Windows Media Center - Reset PlayReady after Hardware change

After a hardware change, Windows Media Center (WMC) will probably start to display "Video playback device does not support playback of protected content" when watching protected content (e.g. CableCARD). This isn't a HDCP issue, it's your PlayReady DRM keys.

As an Administrator:

  1. Close Windows Media Center (and turn off any Windows Media Center Extenders)
  2. File Explorer | Options - Select "Show hidden file, folders, and drives"
  3. File Explorer | Options - Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files"
  4. File Explorer - rename these (e.g. Cache --> Cache.old)
    1. %ProgramData%\Microsoft\PlayReady\mspr.hds
    2. %ProgramData%\Microsoft\PlayReady\cache
    3. %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome\mcendindiv.hds
    4. %ProgramData%\Microsoft\eHome\cache
  5. Download ResetDRM.exe from the Microsoft Download Center (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink?LinkId=105000)
  6. Extract the EXE using WinRAR (etc) 
    1. You need to use WinRAR to do the extraction because the EXE's self-extraction only supports Windows XP
  7. Open an Administrator Command Prompt (Win+X, A)
  8. Run "CleanDRM.exe -v"
  9. Open Windows Media Center
  10. Update PlayReady via "Settings | TV | TV Signal | Update PlayReady"
  11. (Revert) File Explorer | Options - Select "Show hidden file, folders, and drives"
  12. (Revert) File Explorer | Options - Uncheck "Hide protected operating system files"

 

Note, this isn't an official Microsoft solution. It's what I cobbled together from multiple posts on this issue.