Security component upgrade button greyed out

I have an MCE desktop with all windows updates. Sometime between mid
February and late March I noticed that I could not open my movielink manager
from the desktop although downloaded movies would still play via the MCE
movielink link. Later trying to download a movie from another website I was
prompted to upgrade my windows security component for Windows Media Player 11
but the button was greyed out so I could not upgrade it nor view the movie.
I have tried the following:

renamed the DRM folder to drmbackup and created a new DRM folder, still same
issue, did the same as above and created no DRM folder, but same issue.
I tried disabling all third parties, antivirus, add blocking pop up blockers
etc, no good.
I dropped security on IE 7 to minimal, allowing all scripts and active x
items to run enabled, no good.

I tried adding the site to as a trusted site, no good.
I tried system restore to early Feb, no good.
I don't want to re-install as I've got over 100 cd's and movies burned on
this box and it would take weeks to reload everything fresh not to mention
application install hassles that come with reinstalling.
I tried rolling back and then upgrading media player back to version 10 then
back to version 11, no good.

I've read on the net that others are having the same issue and i came across
an article that someone developed a utility to wipe out DRM protection and in
response Microsoft provided a security update to counter. As a result that
free utilitiy that was developed does not work with the updated versoin of
WMP 11. I suspect that that security update by microsoft specific to DRM is
what caused this problem, but rolling back WMP and rolling back security
updates via system restore doesn't seem to fix the issue, probably cause it
hosed something on disk, dll or something not sure..just a guess.

Although I find reports of this by many on the net, i have not found a
viable solution.

Anyone run into this and found a fix?

Ok I finally figured this one out. Don't ask my why this works. I located
the DRM folder and renamed as several folks have recommended on the net and
as many folks have found, it doesn't make a difference. I even did a search
for DRM and renamed every folder found, no difference. I even ran a tool
from movie link and other websited that is suppose to rename the folder for
you, but still it did not solve this problem.

Then I accessed the DRM folder by entering the specific path as listed in
the knowledge base and which i've posted below (using the %'s in the path).
I did this by entering the path under start /run. Even though it brings me
to the exact same folder that I've been renaming, accessing it via this
specific path and renaming in this way worked!!!! I don't really understand
why, unless this method allowed me to access it some how differently (maybe
without some cached lock or something?) Anyway it worked, yeeeehaaa. Also
since the path brings you directly into the folder, I ended up actually
entering the pathing one level back, so I could see the folder and not be in
it. Anyway here's the info from the Knowledge base:

RESOLUTION
To resolve this problem, reset the DRM store on the computer. To do this,
follow these steps:1. If Windows Media Player 11 is running, exit Windows
Media Player 11.
2. Locate the DRM folder on the hard disk, and then rename the DRM folder to
DRMbackup.

Note By default, this folder is %SystemDrive%\Documents and Settings\All
Users\DRM in Microsoft Windows XP.
3. Visit the following Microsoft Web site:
http://drmlicense.one.microsoft.com/...en/indivit.asp
(http://drmlicense.one.microsoft.com/...en/indivit.asp)
4. Follow the instructions on the Web site in order to update the security
component of Windows Media Player 11. This procedure enables you to obtain
new licenses for media content. You can also reset licenses for purchased
content so that you can play that content on a computer.
Note You must contact any third-party stores from which you purchased music
to reset the licenses for that music. If you have copied CDs to protected
Windows Media Audio files, those CDs must be copied again.

[pmh0183]

I spent ages working on this problem with no joy. However I hit the magic button when I followed the steps below:

1. Click Start and then run. type in regedit and press enter.
2. Scroll down the list of registry files and open the microsoft folder.
3. Look for the file named DRM, then delete the entire file. Exit the regesit screen.
4. Refresh the security component screen and you should have it back to black and ready to upgrade.

I only had the problem while I was using Mozilla Firefox. When I switched to Internet Explorer, a pop-up prompted me to download something (active X control maybe?). After that, the button worked.

For Windows 7, I tried all of the above to no avail. Once I right-clicked windows media player and chosse "run as administrator" my digital copy downloaded.

[apilarow]

I too spent hours on this with no real help from Bigpond Customer Service or Support so I thought I would expand on the posts above to assist others who have had similar issues with the greyed out WM security update

Issue: Unable to Install Bigpond Media Manager to watch Movies, as it fails to install with windows media player.

Bigpond failed installation suggests closing explorer and then going to add remove programs and then uninstalling bigpond movies. THIS DOES NOT WORK as it doesn't come up!

The issue seems to be with the DRM file that Windows Media Player needs and this affects the upgrade button on the Security Component Page when you go to fix it.

DRM file located usually in C:\documents and Settings\All Users\DRM as per Security component upgrade button greyed out.

However I tried all this to no avail. Then by chance when I was in the regedit program looking at the DRM data path file information, (ie opening the file to view it) I noticed that it pointed to C:\Program Data\Microsoft\Windows\DRM.
File structure will be to the right of all the HEX looking data.

Solution: Rename the file above by accessing it through the My Computer application and rename the file DRM to BackUPDRM.

Then go to http://drmlicense.one.microsoft.com/...en/indivit.asp to Upgrade the Microsft Windows Media Player Security, which was previously impossible due to the DRM folder Issue as it always stayed greyed out.

Only after doing all this could I now install Bigpond Media Player and then download and Watch a movie trailer to test that Bigpond Movies NOW WORKS.......

Hope this helps someone......I spent hours on this and rebuilt my laptop as I thought that was the issue.

Given mine was a Bigpond Movies issue the root cause was with windows Media Player and the Security Component Upgrade button......

That is a bad link!

Maybe this is the correct link:
http://drmlicense.one.microsoft.com/...en/indivit.asp

You will have to run the activeX control if asked in the IE popup blocker.

[Volver78]

For me MelodyCan is the best software for different players. It can remove drm and convert files to different formats. You can try it_))

[GeekSalute]

In Windows 7 all you have to do is open Windows Media Player as administrator, then open Internet Explorer (i'm using IE9) as administrator and go to the upgrade page in the IE window that you're running as administrator and it won't be greyed out. Worked for me.