NS_E_RESOURCE_GONE (0XC00D2EFC): WMS Publishing Point missing

Quick answer: Recreate the publishing point in Windows Media Services or fix the URL path to the file. The error means the resource is gone — someone deleted it, changed it, or the path is wrong.

What's going on

NS_E_RESOURCE_GONE (0xC00D2EFC) shows up when Windows Media Server (WMS) can't find a publishing point or the media file it points to. This isn't a transient glitch. It's a hard 410 Gone. The resource existed at some point, but now it's not there. Common triggers: someone deleted the publishing point from the WMS console, the file on disk was renamed or moved, or you're trying to stream from a path that no longer maps to anything.

The error usually hits when you're trying to stream a file via HTTP or RTSP and the client gets a direct 410 response. I've seen it most often after a content migration or when a junior admin cleaned up the WMS console without checking what was in use.

Fix it in 4 steps

1. Check the publishing point exists in WMS. Open Windows Media Services console. Navigate to your server, expand it, click Publish Points. Look for the one that matches your URL. If it's missing, go to step 2. If it's there, check its source path (step 3).
2. Recreate the publishing point. Right-click Publish Points, select 'Add Publishing Point (Advanced)'. Give it the same name. Set type to 'Broadcast' or 'On-Demand' depending on what you need. Point it to the correct file path. Apply. Test with the URL again.
3. Verify the source file path. Open the publishing point properties. Look at 'Source' tab. The path should point to an actual file on disk. Common mistake: the path uses a shared drive that got disconnected. Run dir \\server\share\path\file.wmv from the WMS server to confirm it's accessible.
4. Restart Windows Media Services. After changes, run net stop wmserver && net start wmserver in an admin cmd prompt. This clears any cached resource references. Wait 10 seconds, then test your stream URL.

If that doesn't work

Try these alternate fixes:

• Check ACLs on the file. The WMS service account (usually NETWORK SERVICE) needs read access to the file. If it's on a network share, the computer account needs share + NTFS read permissions. Open file properties, Security tab, add the computer account if missing.
• Look for URL rewrites or proxies. If you're using IIS as a reverse proxy to WMS, IIS might be returning 410 independently. Check IIS logs for the exact response. Disable any URL Rewrite rules temporarily to isolate.
• Run WMS diagnostic tool. On Server 2008/2012, wmserver -diag from an elevated command prompt will dump config, logs, and service state to a text file. Search that file for 'resource_gone' or '410'.
• Reinstall the WMS role. Only as last resort. Uninstall Windows Media Services, reboot, reinstall. Recreate all publishing points from scratch. This wipes any corrupted config in the Windows Metadata Store.

Prevent it from coming back

Set up a change control process for WMS. Before deleting any publishing point, check server logs or ask the team if anything still uses it. Better yet, disable the publishing point instead of deleting it and leave a note in the description. For file paths, use a dedicated media directory that nobody touches without a ticket. Monitor WMS logs for 410 errors using an event-driven tool — it'll catch this before users report it.