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NS_E_DRM_LICENSE_UNUSABLE
Evidence worth preserving
- Protected identity: remaining counts, device registration and revocation state.
- Operation state: requested action such as play, copy, burn or transfer.
- Persistence or transport: license ID, KID and content-header identity.
- Security context: valid-from, expiration and secure-clock values.
- Correlation point: application security level and required output protection.
Related codes and the diagnostic split
| Result | Different condition |
|---|---|
NS_E_DRM_CACHED_CONTENT_ERROR | Windows media digital rights management (drm) cannot play the protected file because you do not have the appropriate rights. |
NS_E_DRM_ACTION_NOT_QUERIED | The application attempts a protected action before querying whether the license permits it. |
NS_E_DRM_NO_RIGHTS | The selected license does not grant the action requested by the caller. |
Several values can accompany the “license unusable” condition in one incident. Order the event chain by timestamp and prefer the first code produced at the lowest specific boundary over a later player-level summary.
Correcting the producing condition
Resolve the underlying condition directly: correct the producing DRM state or input and retry with a fresh operation object. A player reinstall, reboot or new license request is useful only when it changes the condition “license unusable” and can be verified against the original evidence.
Representative case: The application reaches the license unusable path and receives this exact HRESULT before the higher-level media action can complete.
Actions that do not prove a fix
- Avoid changing the system clock or bypassing output protection to make a time- or security-bound license appear valid.
- Avoid treating every policy denial as damaged media or a missing codec.
Technical references
- DRM basics and rights enforcement.
- Licenses and the local license store.
- Output protection levels — API and state rules for the DRM operation described here.
- DRM protection and license distribution.
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