windows spotlight

J-P. F 20 Reputation points
2025-11-19T14:33:05.54+00:00

Hi,

Since October 2025 Windows updates, it's no more possible to enable spotlight on lock screen and login screen. This occurs on my 3 PC's. The standard well known tips to repair spotlight are not working anymore.

Thanks if somebody has found a solution.

Kind regards.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Desktop, Start, and personalization | Desktop
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  1. AI answer

    2025-11-19T14:33:32.2533333+00:00

    Windows Spotlight is a feature that can be affected by various updates and settings. If you are experiencing issues with enabling Windows Spotlight on the lock screen and login screen after the October 2025 updates, here are some steps you can consider:

    1. Check Group Policy Settings: If your PCs are part of a domain or managed environment, group policies may restrict the use of Windows Spotlight. Ensure that the Group Policy settings allow for Windows Spotlight.
    2. Use the Settings App: Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and ensure that Windows Spotlight is selected in the "Personalize your lock screen" dropdown.
    3. Registry Edit: Sometimes, registry settings can interfere with Spotlight. You can check the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization and ensure that there are no settings that disable Windows Spotlight.
    4. Reinstall Spotlight: You can try reinstalling the Spotlight feature by running the following command in PowerShell (as an administrator):
      Get-AppxPackage *Microsoft.Windows.Spotlight* | Remove-AppxPackage
      Then, reinstall it using:
      Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.Windows.Spotlight | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$_.InstallLocation\AppXManifest.xml"}
    5. Windows Updates: Ensure that your system is fully updated. Sometimes, subsequent updates can fix issues introduced in earlier ones.

    If these steps do not resolve the issue, it may be beneficial to check forums or Microsoft support for any known issues related to the October 2025 updates specifically affecting Windows Spotlight.

    References:

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  2. Harold Milan 17,595 Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2025-11-19T15:10:11.93+00:00

    Hi There,

    This isn’t an isolated issue other users have reported the same after the October update. This usually fix by installing new windows update. Let me know how it goes, Happy to help!

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  3. J-P. F 20 Reputation points
    2025-11-19T15:20:47.03+00:00

    Still awaiting a new update to solve the issue.

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  4. Tijl S 0 Reputation points
    2025-11-28T18:55:18.54+00:00

    Hello all,

    I managed to fix this by re-registering the CloudExperienceHost package as well (possibly along with the ContentDeliveryManager package):

    # Re-register CloudExperienceHost
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost | ForEach-Object { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register ($_.InstallLocation + "\AppXManifest.xml") }

# Re-register ContentDeliveryManager
Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager | ForEach-Object { Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register ($_.InstallLocation + "\AppXManifest.xml") }

    I am not sure if the latter is needed, but after these steps, files were getting downloaded to the Assets folder and Spotlight started working.

    For completeness: I got triggered by an event in the Application Log of Windows with Source = ESENT, Event ID = 643, Task Category = "Table/Column/Index Definition" and the following message contents:

    DllHost (24952,D,50,0) WebPlatStorage:  Out of date NLS sort version detected on the database 'C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.CloudExperienceHost_cw5n1h2txyewy\AppData\CacheStorage\CacheStorage.edb' for Locale 'en-US', index sort version: (SortId=00000001-57ee-1e5c-00b4-d0000bb1e11e, Version=0006030500060305), current sort version: (SortId=00000001-57ee-1e5c-00b4-d0000bb1e11e, Version=0006050200060502).

    Hope this helps someone.

    Tijl

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  5. J-P. F 20 Reputation points
    2025-11-29T13:52:10.24+00:00

    Hello, thanks for your suggestion.

    This solution was working with the old versions of spotlight, but does not work with the modifications made by Microsoft end of Oktober.

    Best regards.

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