Fix NS_E_UNSUPPORTED_ARCHIVEOPERATION (0XC00D1B78)

This error pops up in Windows Media Center or Media Foundation apps when trying to archive or transfer recorded TV. The culprit is almost always a missing or corrupt DRM license file.

Quick Answer

Delete the DRM folder at C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM, then restart the Media Center or Media Foundation app. It re-creates the licenses on launch.

Why This Happens

This error shows up when you're trying to move, copy, or archive recorded TV files that were protected with DRM — usually Windows Media DRM (WMDRM). Windows Media Center or any Media Foundation app checks for a valid license before letting you touch those files. If the license file is missing, corrupt, or tied to a different system (e.g., after a hardware change), you get NS_E_UNSUPPORTED_ARCHIVEOPERATION. I've seen this most often after a motherboard swap or a fresh OS install where the old DRM store didn't migrate.

Fix Steps

Close all Media Center or Media Foundation apps. Make sure nothing is playing or recording TV.
Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM. You'll need to show hidden files and system files — if you don't see ProgramData, type the path directly.
Delete everything inside that folder. Don't delete the DRM folder itself, just its contents. You might get a permission warning — click Continue. If that fails, take ownership of the folder first.
Reboot the machine. Not optional — the licenses need a clean start.
Launch Windows Media Center again. Go to Tasks > Settings > TV > Recorder > Recorder Storage and re-run the TV setup wizard. This forces a reauthorization with your tuner and DRM provider.
Try the archive operation again. Should work now.

Alternative Fixes

If the main fix doesn't work, try these in order:

Run the Media Center Extras troubleshooter — search for "Media Center" in Control Panel, click Troubleshoot. It resets the DRM store automatically.
Re-register the WMDRM DLLs — open an admin command prompt and run: regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wmvcore.dll and regsvr32 %windir%\system32\wmdrmsdk.dll. Then reboot.
Check for corrupted recordings — use dvr-ms or wtv file repair tools. If the file itself is damaged, even a valid DRM won't help. Tools like WTVFix can patch the header.
If you upgraded from Windows 7 to 8.1 or 10, the old Media Center DRM store is incompatible. Uninstall and reinstall Media Center from the "Add Features to Windows 8.1" dialog or the Windows 10 Media Center Pack.

Prevention Tips

Back up your DRM folder before any hardware change — copy C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\DRM to an external drive. If you swap motherboards, restore those files after the OS boots.
Disable DRM on recordings if possible — some cable providers let you set recordings to "copy freely" in the TV setup wizard. That skips the license check entirely.
Stick with Windows 7 or 8.1 for Media Center — Windows 10's Media Center is a third-party add-on and has worse DRM handling. If you're on 10, expect more of these errors.

One last thing: don't bother with registry edits for this error. I've seen forum posts suggesting deleting registry keys under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DRM — that never fixes it and can break your audio codecs. Stick to the folder delete method. It's been the real fix since Windows 7.