Fix 0xC01E034F Copy Protection Type Error on Windows

When This Error Shows Up

You'll hit 0xC01E034F (STATUS_GRAPHICS_INVALID_COPYPROTECTION_TYPE) in two specific situations:

During a GPU driver update — say you're installing Nvidia 572.16 or AMD Adrenalin 24.12.1, and the installer fails halfway with a cryptic error. Check the Windows Event Viewer under System logs, and there it is, logged by dxgkrnl.sys.
When you plug in a second monitor and try to change its display mode — switching from extended to duplicate, or changing resolution while HDCP is active. The screen flickers, then drops back to the previous mode with no real error message, but the event log catches this code.

What's Actually Happening Here

The error means your graphics driver sent a request to the Windows DirectX Graphics Kernel (dxgkrnl.sys) to set a copy protection type on a particular VidPN present path — that's the internal link between a GPU output and a monitor. The kernel rejected it because the requested protection type doesn't match what the monitor or the GPU driver advertises as supported.

There are only a few valid copy protection types in the Windows display model:

DXGKMDT_OPM_PROTECTION_TYPE_HDCP (HDCP 1.x)
DXGKMDT_OPM_PROTECTION_TYPE_COPP_COMPATIBLE_HDCP (HDCP 2.x)
DXGKMDT_OPM_PROTECTION_TYPE_DPCP (DisplayPort content protection)
DXGKMDT_OPM_PROTECTION_TYPE_NONE

The common culprit is a stale or corrupted HDCP key stored by the GPU driver, or a registry value left over from a previous driver version that points to an invalid type ID (like 5 or 6 instead of 1 or 2). Another cause: a monitor that claims HDCP 2.2 support but the cable doesn't carry the right signal, so the driver keeps trying the wrong type.

The Real Fix

Skip the generic reinstall-the-driver advice. The root cause is almost always a stale HDCP configuration or a corrupted GPU driver stack. Here's what actually works:

Step 1: Clear HDCP Key Cache

Reboot your PC, then hold the Shift key while clicking Restart in the Start menu. This boots into Advanced Startup Options. Select Troubleshoot > Advanced Options > Startup Settings > Restart. At the boot menu, press 4 to enable Safe Mode.

In Safe Mode, open Device Manager (right-click Start button). Expand Display adapters, right-click your GPU, and select Uninstall device. Check Delete the driver software for this device. Do not restart yet.

Step 2: Wipe the Graphics Registry Key

Press Win+R, type regedit, hit Enter. Navigate to:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\GraphicsDrivers

Look for any key named DxgkCopyProtection or HDCP — they don't exist by default, so if you see one, someone (or a driver installer) created it. Delete it. Also check HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4d36e968-e325-11ce-bfc1-08002be10318}\0000 (the GPU's instance key) and delete any CopyProtectionType or HDCPEnabled values.

Close Regedit.

Step 3: Use Display Driver Uninstaller (DDU)

Still in Safe Mode, download and run Display Driver Uninstaller (from Guru3D). Select your GPU vendor (Nvidia or AMD), choose Clean and restart. This wipes every driver file, registry entry, and cached HDCP state. The HDCP key cache lives in C:\Windows\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\ — DDU scrubs that too.

Step 4: Install a Known Good Driver

After the reboot, install the latest driver from your GPU vendor's site. Don't use Windows Update or "optional updates" here — those can miss the display driver model version your GPU needs. For Nvidia, use the Game Ready driver. For AMD, use Adrenalin Edition. Reboot once more after installation.

Step 5: Test the Copy Protection Path

With the new driver, open a Command Prompt as admin and run:

dxdiag /dontskip

Click Display 1 tab. Under Drivers, check that the driver model says WDDM 2.x (2.7 or higher for Windows 10/11). Then click Save All Information and open the saved DxDiag.txt. Search for Copy Protection — you should see not supported or a specific HDCP version. If you see invalid, something's still broken. In that case, try a different cable — especially if you're using a DisplayPort-to-HDMI adapter. Those often mess up HDCP negotiation.

If It Still Fails

Check these:

Monitor's EDID — a bad EDID can report wrong copy protection caps. Use Custom Resolution Utility (CRU) to reset the monitor's extension block. Works on 99% of monitors.
GPU BIOS — some cards (especially used ones) have a corrupted UEFI GOP that mis-advertises copy protection. Update your GPU's firmware from the manufacturer's support page.
Windows version — old builds of Windows 10 (pre-1903) had a bug in dxgkrnl.sys that could reject valid copy protection types. Update to at least Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11 23H2.

One more thing: if you're using a KVM switch or an HDMI splitter, bypass it and connect the monitor directly to the GPU. Those devices often strip or corrupt the HDCP key exchange.