NS_E_DRM_TRANSFER_CHAINED_LICENSES_UNSUPPORTED (0XC00D2777) Fix

When This Error Hits

You're trying to sync a purchased music file from Windows Media Player 12 (Windows 7, 8, or 10) to an older portable device — maybe a SanDisk Sansa Clip, a Creative Zen, or an old Zune. Suddenly you get the error: NS_E_DRM_TRANSFER_CHAINED_LICENSES_UNSUPPORTED (0XC00D2777). The sync stops cold. The file won't copy.

What's Actually Happening Here

This isn't a random glitch. What's happening is that the media file you bought has a chained license. That means the license to play the file depends on another license — a parent license. Windows Media Player's DRM allows license transfer to portable devices, but only for standalone licenses. When the license chain is more than one link deep, the transfer fails because the device's DRM stack doesn't understand the dependency.

The root cause: the content provider (often older services like MSN Music, Yahoo! Music, or some subscription services) issued the license in a chain format to enforce usage rules. But the portable device's firmware only supports flat, single-level licenses. The error code 0XC00D2777 is Windows telling you: "I can't break the chain for your device."

The Fix

There's no way to magically unchain the license. You have three real options, ordered from easiest to most nuclear.

Option 1: Strip DRM (Not Always Possible)

1. Open Windows Media Player.
2. Right-click the problematic track and select Properties.
3. Go to the Media Usage Rights tab.
4. If you see a button that says Burn License or Copy to CD, you can burn the track to an audio CD. This creates a DRM-free WAV file on the CD.
5. Rip the CD back to your PC as MP3. This works because burning temporarily unbundles the license chain.

This is the only method that keeps the file playable on any device. But it requires a CD burner and a blank disc. And some licenses explicitly block burning — if the Burn button is grayed out, you're out of luck with this approach.

Option 2: Reacquire Individual Licenses (Rarely Works)

1. In Windows Media Player, select the file and press Alt+Enter to open Properties.
2. Go to the Media Usage Rights tab.
3. Click Acquire License.
4. If the store still exists (most don't), this might give you a standalone license. But for stores like MSN Music that shut down in 2006, this is a dead end.

Option 3: Convert to DRM-Free Format with Audacity (Works Every Time)

This is the real fix when burning is blocked. It's more work but it's certain.

1. Download and install Audacity (free, open source).
2. Also install the FFmpeg library for Audacity (so it can import WMA).
3. In Windows Media Player, play the track. Route the audio output to a virtual audio cable (like VB-Cable) or simply use the Stereo Mix recording device.
4. Open Audacity, set input to Stereo Mix, hit record, then play the track in WMP.
5. Stop recording when done. Trim silence at ends. Export as MP3 or FLAC.

This sidesteps the DRM entirely by capturing the audio as it plays. The license chain is never transferred — you're just recording the output. Legal gray area, but if you own the license, you're on solid ground.

What to Check If It Still Fails

• Is your device supported for DRM transfer at all? Some devices (like iPod) never supported WMA DRM. Check the manufacturer's specs. If the device doesn't support Janus (Microsoft's DRM for portable), you'll never sync licensed WMA files.
• Are you running Windows Media Player 11 or older? Those versions don't support this error at all — they just silently fail. Update to WMP 12 if possible.
• Did you try a different USB port or cable? Sometimes the DRM handshake fails on flaky connections. Sounds dumb, but I've seen it fix sync errors on a Creative Zen.
• Is the license expired? Subscription licenses (from services like Rhapsody) expire. If the license chain includes an expired parent, the transfer fails. Check the license status in the file's Properties.

If none of that helps, honestly, the file is effectively locked to your PC. Strip the DRM via recording or accept that some old DRM schemes were designed to be anti-consumer. Microsoft killed the DRM servers years ago, so reacquiring a standalone license isn't possible for most stores. The lesson: buy DRM-free music.