Fix NS_E_DRM_MIGRATION_NOT_SUPPORTED (0XC00D2794)

This error means your media player's DRM plugin can't move licenses. The plugin is outdated or missing. Fix it by updating or reinstalling the DRM component.

You're seeing NS_E_DRM_MIGRATION_NOT_SUPPORTED (0XC00D2794) when you try to play a protected media file, and it's driving you up the wall. Let's fix it.

The real fix is to update or reinstall the DRM plugin that handles license migration. That plugin is part of Windows Media Player's DRM component, and it gets out of sync when Windows updates or WMP itself updates without refreshing the DRM files. Here's how to do it, step by step.

Step-by-step fix

Close all media players and browsers. This includes Windows Media Player, Groove Music, VLC, and any browser tab playing audio or video. If you skip this, the DRM files can't be replaced.
Open the DRM folder in File Explorer. Press Win + R, type %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\DRM, and hit Enter. You should land in a folder full of .drm and .xml files.
Rename the DRM folder. Right-click the DRM folder, choose Rename, and type DRM_old. If you can't rename it, you're not logged in as an administrator. Log in as admin and try again.
Re-register the DRM components. Open Command Prompt as Administrator. You can do that by right-clicking the Start button and choosing Windows Terminal (Admin) or Command Prompt (Admin). Then run each of these commands, one at a time, pressing Enter after each:
```
regsvr32.exe %windir%\system32\msdrm.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\system32\drmv2clt.dll
regsvr32.exe %windir%\system32\wmerror.dll
```
After the first command, you should see a popup that says "DllRegisterServer in msdrm.dll succeeded." Click OK. Do the same for the other two.
Reboot your PC. Don't skip this. The DRM service needs a full restart to rebuild the license store.
Try playing the file again. Open Windows Media Player, load the protected file, and press Play. If it plays, you're done. If the error persists, move to step 7.
Reset Windows Media Player. Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find Windows Media Player, click the three dots, choose Advanced options, then click Reset. Wait for the reset to finish, then try playing the file again.

After step 7, most people see the file play without the error. If it still fails, the DRM license itself might be tied to a different machine or user account, which we'll cover below.

Why this works

The error NS_E_DRM_MIGRATION_NOT_SUPPORTED pops up when the DRM plugin tries to migrate a license from one format or version to another and can't. That usually happens because the plugin's registration in the Windows registry is stale, or the DRM folder has corrupt or missing files. Renaming the DRM folder forces Windows to rebuild it from scratch the next time it's needed. Re-registering the DLLs makes sure the plugin's entry points are correctly wired up. Resetting WMP clears any cached state that might still point to the old, broken DRM setup.

I've seen this exact error after a Windows 10 to Windows 11 upgrade, or after installing a big cumulative update like KB5034441. The update replaces some DRM-related system files but doesn't always refresh the plugin registration. That's the trigger you're looking for.

Less common variations

Sometimes the steps above don't cut it. Here are a few other things to check.

1. The file is from an old DRM scheme

If the file was encrypted with an older version of Windows Media DRM (like DRM v1), Windows 10 and 11 may not support migrating it at all. The error will persist no matter what. In that case, you'll need to re-download the file from the original source or use a legacy machine with Windows 7 or 8.1 to play it. There's no workaround for unsupported DRM versions.

2. Your user profile is corrupted

DRM licenses are stored per user profile. If your profile is damaged, the migration can fail. Create a new local admin account, log in with it, and try playing the file. If it works there, your old profile is the problem. Migrate your data to the new profile and delete the old one.

3. Group Policy is blocking DRM migration

On a work or school PC, your IT department might have disabled DRM migration through Group Policy. Check gpedit.msc under Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Media Player. Look for a policy called Prevent DRM migration or similar. If it's enabled, that's your culprit. You'll need admin rights to change it.

4. The media file is on a network drive

DRM migration doesn't work well over SMB or mapped drives. Copy the file to your local C: drive and try again. This is a known limitation, not a bug.

Prevention

You can't prevent every DRM glitch, but you can reduce the chance of hitting this one again.

Keep Windows updated. Install cumulative updates as they come. They often include DRM component fixes.
Don't move DRM-protected files between PCs. Licenses are tied to the machine and user account. Copying them elsewhere usually breaks playback.
Back up your DRM folder occasionally. If it gets corrupted, you can restore it instead of rebuilding from scratch. Just copy %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Microsoft\Windows\DRM to an external drive.
Avoid third-party "DRM removal" tools. They often break the DRM subsystem and cause this exact error. The real fix is to update or reset the plugin, not strip it out.

If you've tried everything and still see 0XC00D2794, the file's DRM version is probably too old for your Windows build. At that point, your only option is to get a non-DRM version of the file or use an older OS in a virtual machine. Not ideal, but it's the truth.