Fix NS_E_IMAPI_LOSSOFSTREAMING 0XC00D117E in Windows Media Player

This error means the CD burner can't keep up with the data stream. The fix is simple: lower the burn speed. Here's why that works and what else to check.

That error code 0XC00D117E is annoying. You picked your songs, hit Burn, and Windows Media Player just stops mid-way with a vague message. Let's fix it.

The fix: lower your burn speed

Open Windows Media Player.
Click the Burn tab (top right).
Click the Burn options button (small icon below the tab, looks like a checkmark or gear).
Select More burn options.
In the Burn speed dropdown, change from Fastest to Medium or Slow.
Try burning again.

That's it for 90% of cases. If that doesn't work, move to the next section.

Why lowering speed fixes it

What's actually happening here is the IMAPI (Image Mastering API) — the Windows component that handles CD burning — can't feed data to the drive fast enough. When you set burn speed to Fastest, the drive spins up to max RPM. At that speed, the buffer (a small chunk of memory holding data waiting to be written) drains faster than Windows can refill it.

The drive expects a constant stream of data. If the buffer runs dry — even for a fraction of a second — the laser has nothing to write. The drive's firmware detects this as a loss of streaming, stops burning, and reports error 0XC00D117E back to Windows Media Player.

Lowering the burn speed gives Windows more time to refill that buffer. Medium speed usually works. Slow is overkill for most modern drives, but try it if Medium fails.

This is essentially the old-school "buffer underrun" problem from the CD-RW era. Drives today have bigger buffers and better error correction, but the mechanism is the same. Windows 10 and 11 still use the same IMAPI stack from Windows 7 — it hasn't changed much.

Less common variations of this issue

1. Background processes hogging the drive

If lowering speed doesn't help, something else is competing for the drive's attention. Antivirus software is the usual suspect — it may try to scan the CD drive while burning. Open Task Manager, look for processes using disk I/O (like MsMpEng.exe for Windows Defender) and temporarily pause them. Or just disable real-time scanning for the duration of the burn.

2. Corrupted Windows Media Player library

Sometimes the issue is in WMP's database, not the drive. Close WMP, then delete the library database:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player

Delete everything in that folder (WMP will rebuild it next launch). This forces WMP to re-index your music. I've seen this fix weird burn errors that have nothing to do with streaming.

3. Drive firmware or driver issue

Check Device Manager under DVD/CD-ROM drives. Right-click your drive, select Properties, go to Driver tab, click Update driver. Let Windows search. If no update is found, visit your PC or drive manufacturer's site — some OEMs provide specific firmware updates for optical drives.

4. Using a CD-RW instead of CD-R

CD-RW discs are rewritable but have less reliable recording layers. They require more precise laser calibration. If you're using a CD-RW, try a standard CD-R. The error rate drops significantly. This is a cheap test — pick up a spindle of Verbatim CD-Rs (these are the most reliable brand I've found).

5. The drive itself is dying

Optical drives are electromechanical. The laser lens gets dusty, the spindle motor wears out. If lowering speed and changing media type don't work, test the drive with a different burning app like CDBurnerXP or ImgBurn. If those also fail, the drive is likely toast. Replacing a SATA DVD burner costs about $20 and takes five minutes to install.

Prevention

Don't do anything else while burning a CD. Close browsers, stop file downloads, pause automatic updates. The more you ask Windows to do, the more it starves the burner's buffer.

Keep your music files on the same drive as Windows Media Player. If they're on a slow external USB drive, the read speed can't keep up with a fast burn. Copy the files to your internal drive first.

Stick to known-good media brands: Verbatim, Taiyo Yuden, or Sony. Generic no-name discs from Amazon have inconsistent dye layers, which means the drive has to work harder to calibrate — more room for streaming errors.

And if you burn CDs often — more than once a month — consider a Plextor or LG burner. They have larger internal buffers than cheap OEM drives. I've used Plextor drives for years and almost never see this error, even at max speed.

One last thing: if you're on Windows 10 or 11, the built-in Windows Media Player (the legacy one, not the Groove Music app) is the only player that uses IMAPI directly. Third-party apps like iTunes or VLC use their own burning stacks and won't trigger this error. If you're fed up, switch to BurnAware Free or CDBurnerXP — they handle the buffer better and never show 0XC00D117E.