Quick Answer
Clear the Windows Media Player library database and rebuild it. That fixes 90% of these errors.
Why This Happens
You're playing a file in Windows Media Player (WMP) or a similar app, and it throws NS_E_PROPERTY_NOT_FOUND (0XC00D32CA). The app is asking for a property like artist, album, or duration, but the database record for that file is missing or corrupt. This usually happens after a file move, rename, or a bad metadata scan. I've also seen it when you upgrade from Windows 10 to 11 and the old library doesn't migrate cleanly.
The culprit here is almost always the WMP library database. It's a hidden file in your user folder. When it gets out of sync with the actual files on disk, WMP chokes. Don't bother reinstalling WMP — it's a system component and won't fix the database.
How to Fix It
Step 1: Close Windows Media Player
Make sure WMP isn't running. Check Task Manager if you're not sure. Kill any wmplayer.exe processes.
Step 2: Delete the Library Database
Open File Explorer and paste this into the address bar:
%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media PlayerYou'll see a bunch of files. Look for files named CurrentDatabase_*.wmdb. There might be one or two. Select them all and delete them. Yes, permanently. Don't worry — WMP will recreate them.
If you're on Windows 11, the path is the same. If you can't see the folder, make sure you have hidden files visible (View > Show > Hidden items).
Step 3: Rebuild the Library
Open Windows Media Player. It'll show an empty library. Go to Organize > Manage libraries > Music (or Video, Pictures). Click Add and point to your media folders. WMP will rescan everything. This takes a few minutes depending on how many files you have.
Once the scan finishes, try playing the file that errored out. Should work now.
Alternative Fixes
If the main fix doesn't work
Sometimes a single corrupted file is the problem. Find the specific file that triggers the error, and delete its metadata. Use a tool like MP3tag (free) to strip all tags from the file, then re-add them. I've seen broken embedded album art cause this.
Another option: reset the entire WMP settings via the command line. Run this as admin:
regsvr32.exe %ProgramFiles%\Windows Media Player\wmploc.dllThis re-registers the localization DLL. It rarely helps, but it's quick to try.
If you're using a third-party app
Some apps like VLC or MPC-HC use their own databases. For those, check the app's settings for a "clear library" or "rebuild database" option. The root cause is still a corrupt metadata cache.
Prevention Tip
Don't move or rename media files while WMP is open. Always close it first. Also, avoid storing media on network drives — WMP's library gets confused with UNC paths. Stick to local drives.
If you manage a large library (10k+ files), run a metadata cleaner like MusicBrainz Picard once a month. It keeps tags consistent and prevents database corruption. You'll see this error a lot less.