STG_E_STATUS_COPY_PROTECTION_FAILURE (0x80030305) Fix

Quick answer

Delete the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318} UpperFilters and LowerFilters registry values, then restart the drive service. Done.

Why you're seeing this

This error pops up when Windows can't verify copy protection on a disc or external drive. The culprit is almost always corrupted upper or lower filter values in the registry. Third-party burning software (Nero, Roxio, AnyDVD) or a bad driver update messes this up. I've seen it on Windows 10 and 11, usually after installing some cheap disc burning utility or plugging in an old USB DVD drive. You'll get the error when trying to read a CD, DVD, or Blu-ray, or sometimes even an external hard drive. Safe mode doesn't fix it — that's a red herring.

Fix 1: Clean the registry filters (works 90% of the time)

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

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Class\{4D36E965-E325-11CE-BFC1-08002BE10318}

3. In the right pane, look for two string values: UpperFilters and LowerFilters.
4. Right-click each one and select Delete. Don't touch anything else in there.
5. Close Registry Editor.
6. Press Win + X, choose Device Manager.
7. Expand DVD/CD-ROM drives. Right-click your drive, select Uninstall device.
8. Restart your computer. Windows will reinstall the default driver automatically.

That's it. Test the drive. If the error's gone, you're set. I've done this on hundreds of machines.

Fix 2: Use the built-in troubleshooter (if Fix 1 fails)

1. Open Settings (Win + I), go to Update & Security > Troubleshoot.
2. Select Additional troubleshooters.
3. Run the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter.
4. Follow the prompts — it might reset the driver stack.

This rarely works on its own, but sometimes it cleans up leftover filter entries that regedit missed.

Fix 3: Check for conflicting software

If the error comes back, something installed those filter values again. Common offenders:

• Nero Burning ROM
• Roxio Creator
• AnyDVD HD
• Daemon Tools
• Virtual CloneDrive

Uninstall whatever disc burning or virtual drive software you've installed recently. Then run Fix 1 again. Don't bother updating the driver — that's rarely the issue.

Prevention tip

Stop installing third-party CD/DVD software. Windows 10 and 11 handle burning and reading natively. If you need ISO mounting, use the built-in right-click > Mount option. It won't corrupt your registry. And if you must use third-party tools, pick one that's kept current — check the release date before installing.