When installing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update some people will get this message:
-
Loss of music and video content with update
-
We recommend you do not proceed with this update as your device may have some music or video content that is protected by an older rights management technology, which is not supported. If you install this update, you may no longer be able to play these music or video files. Close this dialog box to cancel, or you can choose to confirm to install the update.
Similar messages might also appear in the following apps if you try to play music or video after installing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
Windows Media Player:
-
Windows Media Player encountered a problem while playing the file.
Zune:
-
CAN’T PLAY. Can’t play, burn or sync this protected file. To see if there’s more information about this error, click Web Help. Error code C000D11E7
We show these messages if:
-
Any of your audio or video files have Windows Media Digital Rights Management (WMDRM). This includes music files in the WMA format that you ripped from CDs using Windows Media Player (any version up to Windows 10 version 1511) with the “copy protect music” option selected. This option was the default for a while, so you might not be aware that it was selected at the time you ripped your files. We’re working on a fix for content you ripped from CDs and should have one in a few months. Please come back to this page for more info.
-
You bought and downloaded audio or video from certain online stores including Zune Marketplace. (Downloaded or streaming audio or video from stores like Amazon, Hulu, or Netflix should be fine.)
If you install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, any files that use WMDRM rights management won’t play.
WMDRM rights management for audio and video files has been around for a long time, and it’s been replaced by PlayReady and other technologies. Microsoft previously notified online stores and service providers who used WMDRM well in advance, and most stores that sell music and video downloads don’t use it anymore. But you might have older files that use WMDRM. So, if you installed the Windows 10 Anniversary Update and try to play files that use WMDRM right management, they won’t play.
For song files you ripped yourself using Windows Media Player with the “copy protect music” option selected, use the Digital Rights Update Tool to remove the protection applied. This lets you play your files even if you’ve already installed the Windows 10 Anniversary Update. Please note: The app won’t work on files you downloaded from a music or video service or online store. This fix will work for all versions of Windows 10. For files you’ve purchased from online stores that use WMDRM, you can contact the store you purchased them from—some providers will let you stream or download files again using the new rights protection technology, which should work fine. Note: If you bought music through Zune, you might be able to stream it using the Groove Music app or at music.microsoft.com. Just sign in with the Microsoft account you used to buy the music. If you want, you can uninstall the Windows 10 Anniversary Update within the 10 days of installing it. To do this, select Settings > Update and Security > Recovery and select the Go back option.
Only the following file formats used WMDRM:
-
Windows Media Audio (.wma) Windows Media Video (.wmv) Windows Media audio/video (.asf)
So if you don’t have .wma, .wmv or .asf files, you’re probably not affected. To see if you have these types of files, search your PC for each file extension separately (search your PC for *.wma, then search for *.wmv, and then search for *.asf). Here’s how to see if an individual file will be affected if you’re on a version of Windows prior to the Windows 10 Anniversary Update:
-
Browse to the file.
-
Right click the file and select Properties.
-
If you see the License tab, whether or not there’s info on the actual tab, the file will most likely not work if you install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update.
At this time, there’s no way to check several files at once.
Note: If you search for .wma, .wmv, and .asf files and don’t find anything, but still see the message about loss of music or video content, it means there are license files on your PC. You might not have the associated music or video files anymore (the .wma, .wmv, or .asf files) or the files might be on removable storage, like a removable hard drive or USB stick.
All of the following files should play just fine after you install the update:
-
Any videos and music that don’t have digital rights management (including WMDRM) that you’ve copied to your PC from another device
-
Personal videos from your phone or digital camera
-
All .mp3 music files
-
Videos and music you play in iTunes, Groove Music, or Movies & TV
-
Streaming media services for video (including Amazon, Hulu, and Netflix)
-
Streaming media services for music, podcasts, and audiobooks (including Amazon, Audible, Pandora, and Spotify)
-
CDs ripped using Windows Media Player without the “copy protect music” option checked
Windows Media Digital Rights Management (WMDRM) is a type of digital rights technology. It helps protect the copyright interests of the person or entity that owns the copyright to the music or video file by making sure the file only works on the device on which it was downloaded.
