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

C. Denninger 5 Reputation points

2026-09-04T08:07:31.17+00:00

Since the July/August 2026 Windows 11 (Dutch) system update Spotlight (in Windows lock-screen) works again.
Note: I did not test the Windows background.

So it wasn't the use of a local account, nor corruption of an account nor several other things and steps in these posts. In short: It wasn't us. It was indeed a bug in Microsoft's programming and they finally fixed it!

Thanks for non-acknowledging this @Microsoft and all the help and suggestions of everyone else here!

Now this bug is finally fixed these feedbacks can be finally closed: https://aka.ms/AA8iflt | https://aka.ms/AAt4ceb | https://aka.ms/AAaslmf | https://aka.ms/AAz1ary | https://aka.ms/AAzt31k | https://aka.ms/AAztamk | https://aka.ms/AAzt31p | https://aka.ms/AAzt31t | https://aka.ms/AAztic7 | https://aka.ms/AAztamr | https://aka.ms/AAzticc
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Barbara Balaban 0 Reputation points

2026-09-08T19:01:20.43+00:00

well all that i did but still not changing images like it was only thing working is lockscreen
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Windows Spotlight

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