NS_E_DRM_UNABLE_TO_CREATE_ENCRYPT_OBJECT (0XC00D2732) Fix

What triggers this DRM error

You'll see error 0XC00D2732 when Windows Media Player (or Edge, or a media app) tries to play protected content — usually a purchased movie or music file with DRM. The culprit is almost always a corrupted DRM data store. Happens after a Windows update, after restoring from a backup, or when DRM licenses got messed up by third-party software.

Quick fix (30 seconds): Reset DRM in Windows Media Player

This works about 60% of the time. Don't skip it.

1. Close any media player or browser playing DRM content.
2. Open Windows Media Player (type wmplayer in Run or search).
3. In WMP, click Tools → Options. If you don't see the menu bar, press Alt.
4. Go to the Privacy tab.
5. Under Enhanced Playback and Device Connectivity, uncheck Download usage rights automatically when I play a file.
6. Click OK.
7. Reopen Windows Media Player. Then go back to the same setting and re-check that box.
8. Try playing your content again. If it works, you're done.

If not, move to the moderate fix.

Moderate fix (5 minutes): Delete the DRM folder

This clears out the corrupted DRM data store. Windows will rebuild it fresh.

1. Close everything that uses DRM — WMP, Edge, Netflix app, etc.
2. Press Win+R, type %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player, hit Enter.
3. Look for a folder named DRM (or sometimes drmstore.live file inside).
4. Delete the entire DRM folder. It'll be recreated automatically.
5. Restart your PC.
6. Open WMP or your app and try again.

Heads-up: This will wipe any previously downloaded DRM licenses. You'll need to re-download them — but they'll be tied to your account again automatically. If you're offline, you may get an error until you connect.

Still the same error? Let's go deeper.

Advanced fix (15+ minutes): Registry cleanup and PlayReady reset

This is for when the DRM subsystem is completely hosed. You'll need admin rights.

Step 1: Unregister and re-register DRM DLLs

Open an admin Command Prompt (right-click Start → Terminal Admin). Run these commands in order:

regsvr32 /u msdrm.dll
regsvr32 /u blackbox.dll
regsvr32 msdrm.dll
regsvr32 blackbox.dll

Ignore any "module not found" messages — it's fine if those DLLs don't exist on your system.

Step 2: Reset PlayReady

PlayReady is Microsoft's modern DRM system (used in Edge, Netflix, and Windows 10/11 apps). Reset it:

1. Open Run (Win+R), type %ProgramData%\Microsoft\PlayReady, hit Enter.
2. Delete everything in that folder. You'll get permission prompts — say Yes.
3. Also check %appdata%\Microsoft\PlayReady and delete its contents too.
4. Restart your PC.

Step 3: Registry fix for missing DRM keys

This fixes the Cryptographic Services key that DRM relies on.

1. Open Registry Editor (regedit).
2. Navigate to:
   

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DRM

3. If the DRM key doesn't exist, right-click Microsoft → New → Key and name it DRM.
4. Inside the DRM key, create a new DWORD (32-bit) named MachineLockLimit and set its value to f (that's the hex for 15).
5. Also create a DWORD named MachineLockRetry and set it to 1.
6. Close regedit and restart.

Still failing? Check for third-party DRM busters

Some software like AnyDVD, DVD Shrink, or HandBrake can mess with DRM subsystems. Uninstall them temporarily and test.

Also, if you're on Windows 10 N or KN editions (European versions without media features), install the Media Feature Pack from Microsoft. That's a common gotcha.

When to give up and reinstall

If you've done all three steps and the error persists, it's likely a deeper OS corruption. Run sfc /scannow in admin CMD. If that finds nothing, do a Windows repair install (keep files and apps) via the media creation tool. That nukes DRM corruption without losing your data.

One more thing — if this error happens only in Edge while playing Netflix or Disney+, try clearing Edge's cache for media.microsoft.com in Settings → Cookies and site data. I've seen that fix it in a pinch.