NS_E_PDA_TRANSCODECACHEFULL: Fix the 0xC00D1187 Error

When This Error Hits

You're trying to sync a playlist to your old Zune or a Windows Phone—maybe even an older MP3 player—and Windows Media Player stops dead. The error message reads something like “The folder that stores converted files is full,” and the code is 0xC00D1187. This usually happens after you've synced a few videos or high-bitrate audio files. The player converts them on the fly to a format your device understands, and that temp space fills up fast.

Root Cause in Plain English

Windows Media Player has a hidden folder where it temporarily stores converted (transcoded) files before sending them to your device. By default, this folder lives on your system drive—C:\Users\[YourName]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player\Transcoded Files. If that drive is low on space, or if the folder accumulates too many files, the player throws the 0xC00D1187 error. It's not a hardware failure or a driver issue—just a cramped temp folder.

How to Fix It: Clear or Relocate the Cache

1. Close Windows Media Player entirely. Make sure it's not running in the background—check Task Manager if needed.
2. Open File Explorer and paste this into the address bar:

   %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player

3. Delete the entire “Transcoded Files” folder. Don't worry—Windows will recreate it next time you sync. Empty your Recycle Bin afterward.
4. Optionally, move the cache to a drive with more space. Open Windows Media Player, go to Tools > Options > Devices. Select your portable device, click Properties, and under Conversion settings, choose Change to pick a new folder on a drive with at least 10 GB free.
5. Restart Windows Media Player and try syncing again. The error should be gone.

If It Still Fails

Sometimes the cache gets stuck even after deletion—Windows holds a lock on a file. In that case, reboot your PC and repeat step 3. Also check your system drive's free space. If it's below 5% total capacity, you'll see random errors from many apps, not just Media Player. Free up space or move the cache to a bigger drive as described in step 4. And if your device itself has a full storage card, that'll also throw similar errors—clear space on the target device too.

Preventing This in the Future

Set a monthly reminder to empty the transient cache folder. Or, if you sync large files often, relocate the cache to a secondary drive with plenty of room. Windows Media Player never cleans up after itself well—this is one of those legacy quirks that hasn't been fixed since the Windows 7 days.