Windows Spotlight

Quốc Việt Nguyễn 55

Hi, I have a PC that runs Windows 11 25H2. When I was in Windows 11 24H2, my windows spotlight in lock screen worked normally and didn't have any issues. But when I upgraded to 25H2 version, it stopped working. Firstly, it showed me a picture but then it just show the default windows 11 lock screen wallpaper. Helpp

Aleksei Smirnov 10 Reputation points

2025-11-07T16:01:45.6+00:00

Have same problem with lockscreen and wallpaper -both. Lockscreen is always dead and the wallpaper when I choose Spotlight - it switches back to Wallpaper. Started after update to 25H2
Matt 25 Reputation points

2025-11-08T03:58:15.48+00:00

Yes! Tried everything and I still see that ugly blue screen. I don't know what happened in Microsoft but since releasing Windows 11 it's been going downhill. Nothing works the way we're used to. Nothing can be fixed. You have to find workarounds for basic stuff. Madness.
carlo ballauri 40 Reputation points

2025-11-13T16:23:23.6166667+00:00

Have you found a solution? Is this a server issue? I've really tried everything proposed here and on the internet. NOTHING WORKS.
Don West 0 Reputation points

2026-07-08T12:43:00.3566667+00:00

Been having issues on a laptop. Been through so many convoluted “fixes” as to nearly brick my system. At one point after enabling BITS, the assets folder populated and the Spotlight feature began working. Within 2 days all the files in the folder deleted and it stopped working again. BITS was not the final answer. Many command line instructions only made it worse. These were AI generated responses to questions. I am increasingly wary of these worthless ideas.

at one point after a UIP of the OS it booted to a blue screen failure. That seemed linked to Secure Boot. With it off, it booted, but on and it crashed. More AI commands, while functional and understandable, did not resolve that issue. I ran across a genuine comment bog a KB patch that may have failed. After getting an .msi of it from Update Catalog, it successfully installed and cleared the issue. Device is booting fine with Secure boot on again, but Spotlight remains broken. Certainly I have tired of these tedious, and often dangerous, command line instructions only, let alone the “tips” to alter the registry. I chatted with a MS rep online who claimed no issues with Spotlight. I question that. The feature has been working well on a desktop, and had worked on laptop, but now will not stay working. MS claimed there should be no difference between the platforms. AI recommendations only lead down rabbit holes to make more critical setting changes.

I am increasingly wary of opinion that the feature is indeed broken in this OS build. It will be welcomed if MS would admit and rectify the problem. Yes, it is a kind of bling feature, but nice when it works. I will just add that those recommending Dynamic Theme as an alternative, it does not work with Norton installed.

love to hear from any savvy users that have credible insight.
Don West 0 Reputation points

2026-07-09T01:54:14.5666667+00:00

PS. I tried turning off VPN, and a few minutes later, assets folder populated and Spotlight began working. Was that it? Not a real clue. Jury is still out.
Don West 0 Reputation points

2026-07-11T01:57:47.7+00:00

It had been 3 days without an image update on laptop. I again turn off VPN temporarily, and a few minutes later it updated. I then tried an online chat with Norton to see if it is a known issue. Chat with live person kept failing, and I bailed on that. But interesting to see these results.
Don West 0 Reputation points

2026-07-13T14:32:24.33+00:00

Yesterday the laptop downloaded new Spotlight images. VPN was on at the time. That does not seem to be the determining factor.
Anonimous 30 Reputation points

2026-07-15T08:00:20.98+00:00

I personally encountered a bug in the Windows Spotlight Lock Screen feature when using a local account in Windows and OneDrive from around September 2025 to around April 2026. Microsoft appears to have fixed the bug in that scenario. For the past couple of months, Spotlight has been working as it should on all my devices. A good command to reset Spotlight is Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager* | Reset-AppxPackage This command rebuilds all Spotlight files and folders and is otherwise harmless.
Barbara Balaban 0 Reputation points

2026-09-08T18:59:08.7366667+00:00

i have been rolling back but spotlight background is not working like it should

12 answers

Danilo Bonamoneta 55 Reputation points

2025-11-19T15:05:55.25+00:00

I discovered that the problem is related to logging into OneDrive. If you delete your Microsoft account credentials from the Credential Manager, and also delete all the cache files in this path "%localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache", Spotlight starts working again, but OneDrive, if it is still connected, will work for a few hours after which it will ask you to re-enter your credentials, creating the block again. The alternative is to enter the credentials into the Windows account, since the problem only occurs if the Windows user is a local account. Has Microsoft decided to block the functionality for those who do not use a Microsoft account in Windows? They have been pushing for a long time to prevent the use of local accounts.
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Quốc Việt Nguyễn 55 Reputation points

2025-12-20T12:44:34.9266667+00:00

but is it safe to delete my Microsoft account credentials from the Credential Manager?

Anonimous 30 Reputation points

2026-01-17T19:03:24.12+00:00

Dear Danilo Bonamoneta,

What you write there is very interesting. I think you're right.

Personally, I am in the same situation: Windows local account, OneDrive, and Windows Spotlight Lock Screen suddenly stopped working in the fall of 2025 and only displayed a blue default image.

I tried to bring this to attention myself (https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/5661008/windows-spotlight-lock-screen), but the answers I received were not at all to the point. I also raised the issue in the feedback hub, but without much success.

Do you have any information about this? My only hope is that Microsoft will pick up on it and resolve it in one of the next Windows Updates.
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Nightmare 0 Reputation points

2025-11-19T14:03:19.2133333+00:00
This is very Microsoft one of the Win10/11 issues. I've tried a lot of steps and instructions. The only way finally worked for me was to re-register Content Delivery Manager.
Run in the PowerShell as admin:
```
Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
```
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Alex Went 40 Reputation points

2025-11-13T16:31:06.86+00:00

It seems that 25H2 has silently removed the Spotlight feature.

My advice is NOT to try to mess around with the registry or go through longwinded processes or resets.

MS should really come clean on this and categorically state that the feature has been removed in the latest build, before clients do irreparable damage to their systems.
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CrazyKats 19,245 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-13T16:37:26.47+00:00

I have Spotlight on my 25H2 PC.

It has not been removed.

carlo ballauri 40 Reputation points

2025-11-13T16:40:25.0433333+00:00

So if it's not been removed why is not working for a lot of people? Is it based on location? It has been days that is behaving this way, it would be fantastic to have an explanation

Alex Went 40 Reputation points

2025-11-13T16:43:00.6733333+00:00

CrazyKats, please confirm if you have Spotlight set for your Lockscreen or only for your Background wallpaper.

CrazyKats 19,245 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-13T16:43:12.5333333+00:00

Please file the issue in the Feedback Hub,

so Microsoft gets the proper information.

CrazyKats 19,245 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-13T16:46:22.3033333+00:00

Alex, please file the issue in the Feedback Hub

and share the link here and I will Upvote.

Spotlight does not work on the Lock Screen,

but does on Background.

Alex Went 40 Reputation points

2025-11-13T16:59:32.79+00:00

Here's the link > https://aka.ms/AAymx4z

Aleksei Smirnov 10 Reputation points

2025-11-13T18:21:55.81+00:00

I've found several feedback, so I supported one of them with mine: https://aka.ms/AA1hl4j

Don West 0 Reputation points

2026-07-10T02:11:02.7166667+00:00

Spotlight, when it works, does so on 25H2. What is broken? How to truly fix it? I think we will fully solve the intimate details of the JFK assassination first.
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Alex Went 40 Reputation points

2025-11-05T12:58:59.67+00:00

It looks like a Microsoft server-side issue.

Try for example https://assets.msn.com/service/Windows/Spotlight/
or, for the lockscreen, https://arc.msn.com/v3/Delivery/Placement?pid=LockScreen

Both are throwing errors.
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Kapil Arya 38,446 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator

2025-11-01T09:41:14.9066667+00:00
Hello,

Try to re-register Spotlight feature with this command in PowerShell:
```
Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
```
If issue still persists, refer other suggestions in this fix:

https://www.kapilarya.com/fix-windows-spotlight-not-working-in-windows-11

Let us know if this helps!

Note: Included link in this reply refers to blog post by a trusted Microsoft MVP.
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David Gudewicz 25 Reputation points

2025-11-01T15:57:35.8266667+00:00

Noticed the link above takes one to an article dated 2023, so that means to me that Spotlight has been a "problem" for some for several YEARS with our friends at Microsoft not fixing it yet! No offense to folks providing the "try this and that" but with hopes that MSFT fixes this once and for all.

Alex Went 40 Reputation points

2025-11-13T16:32:46.1733333+00:00

These methods do not work with the current issue.
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Windows Spotlight

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