Windows Media Player 0XC00D1268: Fix WMD Unpack Fail

You're watching a video or listening to a song in Windows Media Player, and suddenly the download stops with error 0XC00D1268 (that's NS_E_BKGDOWNLOAD_WMDUNPACKFAILED). This usually happens right after you've clicked a link to a protected or rented media file—like a movie from an old online store or a music track from a service that uses Windows Media DRM. The download manager grabs the file, but when it tries to unpack the .wmd container, it chokes.

I've seen this on Windows 7 and Windows 10 systems, especially after a Windows Update or when the media server had a hiccup. The root cause is almost always one of two things: a corrupted partial download or a permissions issue where Windows Media Player can't write to its cache folder. Sometimes it's a leftover from an incomplete download that's now sitting in limbo, blocking new ones.

Here's the fix. I'll walk you through it step by step—no registry hacks needed unless the first steps fail.

Step 1: Clear the Windows Media Player Download Cache

The download manager stores in-progress files in a hidden folder. If a WMD file is half-downloaded or corrupted, it'll keep failing. Here's how to nuke it:

1. Close Windows Media Player completely. Check the system tray for the icon and right-click → Exit.
2. Press Win + R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows Media, and hit Enter.
3. Look for a folder named Download or WMDownload. Delete everything inside it. If you can't delete because a file is in use, restart your PC and try again.
4. Now reopen Windows Media Player and try the download again.

This clears the junk. For most people, that's the whole fix.

Step 2: Reset Windows Media Player Settings

If the cache clear didn't do it, the player's settings might be pointing to a bad location or have corrupted preferences. Resetting is safe—you'll lose playlist customizations, but that's minor compared to a dead error.

1. Close Windows Media Player.
2. Press Win + R, type regedit, and hit Enter. Yes, we're going into the registry—but only to delete one key.
3. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\MediaPlayer\Player.
4. Right-click the Player key and choose Delete. Confirm.
5. Close regedit and restart Windows Media Player. It'll recreate default settings.

I know registry deletion sounds scary, but this key is just for UI preferences—not your media library. You won't lose your music or videos.

Step 3: Check File Permissions on the Cache Folder

Sometimes the issue is that Windows Media Player can't write to its own cache because of a permissions change. This happened to me after a domain policy update at work once.

1. Open File Explorer and go to C:\Users\[YourUsername]\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows Media (replace [YourUsername] with your actual username).
2. Right-click the Windows Media folder → Properties → Security tab.
3. Click Advanced → Change next to Owner. Type your username, click Check Names, then OK.
4. Check the box Replace owner on subcontainers and objects, then click OK.
5. Now click Edit in the Security tab, select your user, and check Full control. Apply and OK.

After that, retry the download. This solves it if the error popped up after you moved your user profile or changed drive letters.

Step 4: Re-register Windows Media Player Components

If you're still stuck, the player's core components might be unregistered. Open an elevated Command Prompt (right-click Start → Command Prompt (Admin)) and run these two commands:

regsvr32 wmp.dll
regsvr32 wmploc.dll

You'll get a success message for each. Then restart Windows Media Player and try again.

Still failing? Here's what to check.

If none of that worked, the problem might be the media source itself. Try downloading the same file on a different PC or with a different browser—if it works elsewhere, the file is fine and your Windows install is the issue. Also, check if your date and time are correct. DRM-protected WMD files are time-sensitive, and a wrong clock can cause unpack failures. Go to Settings → Time & Language → Date & Time and enable automatic sync.

One more thing: if you're using a third-party antivirus that blocks Windows Media Player's background downloads, whitelist wmplayer.exe and svchost.exe (the one hosting the download manager). I've seen Avast and McAfee cause this exact error. Yes, it's annoying, but a quick exclusion usually fixes it.

If you've tried all this and the error persists, you're likely dealing with a corrupted Windows Media Player installation. Consider a repair install through Settings → Apps → Windows Media Player → Advanced Options → Repair. That's the nuclear option, but it's rare you'll need it.

Hope this gets you back to your media. I know this error is infuriating—it looks like a deep system fault, but it's usually just a busted cache. Start with Step 1 and work your way down.