The Widevine Content Decryption Module is a process that allows it’s users to play DRM-protected HTML5 media on their computers. This module is usually inbuilt along with Chrome, allowing the running of mostly just video and audio that may be included in a webpage. Despite its benefits, a lot of people end up not installing or updating the module in time, thus experiencing an error every time they try to open a specific media.

Widevine Content Decryption Module

The error restricts the user from playing visuals and flashes the words ‘Widevine Content Decryption’ on the screen of the browser. As users, nobody would want errors like this to interrupt their surfing. This error is a common one, as it can be caused by the simplest of factors.

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How to Fix Widevine Content Decryption Module Error

We have some specific solutions to your problem you should take a look at to rectify it instantly and get ahead with your browsing.

Solution 1 – Reinstall Chrome

If none of the above-mentioned solutions work for you, the only option you have left is to reinstall Chrome altogether. The Widevine Content Decryption Module is associated with Chrome inside and out, so reinstalling the browser entirely is likely to resolve your problem. Reinstalling it will do nothing but set your browser to the default version, which should be compatible with WidevineCdm. The way to reinstall Chrome is mention below:

Step 1: Open the Run Command dialogue box by pressing the Windows key and the letter ‘R‘ simultaneously.

Step 2: Manually type in the words “cpl” into the dialogue box and press Enter.

Step 3: By doing this, you will be redirected to a Window with a list of all the applications on your desktop. Find Google Chrome and click on ‘Uninstall‘.

Step 4: Once done, go to the official Google website and download the latest version of Chrome on your computer.

Step 5: Check to see if the Widevine Content Decryption Module error continues to occur.

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Solution 2 – Update the Widevine Content Decryption Module

As mentioned before, the Widevine Content Decryption error can be caused when the user has not updated his Module. So, the first and most basic recommendation is that you go to the settings of your browser and make sure it is up to date. If it is not, then follow the steps given below to go about achieving its latest version:

Step 1: To start with, right-click on the icon for Google Chrome browser. Then, click on the option that says ‘Run as an administrator‘.

Step 2: When Chrome opens, go to the address bar at the top and manually type in words “chrome://components.” Then hit ‘Enter’.

Step 3: Next, you will be redirected to a screen that lists all the components that your browser is inclusive of. Underneath each entry, there will be a button that says ‘Check for Update‘. Hunt for the one entry that says ‘Widevine Content Decryption Module‘ and hit that button.

Step 4: Once done, refresh the page to see if the button says ‘Up to Date‘.

Step 5: If it does, restart your computer, and you should be able to surf without the error.

Solution 3 – Give Full Control to the WidevineCdm Folder

If you have the Widevine Content Decryption Module readily installed, it will undoubtedly have a folder in your computer’s storage. What you need to do to get rid of the error is to make sure the folder has all the privileges it needs to run. To check whether the WidevineCdm folder has full control, follow the given steps:

Step 1: Press the Windows key and ‘R’ at the same time to open the Run Command.

Step 2: Then, manually type in these words into the dialogue box:

"%userprofile%/appdata/local" and press Enter.

Step 3: You will now be redirected to a folder in your computer’s storage. Here, hunt for the folder titled Google → Chrome → User Data.

Step 4: Once you have the user data in front of you, navigate to the folder that says ‘WidevineCdm’. Right-click on it, and select ‘Properties’.

Step 5: In the properties, go to the ‘Security‘ tab among the list of tags on the screen and make sure that under ‘Permissions‘, the entry saying ‘Full Control‘ is tick-mark. In case it is not, then follow these steps to tick-mark it:

  1. Above the list of ‘Permissions,’ there will be a button that says ‘Edit.’ Click on it.
  2. The area which had the tick-marks will now turn into checkboxes. Here, manually check the box that says ‘Full Control’ and then ‘Apply’ your respective changes.

Step 6: Lastly, restart your computer to see if the error still continues.

Solution 4 – Delete WidevineCdm Folder

Another way to get rid of the error is to simply delete the module entirely and then reinstall it using Chrome. The way to go about it is as follows:

Step 1: To start with, follow the first 3 steps mentioned in Method #3.

Step 2: Once you’re inside the ‘User Data’ folder, locate the folder named ‘WidevineCdm‘ and right-click on it. Click on ‘Delete‘.

Step 3: Next, go to the Recycle Bin of your computer and empty it, to completely erase all traces of the folder from your system.

Step 4: Then, open the ‘Task Manager‘ of your desktop, and right-click on it to ‘Run as Administrator‘.

Step 5: Now, from the list of tasks displayed, end all the ones associated with Chrome. For this, just right-click on each entry you wish to end and click on ‘End Task‘.

Step 6: After this, use Method #1 to update the plugin and restart Chrome.

Step 7: Lastly, restart your computer and open Chrome. You should no longer be experiencing the error.

Solution 5 – Disable all Security Software

With the new updates of Windows 10, a new Security Software has been introduce by Microsoft. It plays the essential role of keeping your device free of any malware, by simply restricting all sorts of installations including the Widevine Content Decryption Module.

Even though the Module is not harmful to your computer, it is kept from downloading due to the safety protocol by Windows. Therefore, what you need to do is disable this safety software via the Windows Defender Security Center. If you use any other anti-virus programs, it is suggested you disable them too- only until after you have installed your Module. Once installed, you can go back and re-enable all security software again.

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Conclusion

By catering to the provided methods, you should be able to resolve the Widevine Content Decryption Module error one way or another. It is a prevalent error that comes with a set of straightforward solutions that can easily be tried at home.