Fix 0xC00D1590 NS_E_AUTHORIZATION_FILE_NOT_FOUND

That 0xC00D1590 error usually means a protected media license file went missing or got corrupted. Here's how to rebuild the DRM store and play your file again.

Quick answer: The 0xC00D1590 / NS_E_AUTHORIZATION_FILE_NOT_FOUND error comes from Windows Media Rights Manager (the DRM subsystem) — the license file it needs to decrypt a protected file isn't where it expects it. Rebuild the DRM store, re-acquire the license, and it'll play.

I've seen this pop up most often with old WMV and WMA files that came off a subscription service back in the PlaysForSure era, or with corporate training videos that were wrapped in WMP DRM. Last month a client brought me a laptop full of archived WMA training audio and every single file threw 0xC00D1590. The files weren't bad — Windows had just lost its local DRM folder during a profile migration. That's the pattern. The error is almost never about the media file itself. It's about Windows losing track of a small database of decryption keys that lives in a hidden folder under your user profile.

Why does it happen? Three common triggers: a Windows upgrade or in-place repair that reset the user profile, a Windows Media Player version change (11 to 12, or a fresh install), or someone ran a "clean up" tool that deleted the hidden DRM folder thinking it was junk. Once that folder is gone or its contents don't match the machine's security upgrade certificate, every protected file fails with the same code.

Fix 1: Reset and re-download the DRM licenses

This is the real fix. Skip everything else until you've done it.

Close Windows Media Player completely. Check Task Manager — if wmplayer.exe is still running in the background, end it.
Open File Explorer and turn on hidden files. In Windows 10 or 11: View > Show > Hidden items. On Windows 7 it's under Folder Options.
Navigate to C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\DRM. If you're on an older machine it might be C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\DRM — Microsoft moved this thing around between Vista and Win 10.
Rename the DRM folder to DRM.old. Don't delete it yet. Renaming forces Windows to rebuild from scratch but keeps a backup in case something else was in there.
Open Windows Media Player. Click Tools > Options > Privacy (if the menu bar isn't visible, press Ctrl+M).
Uncheck Download usage rights automatically when I play or sync a file. Click Apply. Now check it again and click Apply. This forces a re-registration with the DRM servers.
Play your protected file. WMP should hit the license server and pull down a fresh authorization file.

On a machine that's been offline from the original licensing service for years, step 7 may fail with the same code — that means the license server is dead. More on that below.

Fix 2: Re-register the DRM components

If the folder reset didn't do it, the COM components that handle the license negotiation may have unregistered themselves. This happens after a bad Windows Update or a busted .NET install. Open an elevated Command Prompt and run:

regsvr32 wmnetmgr.dll
regsvr32 wmerrmsg.dll
regsvr32 wmp.dll
regsvr32 wmpdxm.dll
regsvr32 wmsdmod.dll
regsvr32 wmssdk.dll

Each one should throw a "DllRegisterServer succeeded" dialog. If any of them fail with a 0x80070005 (access denied) you're not running as admin. If they fail with 0x8002801c you've got a corrupted runtime — run sfc /scannow next.

Fix 3: Re-acquire the license through the original source

If the file came from a subscription store — Napster, Rhapsody, Zune Marketplace, or an early Audible download — the license was tied to that service's servers. Most of those are gone now. If you're lucky enough that the source still exists (Audible still issues .aa licenses), open the file directly from the service's app rather than double-clicking it in Explorer. The app carries the authorization context that Explorer doesn't.

If the source is gone, you're stuck. I hate telling people that, but honestly, it's the truth and it saves hours of registry spelunking. The right move is to find a DRM-free copy of the content.

Alternative fixes when the main one fails

Create a new Windows user profile. The DRM store is per-user. A fresh profile gets a fresh store and fresh certificates. Copy the file there and try again. This fixed the client laptop I mentioned earlier.
Run the Windows Media Player troubleshooting pack. In Settings > System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters > Windows Media Player. It's weak but it occasionally fixes the underlying certificate chain.
Roll back a recent WMP update. If the error started right after a Windows Update, check Control Panel > Programs > View installed updates and uninstall the most recent WMP-related package. Reboot, retest.
Check the system clock. DRM licenses are time-bound. If your clock is off by more than a few minutes — usually because the CMOS battery died — the license check throws an authorization error that looks identical to a missing file. Run w32tm /resync in an elevated prompt.

Prevention

Back up the DRM folder once you've got everything working. Seriously. Open C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\DRM, zip it, and stash it on an external drive or in your cloud storage. If Windows blows it away again, you restore the zip and you're back in business without touching the license servers. I've saved more than a few legacy media libraries that way. Also: don't run "system cleaner" tools that wipe hidden AppData folders — that's how half the 0xC00D1590 cases I see get started in the first place.