Widevine Content Decryption Module is one of the built-in plug-ins of Google Chrome that helps you to enjoy the DRM-protected Videos, audios, etc. Moreover, you can run the HTML5 supported videos, songs, etc without installing the third-party software. Though you can avail of this plugin with the Chrome package, but you can watch it only when it is enabled. By activating this service, you can watch Netflix’s videos without any technical problems. Besides its incredible features and functionalities, you can get stuck with the unexpected error message, “Missing Component”. Even, the error appears in various ways with different error codes and sometimes it shows “Widevine Content Decryption Module Error”.However, we are going to discuss the crucial steps of “how to update Widevine content decryption module?” here.
“Widevine Content Decryption Module Error” – What are the Significant Causes behind It?
There are certain technical glitches make this error this prevalent. Moreover, the performance of the plugin gets reduced gradually due to the following issues. So, know the reasons that are responsible for this annoying issue before resolving it:
- An older version of the Widevine plugin or the outdated plugin creates a problem that corrupts the Widevine installation file error.
- Sometimes, the antivirus software problem or the strong Firewall protection that comes along with it, causes the Widevine Content Decryption Module issue effectively.
- If you don’t have sufficient privileges, then Windows UAC doesn’t get any permission to update the plugin.
- Many times, the plugin folder error or missing the installation file of the Widevine is another reason responsible for this annoying issue.
Resolve the Widevine Content Decryption Module Issue with a Few Effective Steps
There are some prominent ways that can help you to overcome the Widevine Content Decryption Module error effectively. Here, we are going to discuss the efficient methods to avoid this critical problem easily. You might try out the steps below and fix this annoying issue without any technical hassle:
Method 1: Upgrade the Widevine Content Decryption Module
You can fix the Widevine content module issue by updating the Widevine components one by one with the latest version. Make sure that the updated version of those components is compatible with the Windows OS version.
- Right-click on the Chrome browser icon and choose Run as Administrator from that pop-up menu to launch the browser in Administrator Mode.
- After opening the Chrome browser window in Admin Mode, type the URL “chrome://components/” in the address bar and click on the Search button to open the Google Settings page. Here, you will get a list of components with their versions and status.
- Next, navigate to the bottom of the page until you find “Widevine Content Decryption Module” section on the page.
- Click on the Check for Update button underneath that section and wait until the update program is done.
- Then, refresh that Components page or type “chrome://components/” again in the address bar. Now, check whether the status “Up-to-date” underneath the plugin and the plugin is updated successfully,
- When done, reboot the device and verify whether the Widevine Content Decryption Module error got resolved or not.
Method 2: Uninstall Antivirus Software
By removing the outdated system security software, you can resolve the Widevine issue quickly. Sometimes, the obsolete antivirus corrupts the executable file of the Wide one components. So, you need to remove the antivirus temporarily and launch the Widevine to check if the problem still occurs or not:
- First, press the Windows key from the keyboard and type “appwiz.cpl” in the Cortana search box.
- After launching the window, locate the antivirus software and its associated files from this section. Now, right-click on them and choose the Uninstall button from the pop-up menu.
- Then, confirm the virus removal process by selecting the YES button on the upcoming dialog box.
- The uninstallation process will take a few seconds to complete and when done, restart the Windows PC in Normal Mode.
- Finally, run the Widevine content decryption module and check whether it is working properly or not.
Method 3: Disable Firewall Temporarily
Sometimes, you can resolve the Widevine Module error by turning off the Firewall feature temporarily. Thus, the system can allow you to use the Widevine Content module without any technical flaws:
- Click on the Start menu and choose Settings from the Start menu that appears on the screen.
- Now, tap on the System and Security icon from the Settings window.
- Next, click on the Windows Firewall and go to the left side of the Firewall Settings window.
- Click on the option that says, “Turn Windows Firewall on or off” and move the slider to the Off position to disable it.
- Finally, try to launch the Chrome browser and verify whether the Widevine Content Decryption Module Missing Error still persists or not.
Method 4: Reinstall Chrome
To uninstall the Chrome browser and reinstall it with the latest version is one of the best approaches to fix the Widevine content module error effectively. So, you need to reinstall the Chrome browser with the latest version that should be familiar with the device OS as well as compatible with the Widevine:
- First, type “control” in the Cortana search box and hit the Enter key from the keyboard to launch the Control Panel window.
- After that, click on the Programs and Features from the list of programs that appeared in the resultant window.
- Now, open the installed programs in the Programs and Features window and right-click on them one by one.
- Choose Uninstall from the pop-up menu and confirm this browser removal step by hitting the YES button from the confirmation dialog box.
- After getting a confirmation, the uninstallation program will start automatically and it will take a few minutes to complete.
- Reboot the device in Normal mode when the entire process is done.
- Next, connect the system to the internet and try to launch another browser and go to the Google Official website.
- Then, click on the Download and Install button and start to install the Chrome browser with the latest version. Wait until the installation program is finished.
- Finally, tap on that Chrome icon and start to browse after launching the browser window. Now, verify whether the Widevine content decryption module issue got fixed or not.
Method 5: Remove Plugin Folder and Upgrade
The Widevine error can be resolved by deleting the Plugin folder and reinstalling it through the Chrome browser. Moreover, this method requires administrative privileges to run the process in the Administrator mode:
- First, press the Windows key and type “%userprofile%/app data/local” in the search box.
- After opening the required folder, go to Google from the list of the programs. And choose Chrome under this section. Finally, click on the User Data from the Chrome section.
- Now, locate the WideVinecdm folder from the list of several folders and right-click on it.
- Choose Delete from the pop-up menu and confirm it by pressing the YES button from the resultant dialog box.
- Next, open the Task Manager window and right-click on the WideVine app. Now, run it in administrator mode by choosing the Run as Administrator option from the pop-up menu.
- Then, right-click on the Chrome Entries and end all active Chrome tasks by choosing the End Task option.
- Next, update the plugin with the Windows OS-compatible version and it must be up-to-date.
- Finally, restart the Chrome browser and try to play YouTube or other videos to verify whether the problem got fixed or not.
Method 6: Changing WidevineCDM Permission
Modifying the access permission of the Widevine app helps you to overcome all the conflicts with it. You need to customize the Widevine settings such that your Google account gets full access permission to handle it without avoiding any problem.
- Press the Window key from the keyboard and type “%userprofile%/appdata/local” to launch the Local Data window.
- After that, go to the User Data under the Chrome folder of the Google package. Then, right-click on the WidevineCDM from the list and choose Properties by right-clicking on it.
- Click on the Security tab from the Properties window and tap on the Full Control check box to grant the folder access permission. Sometimes, the Full Control option you won’t see in that window and then choose the profile first.
- Then, tap on Edit and remove the tick from the Deny option and make sure that your Google account has full access.
- Finally, hit the Enter key or click on the Apply button to save and exit from the window.
The Bottom Line
In this article, we have discussed the effective steps to overcome the Widevine content decryption module error quickly. Moreover, it helps to keep the browser up-to-date and protects you from all possible issues of your software. Furthermore, we have defined the significant issues that bring up this annoying problem that help you to identify the exact problem within a short period of time. As a result, you can resolve the core problems at the initial stage of the problem. Even, you can clear your doubts on “how to update the Widevine content decryption module without any technical problems?” So, we hope this content will be useful to resolve the Widevine update issue effectively.
