Fix NS_E_WMP_FILESCANALREADYSTARTED (0XC00D0FBE)

Windows Media Player says it's already scanning your library but nothing happens. Here's how to break the stuck scan and get back to playing music fast.

I know this error is infuriating—you just want to play a track, and WMP is stuck in some invisible limbo pretending it's working. The good news is you can break the loop in under five minutes.

The Quick Fix: Kill the Library Cache

The most reliable fix is to delete the WMP library database and let it rebuild. Here's how, step by step.

Close Windows Media Player completely. Check the system tray (bottom-right) for the WMP icon, right-click it, and choose Exit. If it's not there, move on.
Open File Explorer and paste this into the address bar, then hit Enter:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player

You'll land in the folder where WMP stores its library data. You should see files with names like CurrentDatabase_372.wmdb or a folder called Media Player if you're on older Windows. The exact name varies by Windows version, but you're looking for anything with .wmdb or Library in it.

Select every file in that folder and delete them. Don't worry—you won't lose your actual music files, just the index WMP uses to find them.
Restart Windows Media Player. It'll prompt you to search your library again. Let it do a full scan, and this time the error shouldn't appear.

Why This Works

The error 0XC00D0FBE fires when WMP thinks a scan is already running, but the process is hung or the database is corrupted. Deleting the .wmdb files forces WMP to start fresh. It's like clearing a jammed paper tray—the printer wasn't actually printing, just stuck on a false signal. The same logic applies here. I've seen this fix work on Windows 7, 8, and 10, and it's the first thing I try on any help desk ticket.

Less Common Variations

Sometimes the cache isn't the culprit. Here are a few other triggers and their fixes.

Third-party Codec Packs Interfering

If you've installed K-Lite Codec Pack or similar, they can sometimes register a file type that WMP tries to scan repeatedly. To test, temporarily disable the codec pack's shell extensions or uninstall it, then try the scan again. If the error disappears, you've found your culprit.

Network Drives and NAS Devices

WMP scanning a network location that's slow or intermittently unavailable can trigger a stuck scan. Remove any network folders from your monitored folders list (under Library → Manage), then add them back one at a time after the initial scan completes. This tripped me up the first time I set up a home NAS—I thought my hard drive was dying, but it was just WMP choking on the network lag.

Corrupted Media Files

One corrupt file—like a partially downloaded MP3—can hang the scan. If the error persists after clearing the cache, try scanning a smaller folder first. If it gets stuck on a specific file, move it out and scan the rest.

Prevention: Stop It From Happening Again

The real fix isn't just clearing the error—it's keeping your library lean. Here's what I recommend:

Don't monitor your entire drive. Point WMP at your actual music folder, not C:\ or the whole User directory. Fewer files means fewer chances for a hang.
Run a disk check on the drive holding your music. A failing drive can cause read errors that confuse WMP. Open Command Prompt as admin and run chkdsk /f on the relevant drive.
Keep WMP updated. Windows Update rolls in fixes for these kinds of bugs. If you've disabled updates, you're missing patches that squash scan issues.
Use a library size under 50,000 files. WMP gets flaky with massive libraries. If you're a power user, something like MusicBee or foobar2000 handles large catalogs better—I switched and never looked back.

That's the whole playbook. Clear the cache first, test the codec and network angles if it comes back, and keep your library tidy going forward. You'll be back to your playlists in no time.