How to solve ‘Windows Media Player Media Library is corrupted’ error

Windows Media Player Library is a database containing all the audio-video files on your computer. Now, ‘Windows Media Player Media Library is corrupted’ message is shown when any file in the database of Windows Media Player is corrupted or non-readable by Windows Media Player.
Windows Media Player can automatically repair some corrupted files on the database, so simply rebooting your computer can solve the problem. After rebooting, if the error is still there then go for these fixes-

Before going for the fixes, create a system restore point, so that you can restore your computer to its previous state if anything goes wrong.

 

Fix-1 Rebuild Windows Media Player Library Database

The main reason behind the error ‘Windows Media Player Media Library is corrupted’ is the corrupted database of Windows Media Player. Follow these steps to rebuild the Windows Media Player Library  Database

1. Press Windows Key+R, and type “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\Media Player” and hit Enter.

 

Run Media Player

 



2. Press Ctrl+A to select every file in the folder. Press Shift+Delete, to permanently delete all the files of the folder. Close the folder.

 

Media Player

 

3.  Restart Windows Media Player.Windows Media Player will rebuild the Windows Media Player Database.

Check if the error is still present or not. If the error is still there then go for the next fix.

Fix 2 – Edit Music Library locations

1 – Open Windows media player

2 – Now, Right click on Music and click on Manage Music Library

 

 

Manage Music Library Min

 

3 – Now, apart from Default path that is C:\Users\USERNAME\Music, Remove every other path and click OK.

 

Remove Music Library Locations Min

 

4 – Close and Open Windows media player again.

Fix-3 Delete Windows Media Player Database Cache Files

1. Press Windows Key+R, and type “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft” and hit Enter.

 

Run Microsoft

 

Microsoft folder will open.

2. Look for the “Media Player” folder. Right-click on it, press ‘Shift‘ and click on “Delete*.

 

 

Dlete Media

 

This will permanently delete the “Media Player” folder.

3. Restart your computer. As Windows will be booted, Windows Media Player will rebuild the ‘Windows Media Player database‘.

*NOTE

If you are receiving “Current database cannot be deleted because it’s open in Windows Media Network Sharing Service” this message, then you will not be able to delete the folder. Follow these steps to delete the folder-

1. Simply press Windows key+R together to launch the Run window on your computer.

2. Here you will have to type “services.msc” and then press “Enter“.

 

Services

 

3. Scroll down to find “Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service” and right-click on it and click on “Stop“.

Services Media

 

This will stop the ‘Windows Media Player Network Sharing Service‘ on your computer.

Close ‘Services‘.

 

4.  Next, press Windows Key+R again and type “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft” and hit Enter.

 

Run Microsoft

 

Microsoft folder will open.

4. Look for the “Media Player” folder. Right-click on it, press ‘Shift‘ and click on “Delete“.

 

Dlete Media

 

This will permanently delete the ‘Media Player‘ folder.

Restart your computer.

As Windows will be booted, Windows Media Player will rebuild the ‘Windows Media Player‘ database. After rebooting your computer, check if the error is still there or not. If the error is still present then go for the next fix.

Fix-4  Perform a Clean Boot

Clean booting your computer ensures that your computer is booting with a minimum set of drivers and fewer startup programs. This can solve the problem of ‘Windows Media Player Media Library is corrupted’. In order to clean boot, your computer follow these steps-

1. What you have to do is simply press Windows key+R keys together.

2. Then,  type “msconfig” in that Run window and then hit Enter.

 



Msconfig Run

 

2. Click on the “General” tab and then uncheck the option “Load startup items“.

3. Then, make sure the “Load system services” option is checked.

 

General

 

4. After that, go to the “Services” tab.

5. Then, check the “Hide all Microsoft services” option and then click on the “Disable all“.

6. Finally, click on “Apply” and then click on “OK” to save these changes.

 

Services

 

Once you have followed all these steps, reboot your computer, it will be booted in clean mode.

The error ‘Windows Media Player Media Library is corrupted’ should be solved.