Repair Corrupt Windows Media Player (WMP) Database Error

Sahil Verma

Updated On - October 13, 2022

Windows Media Player is Microsoft’s native application included in Windows to stream and play diverse media content. Its database holds all audio and video files on your system. At times, if Windows Media Player (WMP) does not allow you to browse the library and add or delete items within the WMP library, there’s a possibility that the database is damaged. Thus, the “Media library is corrupted” error pops up on the desktop screen.

This type of error is caused when the Windows Media Player library database itself or the data stored therein becomes damaged. When any file or information in the database is not readable to Windows Media Player, it can also happen.

In more serious instances, users have complained that this error continues to appear every 10 minutes and then disappears on its own every day. In normal conditions, the database will be able to repair itself from corruption. Rebooting your computer has also been reported as a solution to the issue.

However, the troubleshooter may not resolve the issue for certain users. The data corruption seen in some cases is of the nature that recovery must be done manually. So we’ll help you to fix it manually.

Before you go for the fixes, you should create an initial system restore point to restore your system to the previous state in case anything goes wrong. Follow this Free Guide to Repair Corrupt MP4 Video Files easily.

Windows System Restore Point

System Restore is the Microsoft Windows tool designed to safeguard and fix computer software. System Restore utilizes what’s known as a snapshot of various system files along with the Windows registry. It saves these in Restore Points.

If a failure in installation or data corruption is detected, System Restore can return the system back to its original state without the need to install the operating system once more. It can repair the Windows environment by returning to files and settings stored in the restore point.

System Restore will not affect personal data stored within the PC. The program generates Restore Points daily as a routine. It continuously monitors the activity of the system and then creates a restore point whenever certain events occur. The events that trigger the automatic creation of restore points include installing software or hardware drivers & updating hardware drives, etc.

It is, therefore, crucial to establish a System Restore Point before you begin to work on “How to Repair a Corrupt WMP Database.”

Repair a Corrupt Windows Media Player Database: 4 Easy Solutions to Go For

Solution 1: Rebuild WMP Library Database

It is possible that your Windows Media Player (WMP)’s database has been corrupted if you are unable to view, add, or delete items from your WMP library. In this case, you should rebuild the Windows Media Player database.

1. First, hold the Windows + R keys to access the Run window
2. Next, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player and hit Enter.
3. Hold Ctrl+A to select all files within the folder.
4. Moving further, use the Shift+Delete keys to permanently erase all files within the folder.
5. At last, start Windows Media Player. The WMP will restore its database now.

Solution 2: Clean Up the WMP Database Cache Files

1. Use the Windows + R buttons to open the Run window
2. Within the Run Window, type %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft and tap Enter.
3. Open the right-click menu on the Media Player folder and hit the option Delete.
4. Next, empty your system’s Recycle bin.
5. Reboot your system.
6. After rebooting the system, Windows Media Player rebuilds the database.

Note: If you’re unable to remove your WMP Library Database and get the following error pop-up “The current database could not be removed since it was opened in the Windows Media Network Sharing Service.” Go through the steps.

1. First, hold the Windows+R keys to access the Run Window
2. Next, type services.msc and tap Enter.
   
3. Locate Windows Media Network Sharing Service.
4. Select Stop from the right-click menu of Windows Media Network Sharing Service. On your computer, this will end the ‘Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service.’
5. Exit Services.
6. After pressing Windows+R again, type “%LOCALAPPDATA%/Microsoft” and click OK. This will open the Microsoft folder.
   
7. Locate the Media Player folder.
8. With a right-click on the folder, tap Shift + Delete. You will now have permanently deleted the Media Player folder.
9. Lastly, reboot your system.

Solution 3: Disable WMP & Enable Again

Windows Media Player can never be removed because it’s an operating system program that forms one of the core components of Windows. What you can do with software that runs on the system like WMP is to deactivate and then re-enable it. This can fix the issue. For this, follow the steps below.

1. To begin with, tap on the Start button.
2. Go to the search box and type Control Panel. Hit enter.
3. Once you access the Control Panel, choose the View by option as Category.
4. In the next tab, Programs & Features, tap on the option Turn Windows features on or off.
5. Select the symbol (+) beside the Media Features tab on the next window to expand it.
6. Next, unmark Windows Media Player and tap on Yes.
7. A restart prompt will come up. Restart your system and re-enable the Windows feature by going through the above steps once again.

Solution 4: Run a Clean Boot

Clean booting your system will ensure that your PC starts with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. This could solve the issue of the WMP Database. To run a clean boot, go through these steps:

1. First, hold the Windows + R keys to access the Run window.
2. Next, type up msconfig and tap Enter.
   
3. Navigate to the General tab and unmark the Load startup items option.
4. Then, checkmark the Load system services option.
   
5. Tap on the tab Services. Moving on, mark the option Hide all Microsoft services.
6. Tap on the option Disable all.
7. Select the option Apply. Hit OK to apply the made changes.

After you’ve completed all these steps, you can reboot your PC, and it will boot in clean mode.

Recoveryfix Video Repair Tool: To Fix WMP Issues

Just in case the above manual methods are unable to fix the WMP database issue, you must go for the ultimate video repairing tool: Recoveryfix Video Repair. This tool is the best solution to fix all video errors. With this tool, you can fix damaged MTS video file and repair corrupt MXF video files free. Moreover, This advanced tool repairs corrupt video files of almost every format like MOV, MP4, WEBM, MTS, WMV, ASF, M4V, AVI, M4A, AVCHD, 3G2, FLV, 3GP, etc. Moreover, it supports recovery from all types of cameras. It also offers its varied fixes issues like:

• Slow-motion videos.
• Poor-quality or stuck pixels in video files.
• Blurring, choppiness, flickering, etc. in videos.
• Crashes during editing of video files.
• Synchronization issues between audio and video.
• Damage or distortion caused by Windows or software upgrades.

Steps to Use Recoveryfix Video Repair Tool

Here are the steps to use the Recoveryfix Video Repair Tool.

1. Get Recoveryfix Video Repair from the site & install it on your computer. After the software is installed, launch it and tap on Add File(s).
2. Select the corrupted videos you wish to repair. Multiple videos can be selected at once. Once the videos are selected, click Open.
3. To understand the file structure of a corrupt video, the tool will ask you for a reference video file. If needed, provide reference files. Click Repair Files.
4. Choose a destination path for the repaired files and click OK.

In the specified location, all repaired files will be saved.

The Bottom Line

Your corrupt WMP database problem will surely be resolved with all the best solutions onboard. But as per our recommendation, you must opt for the most reliable video repairing tool: Recoveryfix Video Repair tool. With this software, you can repair almost all types of damaged/corrupt video files. It is free to download and easy to use. Try it out.