How to Fix the Widevine Content Decryption Module error?

Folks, are you facing the widevine content decryption module update error? If you are reading this article then most likely you are unable to fix the Widevine content decryption module missing error. This is a very common error that appears while playing DRM-protected HTML 5 videos while using Netflix, Amazon prime on Chrome. Don’t worry, Devicetricks have come up with easy solutions to resolve the issue.

What is the Widevine Content Decryption Module?

Technically speaking WidevineCdm is a built-in decryption plug-in in Google Chrome which allows assessing DRM protected HTML5 videos and audios. It is a built-in module and comes with Chrome and can not be installed by the third party. If accidentally, the module gets corrupted or uninstalled one can not stream the videos from popular websites such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

What are the different types of the Widevine Content Description Module?

Widevine by Google, used in Chrome, Firefox, Opera
FairPlay used in Safari in Mac OS
Adobe Primetime CDM
PlayReady used in Microsoft Edge, Internet Explorer 11

When this Widevine Content Decryption Module Update error occur?

Widevine content decryption module missing or not updated issue is a common type of error on Windows. This type of error usually comes while watching Netflix or Amazon prime on Google Chrome. In simple terms popping up of this error means widevineCdm is not updated or is missing from the browser.

You may Like: How to Fix “Netflix keeps freezing on Windows 10”?

Why Widevine Content Decryption Module Update error appears?

Here I have listed some most common reasons behind this error such as:

Disabled this plug-in
The plug-in failed to update itself
Virus or Malware infection
The extension has been crashed

How to Fix Widevine Content Decryption Module Update Error in macOS?

Hold the Option key and click on Go and select Library.

Go to Application Support, select Google, and then Chrome.

After that Delete the WidevineCDM folder and Open Chrome and type chrome://components then hit Enter.
Click on the Check for update button under WidevineCdm.

How to fix the Widevine Content Decryption Module missing issue in Windows?

If for some reason WidevineCdm is missing you can try some of these methods.

Updating the Widevine Content Decryption Module

Note: Before trying out this method ensure that Google chrome should have admin rights

Open Google Chrome and open the chrome://components/ link in the address bar.
In the next step scroll down to the bottom and search for the Widevine Content Decryption Module.
Eventually, check for the updated version by clicking on the “Check for update” button.

After updating, a status will come as “up to date” under the status bar of the above module. Reboot your PC to save the changes and look out for the Wideveine Content Decryption Module missing error.

Check the permission

Open the Run program by pressing Windows+R key altogether and type “%userprofile%/appdata/local/Google/Chrome/User Data“. Hit the Enter button.

Once the user data folder is opened in the window locate for the Widevine Content Decryption Module folder.
Right-click on the folder and select Properties from the drop-down index.

In the WidevineCdm properties window, switch to “security tab” and under “Group or user name” select your user account. Also, under “Permission” for your user account check the full control and hit “OK” and “Apply” button to save the changes.

If the Full control box is unchecked click on the Edit button.

Uncheck the deny box, and checkmark the Full control box.

After saving the changes restart the chrome, go to chrome://components/ and check for an update of the Widevine Content Decryption Module.

Deleting the WidevineCdm folder

First and foremost close Google Chrome.
Navigate to the WidevineCdm folder as you did in the above steps.

Once again select the folder Widevinecdm, press Shift+Del to permanently delete the folder.
Now the Widevinecdm folder is permanently deleted. By using the first method mentioned in the tutorial update the WidevineCdm.

Re-installing Google Chrome

Open the Run Program and type the following “%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\” in the search bar and hit enter to run the program.

$Open the Run Program and type the following "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Google\Chrome\User Data\" in the search bar and hit enter to run the program.$

Once the user data window is open right-click on the “Default” folder and select “Rename” or “Delete” option if your OK to lose all your preferences in Chrome.

Re-name the folder to “default.old” and hit enter.
Now go to Control Panel and click “Uninstall a program” and search “Google Chrome” from the list.

Right-click on Google Chrome and uninstall Chrome and make sure to delete all its data.
Reboot the PC to save the changes and reinstall Chrome.

Check the Antivirus Software

Many a time your antivirus program can cause this error. To encounter this error we advise you to check your antivirus and disable it for some time till the error resolves.

After this try to open Chrome and check if the error resolves or not.
Now open the Control Panel and click on System and Security.

In System and security window click on Windows Defender Firewall.

In the left window pane, select the on and off option.

Turn off the Windows Defender Firewall and restart the PC and try again to open the Google Chrome and see if you are able to fix the error.

If still, you persist to have the same error follow the exact steps to turn on your firewall protection again.

In a Nutshell

Hopefully, the Widevine Content Decryption Module missing or update error has been fixed. Let us know in the comment section which method worked for you? Wanna some more DeviceTricks? Stay tuned to this space to get the latest updates on errors related to Windows, macOS, and Android.

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