Did you receive this Netflix error on Chrome? You may want to check WidewineCdm. Go with this guide then.
What is it?
Google Chrome automatically updates itself in the background, just like Windows 10. The best thing is, unlike Windows 10, Chrome waits until you restart the browser manually to apply the downloaded updates. While updating the Chrome browser, it also automatically updates relevant components, if the update is available. At the top right, look at More. Click Help About Chrome. See steps for Android or iOS. Here's how you can update Chrome. Updates automatically. Chrome checks for new updates regularly. Chrome Components are the part of the Browser that helps you to update components individually. When you will go to their page, it will show you the separate components that help to run Google Chrome properly. Generally, the components are used when Chrome is unable to load the media or crashes.
Widevine Content Decryption Module (WidewineCdm) is a built-in plug-in in Google Chrome. It means it’s not something installed by a third-party software. When you load up Chrome for the first time, it’s already packed with Chrome.
What is it used for ?
Simply, with WidevineCdm, you can enjoy DRM-protected HTML5 video and audio on Chrome. For example, only with it enabled, can you watch Netflix’s videos on Chrome. If it’s imssing or not updated with your Chrome, then you may receive the error we showed you at the very beginning.
As the error message told you, you go to chrome://components/ and try to update WidewineCdm, then you find it shows not updated. Let’s fix it together.
How to fix WidevineCdm missing issue?
If you cann’t find WidevineCdm in chrome://components/, please make sure check to make sure you are using Chrome from Google.
If you do, then try this:
1) Uninstall Google Chrome you have.
2) Restart your computer.
3) Install Google Chrome directly from Google Chrome website.
4) Head to chrome://components/ in the newly installed Chrome and check the update for WidewineCdm.
How to fix WidevineCdm not updated issue?
Method 1. Disable your security software
The security software on your computer like anti-virus or firewall software can prevent WidevineCdm from updating successfully. So we advised you disable your security first, and try to update WidevineCdm in chrome://components/.
Note: You can re-enable your security software after the update is completed successfully.
Method 2. Check if your login user has full control to edit WidevineCdm folder
1) On your computer, press Windows key + R key together to open a Run box. Then type %userprofile%/appdata/local in the box and press Enter.
2) On the pop-up window, double-click Google > Chrome > User Data after each.
3) In User Data folder, find and right-click on WidevineCdm to choose Properties.
4) On the open window, tap on Security pane. Then check if your login user is allowed with Full control.
If it’s not, click Edit… to change the setting. Uncheck the box of Deny catalog, then click Apply > OK to save your setting.
Then go back chrome://components/ to check for update again.
Method 3. Delete Widewine folder
1) Close Chrome browser.
2) Follow step 1)-3) in Method 2 to locate WidewineCdm foler in your computer.
3) Drad the folder to Recycle Bin.And then right-click on the black area in Recyle Bin to choose Empty Recycle Bin.
Then go back chrome://components/ to check for update again.
Overview
The Component Updater is a piece of Chrome responsible for updating other pieces of Chrome. It runs in the browser process and communicates with a set of servers using the Omaha protocol to find the latest versions of components, download them, and register them with the rest of Chrome.
The primary benefit of components is that they can be updated without an update to Chrome itself, which allows them to have faster (or desynchronized) release cadences, lower bandwidth consumption, and avoids bloat in the (already sizable) Chrome installer. The primary drawback is that they require Chrome to tolerate their absence in a sane way.
In the normal configuration, the component updater registers all components during (or close to) browser start-up, and then begins checking for updates six minutes later, with substantial pauses between successive update application.
Terminology
For the purposes of this document:
- A
componentis any element of Chrome's core functionality that is sometimes delivered by the component updater separately from the browser itself, usually as a dynamically-linked library or data file. - A
crx fileis any file in the CRX package format.
Adding New Components
This document covers the work that must be done on the client side. Additional work is necessary to integrate with the Omaha servers, and is covered in Google-internal documentation.
This assumes you've already done the hard work of splitting your functionality out into a dynamically-linked library or data file.
Create a CRX Package Signing Key & Manifest (Non-Google)
All components are delivered as CRX files (signed ZIP archives). You need to create a signing key. If you are a Googler, follow the instructions at http://go/newchromecomponent for maximum key security. Otherwise, you can create an RSA key pair using openssl or a similar tool.
You will additionally need to create a manifest.json file. If nothing else, the manifest file must specify the component's version and name. If you plan to release the component using Google infrastructure, this file can be generated for you automatically.
Writing an Installer
The “installer” is a piece of Chrome code that the component updater will run to install or update the component. Installers live at src/chrome/browser/component_updater.
You will need the SHA256 hash of the public key generated in the previous step, as well as the CRX ID, which consists of the first half (128 bits) of that hash, rendered as hexadecimal using the characters a-p (rather than 0-9a-f).
New components should use component_installer if possible, as this provides you with transparent differential updates, version management, and more. You must provide a ComponentInstallerPolicy object to a new ComponentInstaller. file_type_policies_component_installer.cc is a good example to work from.
Components need to be registered with the component updater. This is done in RegisterComponentsForUpdate.
Bundle with the Chrome Installer (Optional)
If you need the guarantee that some implementation of your component is always available, you must bundle a component implementation with the browser itself. If you are using ComponentInstaller, you simply need to make sure that your component implementation (and a corresponding manifest.json file) are written to DIR_COMPONENTS as part of the build. The manifest.json file must state the version of this component implementation, and the files must be bitwise identical to the contents of any update CRX with that version for that platform, as the system will attempt to apply differential updates over these files.
Chrome Components Adobe Flash Player
Implement On-Demand or Just-In-Time Updates (Optional)
Google Chrome Components
Contact the component_updater OWNERS.