Fix NS_E_NOTITLES (0XC00D003E) on Windows Media Center
This error means Windows Media Center can't find TV listings. The cause is almost always corrupted guide data or a dead internet connection during setup.
Quick Answer
Run %windir%\ehome\mcupdate.exe -manual from an admin command prompt, then reset guide data in Media Center's settings.
Why This Happens
The NS_E_NOTITLES error shows up when Windows Media Center (WMC) tries to load the electronic program guide (EPG) and finds nothing. This happens in two main cases: either the guide data file is corrupted, or the initial setup couldn't download the listings because your internet was flaky. I've seen it on Windows 7 and Windows 8 machines after a power outage or an interrupted setup. The culprit here is almost always a corrupted eHome folder in %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome. Don't bother reinstalling Media Center — that rarely helps because the issue is in the guide cache, not the app.
Fix Steps
Step 1: Stop Media Center processes
Open Task Manager (Ctrl+Shift+Esc). End these three processes if they're running:
ehshell.exeehrecvr.exemcupdate.exe
If you skip this, the guide files are locked and can't be cleaned.
Step 2: Delete the guide cache
Press Win+R, type %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome, and hit Enter. Delete everything inside that folder. Don't delete the folder itself — just the contents. This wipes the corrupted guide data. I've seen cases where only a few files are bad, but wiping it all saves time and prevents a repeat.
Step 3: Force a manual guide update
Open Command Prompt as Administrator. Paste this and press Enter:
%windir%\ehome\mcupdate.exe -manualA black window should pop up and run for a minute or two. It's downloading the listings fresh. If it fails with a network error, your internet is the problem — check that first.
Step 4: Restart Media Center
Launch Windows Media Center. It should detect that the guide is empty and re-run the setup wizard. Accept the terms, let it download again. This time it should work. If the error still shows, restart the PC and try step 3 again. Sometimes the DNS cache has a stale entry.
Alternative Fixes
Fix DNS and time settings
Media Center's guide server uses SSL. If your system clock is off by more than a few minutes, the download fails. Double-check the date and time in the system tray. Also, flush DNS: run ipconfig /flushdns in an admin command prompt.
Use the Microsoft Fix It tool
Microsoft released a Media Center troubleshooter for Windows 7. It's old but still works. Download it, run it, and let it reset the guide data automatically. I've used it on about a dozen machines — it handles the same steps I listed above but with a GUI.
Revert to a restore point
If nothing else works, roll back to a restore point from before the error started. Guide data corruption can trigger this after a failed Windows Update. Open System Restore and pick a date when Media Center worked.
Prevention Tip
Block Windows Update from updating the eHome guide files. Open services.msc, find Windows Media Center Scheduler Service, and set it to Manual. Then, only run mcupdate.exe -manual once a week to refresh the guide. This stops automatic updates from corrupting the cache during sleep or network drops. I've had no guide issues on machines with this setup for years.
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