0XC00D1132

NS_E_WMPBR_RESTORECANCEL (0XC00D1132) — Rights Restoration Canceled Fix

EP
Erropedia Team
📅 May 28, 2026 📅 Updated Sep 14, 2026 👁 24 views Windows Errors Intermediate
This error means Windows Media Player canceled restoring your DRM licenses mid-process. The fix is to clear the DRM data folder and reset the license store.

You went to restore your media usage rights in Windows Media Player, and it crapped out with NS_E_WMPBR_RESTORECANCEL (0xC00D1132). Yeah, that's annoying. The player basically started the license restore, then stopped halfway for no good reason. Let's fix it.

What's Actually Happening

The error code 0xC00D1132 maps to NS_E_WMPBR_RESTORECANCEL. This means Windows Media Player began restoring your DRM (Digital Rights Management) licenses from Microsoft's server, but the operation got canceled before it finished. The most common trigger is a corrupted local DRM store — that's the drmstore.hds file in your user profile. When that file is damaged or has stale entries, the restore process can't complete cleanly and aborts with this error.

You'll typically see this when you try to play protected WMA or WMV files purchased from services like the old Zune or Xbox Music Marketplace. Windows 10 and Windows 11 both use Windows Media Player 12, and this bug still lives there.

The Fix — Clear and Rebuild the DRM Store

Skip the fancy registry hacks. The real fix is to kill the DRM data folder and let Windows regenerate it. Here's how:

  1. Close Windows Media Player completely. Check Task Manager to make sure wmplayer.exe isn't still running.
  2. Open File Explorer and type %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player in the address bar, then hit Enter.
  3. Delete the entire Media Player folder. Yes, the whole thing. Windows will recreate it when you next launch WMP. Don't worry — your playlists and library metadata are stored elsewhere (%USERPROFILE%\Music\Playlists and the library database in %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player\ actually — wait, that's the same folder). The key point: deleting this folder wipes the DRM store but your playlists are safe if you exported them. If you haven't exported, back up %USERPROFILE%\Music\Playlists first.
  4. Restart your PC. This ensures no leftover DRM processes hold file locks.
  5. Launch Windows Media Player. It'll take a few seconds to rebuild the folder structure. Then go to Tools > Options > Privacy and click Restore media usage rights.
  6. Wait for the restore to finish. This time it should complete without error.

Why step 3 works: The Media Player folder contains drmstore.hds, which holds the local cache of your DRM licenses. If that file is corrupt, the restore operation reads garbage and cancels. Deleting the folder forces WMP to create a fresh, empty store. When you trigger the restore, it downloads licenses from Microsoft's servers cleanly — no corruption to trip over.

Less Common Variations

Sometimes the folder deletion alone doesn't cut it. Here's what else can cause the same error:

1. Corrupted User Profile

If deleting the folder and restarting still shows the error, your user profile might be damaged. Test by creating a new local admin account and trying the restore there. If it works, migrate your data to the new profile.

2. Windows Media Player Configuration Blown

Rare, but the WMP config database (not the DRM store) can get corrupted. Reset it by running regsvr32 wmp.dll and regsvr32 wmpdxm.dll from an elevated Command Prompt, then repeat the folder deletion step.

3. Third-Party DRM Software Interference

Applications like iTunes or older Windows Media Center plugins can hold licenses open. Uninstall any non-Microsoft media software temporarily and retry.

Prevention

You can avoid this in the future by never manually editing or deleting files inside %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Media Player outside of this fix. Don't use registry cleaners that target DRM keys — they often break things worse. Also, if you ever upgrade Windows (e.g., from 10 to 11), run the media usage rights restore immediately after the upgrade while the system is still fresh. That prevents old cached data from conflicting with new license servers.

And honestly? If you're still buying DRM-protected music from stores that use Windows Media Player, consider switching to DRM-free formats like FLAC or MP3. This whole problem goes away when there's no license to manage.

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NS_E_WMPBR_RESTORECANCEL 0xC00D1132 Windows Media Player DRM error media usage rights restoration canceled restore DRM licenses Windows 10 WMP license corruption clear DRM folder Windows 11 drmstore.hds fix Windows Media Player 12 error DRM reset license sync failed

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EP
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The Erropedia editorial team researches and documents real-world tech errors from across Windows, Linux, macOS, networking, databases, cloud platforms, and more. Every solution is reviewed for accuracy and updated as software and systems evolve.