NS_E_LICENSE_HEADER_MISSING_URL (0XC00D277A) Fix

Quick answer: Run the Windows DRM reset tool — delete the DRM folder contents at %windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WMDRM, then restart Windows Media Player. Reacquire the file if needed.

Why you're seeing this error

I know this error is infuriating — you click play, get the spinning circle, then nothing. 0xC00D277A means Windows Media Player found the digital rights management (DRM) header but the URL that tells it where to grab the license is missing or corrupted. This happens most often with old WMV or WMA files from stores like Zune or early Xbox Video purchases, or with video files that were re-encoded without the license metadata.

This tripped me up the first time too. The file itself might be fine — the problem is in the DRM layer. Microsoft's WMDRM system stores license URLs inside the file. If that URL got stripped (bad ripping tool, file conversion, or a corrupted download), you land here.

Step-by-step fix

1. Reset the local DRM store

First, shut down Windows Media Player completely. Then open File Explorer and paste this into the address bar:

%windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WMDRM

If you're on Windows 11 or Windows 10 22H2+, you might need to enable hidden files first (View > Show > Hidden items). Inside the WMDRM folder, delete everything. Don't worry — the files you're deleting are cached license data, not the protected media files themselves. Windows Media Player will re-download licenses when you play the file again.

2. Re-register the DRM components

Open Command Prompt as administrator. Type:

regsvr32.exe wmvdecod.dll
regsvr32.exe wmadmod.dll
regsvr32.exe wmvdmoe.dll
regsvr32.exe wmadmoe.dll
regsvr32.exe wmpshell.dll

You should see five success messages. If any fail, you might have a corrupted Windows Media Player installation — skip to Alternative Fix 2 below.

3. Reacquire the file

Launch Windows Media Player. Go to Tools > Options > Privacy (if you can't see Tools, press Alt). Check “Download usage rights automatically when I play a file”. Apply, then try playing the file again. The player will attempt to fetch the license from the URL embedded in the header — if the URL is missing, you'll get the same error. That's when you need the alternative fixes.

Alternative fixes (if the main fix doesn't work)

Alternative 1: Get a fresh copy of the file

This error often means the file you have is broken. If you downloaded it from a store or service, re-download it. For Xbox Video or Zune purchases, sign into your Microsoft account and grab a fresh copy. The new one should have a valid license URL.

Alternative 2: Repair Windows Media Player

Open Settings (Win+I) > Apps > Optional features. Look for Windows Media Player Legacy. If it's there, remove it, restart, then re-add it. On Windows 10 N or KN editions, you might need to install the Media Feature Pack separately. Grab it from Microsoft's download page.

Alternative 3: Use a different player

If you don't need DRM playback (and most people don't for old files), convert the file using a tool like HandBrake or FFmpeg. Strip the DRM header — it's legal for content you own. FFmpeg command:

ffmpeg -i input.wmv -c copy output.mp4

If the file is DRM-protected and not just missing the URL, this won't work — you'll need the original license. But for corrupted-header files, this bypasses the problem entirely.

Prevention tip

Stop using ripping tools that strip DRM metadata. I've seen this error from poorly-written YouTube downloaders and old Windows Media Encoder scripts. If you're ripping DVDs or converting old media, always check the output file's properties — right-click > Details > look for “Protected” field. If it says Yes but the file is your own content, re-rip with a tool like MakeMKV (it preserves the structure cleanly).

One more thing: If you're on Windows 11, note that Windows Media Player Legacy is not installed by default. You have to add it via Optional Features. Without it, you won't even see this error — the OS just won't try to play the file. The fix above applies only if you're using the Legacy player.