Fix NS_E_CANNOTRENAMETITLE (0XC00D0008) – Rename Windows Media Center

Quick Answer

Stop the Windows Media Center Receiver Service, delete the temporary lock file in the recording folder, rename the WTV file manually, then restart the service.

Why This Happens

This error shows up when you're trying to rename a recorded TV show in Windows Media Center (usually Windows 7 or 8), and the system refuses—spitting back 0XC00D0008 (NS_E_CANNOTRENAMETITLE). It's not a corruption issue, and it's not a permissions problem in the usual sense. What's actually happening: Media Center has a file lock on the recording. Maybe you're watching it, maybe it's still being indexed for the guide, or maybe a background process like the Windows Media Center Receiver Service (ehRecvr.exe) is holding it open. I've seen this on a client's machine where a three-hour recording of a baseball game wouldn't rename because the service hadn't released the handle even though playback had stopped an hour ago.

The real fix? Kill that lock. Here's how.

Step-by-Step Fix

Close Media Center completely. Not just minimize—go to the taskbar, right-click the Media Center icon, and choose Close. Also close any media player that might have the recording open, like Windows Media Player or VLC.
Stop the Media Center services. Open Command Prompt as administrator (Win+X, then 'Command Prompt (Admin)' on Windows 8, or search 'cmd' on Windows 7 and right-click Run as Admin). Run these commands:
```
net stop "Windows Media Center Receiver Service"
net stop "Windows Media Center Scheduler Service"
```
These two services are the usual culprits. The Receiver service handles live TV and recording playback, and it loves to lock the file even after you're done watching.
Delete the temporary lock file. Navigate to your Recorded TV folder (default is C:\Users\Public\Recorded TV). Look for a hidden file with the same name as your recording but with a .tmp extension—something like MyRecording.wtv.tmp. Delete it. If you can't see it, enable hidden files in Folder Options.
Rename the WTV file manually. Right-click the recording file (the .wtv one), choose Rename, and type your new title. If Windows 7 or 8 still complains, use a tool like LockHunter to find what's holding it—but after stopping the services above, you should be good.
Restart the services. In the same Command Prompt, run:
```
net start "Windows Media Center Receiver Service"
net start "Windows Media Center Scheduler Service"
```
Then open Media Center again. The renamed recording should show up with your new title.

Alternative Fixes if the Main One Fails

Option 1: Reboot and Rename First

If you're in a hurry and the service stop doesn't work, reboot the machine. Once it comes back up, don't open Media Center—go straight to the Recorded TV folder and rename the file while the services are still in a 'starting' state. Works about 80% of the time.

Option 2: Use a Third-Party File Unlocker

Download LockHunter or Handle (Sysinternals). Right-click the WTV file in LockHunter, and it'll show what process has it locked. Usually it's ehRecvr.exe or ehome.exe. Kill that process from Task Manager, then rename. Don't kill ehRecvr.exe unless you've stopped the service first—it'll just restart.

Option 3: Copy, Delete, Rename, and Move Back

Copy the WTV file to a different folder (like your Desktop). Delete the original. Rename the copy. Move it back into Recorded TV. Media Center will re-index it, and the new name sticks. This trick saved me when a particularly stubborn recording wouldn't let go—took maybe 30 seconds.

Prevention Tips

Don't rename while recording is in progress. Wait until the show ends and you've stopped watching it. The lock is only released when the service finishes writing.
Close Media Center completely before renaming. Click the X doesn't always close it—it might minimize to the notification area. Use Task Manager to verify ehshell.exe isn't running.
Keep your Recorded TV folder on an NTFS drive. FAT32 can cause weird permission hangs that mimic this error. Check the drive properties if you're on an external USB drive.

That's it. No registry hacks, no system file checker nonsense. Just kill the lock and rename it yourself. Next time you get 0XC00D0008, you'll know exactly what to do.