NS_E_DRM_QUERY_ERROR (0XC00D273A) Fix: 3 Common Causes

What causes this DRM error?

You're watching a video or playing a song in Windows Media Player, and bam — error 0XC00D273A pops up. The Digital Rights Management (DRM) component won't let you play protected content. This usually happens after a Windows update messes with the DRM license store, or the license file itself gets corrupted.

I've seen this mostly on Windows 10 and 11 after the big feature updates (like 22H2). Sometimes it's a fresh install where the DRM folder didn't set up right. Let's fix it.

Cause 1: Corrupted DRM license folder (most common)

This is the fix that works 80% of the time. Windows stores your DRM licenses in a hidden folder. That folder can get corrupted. Deleting it forces Windows to rebuild it.

1. Close Windows Media Player and any other media apps (like Movies & TV).
2. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
3. Type %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft and press Enter. This opens the Microsoft folder inside your user profile.
4. Find the folder named DRM (it's a hidden folder, so if you don't see it, click the View tab in File Explorer and check 'Hidden items').
5. Right-click the DRM folder and choose Delete. Windows might ask for permission — say Yes.
6. After you delete it, restart your computer.
7. Now try playing the file again. Windows will automatically create a new DRM folder when it needs it.

What you should see: After restarting, the DRM folder is gone. When you play the protected file, Windows might ask you to accept a license agreement again. That's normal. The error should be gone.

Cause 2: Windows update broke the DRM component

If deleting the DRM folder didn't work, the next suspect is a Windows update that corrupted the DRM system files. This is especially common with the KB5027231 update from July 2023 — that update caused a ton of DRM errors.

Step 1: Run the Windows Media Player troubleshooter

1. Open Settings (press Windows Key + I).
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters (on Windows 11) or Update & Security > Troubleshoot (Windows 10).
3. Find Windows Media Player in the list and click Run.
4. Follow the on-screen prompts. It'll scan and fix DRM-related issues.
5. Restart your PC after it finishes.

Step 2: If that didn't fix it, uninstall the latest update

1. Open Settings > Windows Update > Update history.
2. Scroll down and click Uninstall updates.
3. Find the most recent update (look at the date column). Right-click it and choose Uninstall.
4. Restart your PC, then test the media file.

What you should see: After uninstalling the update, Windows will roll back that change. If the update was the cause, the error goes away. You can block that update from reinstalling by pausing updates for 7 days.

Cause 3: DRM service is disabled

This one's rare but I've seen it. The service that manages DRM licenses might be turned off. Here's how to check.

1. Press Windows Key + R, type services.msc, and press Enter.
2. Find Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service in the list. Double-click it.
3. Check that Startup type is set to Automatic (not Disabled).
4. If it's not running, click Start.
5. Click Apply and OK.
6. Restart your computer and test again.

What you should see: The service starts and stays running. After restart, the DRM error should be gone.

Quick-reference summary

Start with the first fix. That's almost always the answer. If you still get the error, try the second fix. The third one is a long shot but worth checking if you're stuck.

One last thing — if you're using a third-party media player like VLC, this error won't happen because VLC doesn't use Windows DRM. But if you need to play protected content (like from a streaming service that uses Windows Media DRM), you're stuck with Microsoft's tools.