DRM keeps poking up it’s ugly head, and it’s really beginning to irk me. I mainly use Windows Media Center to record HBO movies. I had about 9 or so recorded, and today I’m sick, so I thought it would be a perfect time to watch some of them, but what do you know, none of them work. I tried my main PC running Media Center, and the Media Center Extender in the front room. Both give an an error saying it’s protected content and won’t let me watch any of them!
I read about people running into issues after installing Update Rollup 2 for Media Center 2005, because Rollup 2 installs an updated Digital Rights Management (DRM) package. I’ve had the Rollup 2 installed for months with no problems, and now all of a sudden I’m getting this protected content crap!
I found this statement on Microsoft’s website. The Microsoft Windows Media Digital Rights Management (DRM) system may not work if you make changes to your computer hardware.
So basically if certain components are changed in your PC, like I changed out a hard drive, Windows Media DRM may not work because it views the change as an unauthorized attempt to move protected content to another computer. Crap like this makes me want to pirate everything, and not purchase anything legally anymore. I’m paying for HBO, and I can’t even record it! Ahhh.
So for the others who may run into this problem, here’s the fix, courtesy of Aaron Stebner. Be sure to back up any licenses to protected content first, and then perform the following steps:
- Close Media Center and Windows Media Player.
- Click Start, Run. In the Open box, type cmd and click OK to open a Command Prompt window. At the command prompt, enter the command net stop ehrecvr and press Enter.
- Click Start, Run. In the Open box, type %allusersprofile%\drm and Press Enter.
- In the Windows Explorer window for the DRM folder, choose Tools, Folder Options. Click the View tab and select the Show hidden files and folders option and then clear the Hide protected operating system files option. Click OK to close the Folder Options dialog box.
- Click in the Windows Explorer window for the DRM folder, press Ctrl+A to select all files, and press Delete.
- Optional: Reverse the settings in Step 4.
- Visit the following Web page: http://go.microsoft.com/FWLink?LinkID=34506 and click the button that allows you to upgrade Windows DRM components.
- Restart your computer.
- Optional: Restore any backed-up licenses.
I tried this fix and still cannot view protected content. The only thing that I can imagine would have caused it to start with is that I pulled my TV card and put it into a computer that I’m testing Vista on. Once I was done with it, I put it back in the MCE computer. I didn’t even boot the MCE computer without the card in it, but, here I sit without the ability to watch the Sopranos that I waited so long to see…
I hate to hear the fix didn’t work for you. I know it can be madding too. You probably have already done this, but try getting all the updates for Media Center, and then try the fix again. It’s possible you are having a different problem than I had, but it seems very similar. Let me know if you have any luck.
were you able to transcode hbo content after the rebuild of drm? or just watch on an extender? I haven’t been able to view stuff on my 360 for some time… hbo-wise.
No, both work… the 360 and PC with Media Center. When HBO stopped working, they both stopped working, but once I did the fix, they both were good again. You could always do a clean install, but that’s also a pain too.
I have a show on AMC that taped a couple of nights ago and it gives me the “protected Content” message when I try to view it via my Linksys Extender or if I try to open the file in WMP on the Media Center 05 box. I can watch the show if I open MCE interface directly on the PC and view it through “Recorded TV”. I have all current updates and followed the instructions above to no avail. I really don’t want to have to go to my wiring closet to watch this week’s episode of “Hustle” :-) Any chance an uninstall and re-install o fthe extender would fix it? I have not changed any hardware, but did see a couple of auto updates that ran since last weeks episode.
Man this will be the most recent comment since 2006. Thanks for the instructions it really helped. I have a DVR with 60hrs and its full of movies and episdoes I don’t want to erase. Worked perectly and now if I want to I can put on my psp or Windows Mobile Phone.