party tweaker—took me a while to spot it.

Press Win + R, type services.msc, and hit Enter. Scroll down to Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service. Double-click it, set Startup type to Automatic, click Start if it's stopped, then Apply. Also check Windows Media Player itself isn't in the disabled list—it's usually not a service, but the sharing one matters.

Step 3: Repair WMP via Windows Features

Still not fixed? Repair the install. Go to Settings > Apps > Apps & Features, click Optional features on Windows 10, or Programs and Features in Control Panel on older systems. Find Windows Media Player (it might be under "Media Features"). If you see it, select it and choose Repair. On Windows 10, you might need to uncheck "Media Features" to remove it, restart, then re-check it to reinstall.

That reinstall process grabs fresh copies of all the download manager files. In my experience, that clears even the stubborn cases.

One last gotcha: If you use a network drive for your music library, check that the drive is accessible. WMP sometimes writes temp files next to the source file, and if the network path is broken, you'll get this error. Map the drive or copy the file locally and try again.

Start with the quick checks—disk space and cache—and you'll fix 80% of cases. Move to permissions, and you're at 95%. The re-registration and repair steps catch the rest. Let me know if you're still seeing the error; there's always the nuclear option of resetting Windows Media Player entirely, but I've rarely needed to go there.