NS_E_WMG_CANNOTQUEUE (0XC00D104C) Fix

Quick answer (for advanced users)

Re-register the Windows Media Player DLLs and reset the library. Open Command Prompt as admin, run regsvr32 wmp.dll and regsvr32 wmpeffects.dll. Then delete the CurrentDatabase_361.wmdb file from %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player.

Why this error happens

I've seen this error a lot in support tickets. It's not a hardware problem—your PC is fine. The error 0XC00D104C shows up when Windows Media Player can't get the file ready for smooth playback. This usually means the file uses a codec that WMP doesn't have, or the DRM license is missing or expired.

Common triggers: playing an old WMV file from 2005, trying to stream a DRM-protected video from a service that shut down, or after a Windows update broke something. I've had this happen right after installing the Windows 10 22H2 update.

Step-by-step fix

1. Close WMP completely. Check Task Manager to make sure it's not running in the background. I've seen it hide there.
2. Open Command Prompt as admin. Press Windows+X, then choose "Terminal (Admin)" or "Command Prompt (Admin)" depending on your Windows version.
3. Re-register WMP DLLs. Type these one by one and press Enter after each:

   regsvr32 wmp.dll
   regsvr32 wmpeffects.dll
   regsvr32 wmploc.dll
   regsvr32 wmpps.dll

   You should see a success message after each. If you get "access denied", you're not running as admin. Fix that.
4. Reset the media library. Press Windows+R, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player, and hit Enter. Delete any file that looks like CurrentDatabase_*.wmdb (there might be more than one). Don't delete the folder itself, just the .wmdb files.
5. Restart your PC. Not just WMP—full restart. This clears the cached library info.

Alternative fixes (if main one didn't work)

Install a codec pack

WMP is old. It doesn't know modern codecs like HEVC (H.265) or VP9. Download the K-Lite Codec Pack Basic from codecguide.com. During install, select "Lots of stuff" preset. After that, try the file again.

Fix DRM issues

If the file has DRM (you see a lock icon or it asks for a license), go to %APPDATA%\Microsoft\DRM and delete everything inside. Then open WMP and try playing the file again—it will re-download the license if the server is still up. Warning: this wipes all your DRM licenses, so you'll need to re-authenticate for purchased content.

Use a different player

I'm not a fan of forcing WMP to work. If the file still won't queue, switch to VLC media player (free, open-source, plays everything). Or use the built-in "Movies & TV" app in Windows 10/11—it handles modern codecs better.

Prevention tip

Keep Windows updated. Microsoft often fixes codec issues in cumulative updates. Also, avoid DRM-locked files—they break when servers go offline. Convert important media to MP4 (H.264) using HandBrake. That format plays on anything without errors.

One more thing: don't let WMP auto-queue large playlists. Manually add files one by one if you're getting the error repeatedly. I know it's a pain, but it stops the race condition that triggers this bug.