Windows Spotlight STILL won't work

Question

Windows Spotlight STILL won't work

Erin C 20

I have tried every suggested option to get Windows Spotlight (with the info icon) back on my computer - which is mostly telling me to take it off of Spotlight and select either Picture or Slideshow, then log off or restart. Go back to settings and set it back to spotlight and log off or restart and it should work. This never works. Someone suggested to toggle the "fun facts" option while on Picture of Slideshow or toggle the "lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen". This still does not work. I don't want Bing, I want Spotlight back. Does anyone have any other methods that have worked for them. I am not super savvy with computers but I feel like this is a very simple fix that isn't working. I really miss finding out about each daily picture just by hoovering over the icon, or, if I want more details, I can click on the icon (I think it said "learn about this picture".

I don't know which Parent, Child or Child Item to select to get this answered by the correct people. None of the options seem fitting to me so I ended up choosing Microsoft 365 Insider and then Other.

Felix T 0 Reputation points

2026-03-09T22:00:29.5366667+00:00

I was having trouble with this, and after downloading Dynamic Theme as Marcelo suggested, the program notified me that I was on a "limited connection." Sure enough when I switched off my wifi to my hotspot, spotlight started working. In my case I am using my university's wifi which migh be the issue, though I'm not sure. Maybe someone knows how to permamnently get around this.
Zanot Alberto 20 Reputation points

2026-03-17T16:57:40.6166667+00:00

No one knows why Spotlight breaks. Not even @ Microsoft.

None, i repeat NONE, of the suggestions around the web work.

I tried every single of them.
Hwoarang45 0 Reputation points

2026-06-11T02:56:30.9566667+00:00

Yup tried everything non works , even Microsoft doesnt know whats going on, clueless deer, upgraded 2 pc one working fine , another suddenly spotlight dies. Both on same updates. Its a mystery how ms stuff works or not works. And they expect everyone to move on to win11???
Alberto Zanot 0 Reputation points

2026-06-11T07:49:39.91+00:00

After months of trial and error i can firmly say that you cannot do nothing about it. It is just microsoft side, some days it works, some other don't. Simple as that.
Hwoarang45 0 Reputation points

2026-09-10T04:16:04.7166667+00:00
MS is useless, they dont care, zero support , i finally solve my issues by using this method, but it need admin right even u are admin user, u need to add current log in admin to the folder to delete those files.

Reset Lock Screen Background Image Settings

Corrupted background image files might prevent the lock screen from showing correctly.

Open File Explorer: Press Windows + E.

Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData.

Inside the folder, there should be several subfolders. These contain cached lock screen images.

Delete or move the SystemData folder and restart your PC. This should reset your lock screen background to the default settings.

Note: You may need administrator rights to access and modify this folder.

9 answers

Your answer

Felix T 0 Reputation points

2026-03-09T22:00:29.5366667+00:00

I was having trouble with this, and after downloading Dynamic Theme as Marcelo suggested, the program notified me that I was on a "limited connection." Sure enough when I switched off my wifi to my hotspot, spotlight started working. In my case I am using my university's wifi which migh be the issue, though I'm not sure. Maybe someone knows how to permamnently get around this.
Zanot Alberto 20 Reputation points

2026-03-17T16:57:40.6166667+00:00

No one knows why Spotlight breaks. Not even @ Microsoft.

None, i repeat NONE, of the suggestions around the web work.

I tried every single of them.
Hwoarang45 0 Reputation points

2026-06-11T02:56:30.9566667+00:00

Yup tried everything non works , even Microsoft doesnt know whats going on, clueless deer, upgraded 2 pc one working fine , another suddenly spotlight dies. Both on same updates. Its a mystery how ms stuff works or not works. And they expect everyone to move on to win11???
Alberto Zanot 0 Reputation points

2026-06-11T07:49:39.91+00:00

After months of trial and error i can firmly say that you cannot do nothing about it. It is just microsoft side, some days it works, some other don't. Simple as that.
Hwoarang45 0 Reputation points

2026-09-10T04:16:04.7166667+00:00

MS is useless, they dont care, zero support , i finally solve my issues by using this method, but it need admin right even u are admin user, u need to add current log in admin to the folder to delete those files.

Reset Lock Screen Background Image Settings

Corrupted background image files might prevent the lock screen from showing correctly.

Open File Explorer: Press Windows + E.

Navigate to C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\SystemData.

Inside the folder, there should be several subfolders. These contain cached lock screen images.

Delete or move the SystemData folder and restart your PC. This should reset your lock screen background to the default settings.

Note: You may need administrator rights to access and modify this folder.

Answer 1

It sounds like you're experiencing persistent issues with Windows Spotlight not functioning as expected. Here are some additional troubleshooting steps that may help you restore Windows Spotlight:

Check for Windows Updates: Ensure that your system is fully updated. Sometimes, updates can resolve underlying issues.
- Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update and check for updates.
Reset Windows Spotlight: You can reset the Windows Spotlight feature by deleting its cache. Here’s how:
- Press Win + R to open the Run dialog.
- Type shell:appdata and press Enter.
- Navigate to the Microsoft folder, then to Windows > Themes > CachedFiles.
- Delete all files in this folder.
- Restart your computer and try enabling Windows Spotlight again.
Group Policy Settings: If you are using Windows 10 or 11 Pro, check the Group Policy settings:
- Press Win + R, type gpedit.msc, and press Enter.
- Navigate to User Configuration > Administrative Templates > Control Panel > Personalization.
- Ensure that the setting for Prevent changing desktop background is set to Not Configured or Disabled.
Registry Edit: If you're comfortable with editing the registry, you can try this:
- Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
- Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Personalization\Desktop.
- Look for a value named NoLockScreen and set it to 0 if it exists.
Check Privacy Settings: Ensure that your privacy settings allow Windows to show personalized content:
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Activity history and make sure that options are enabled for your account.

After trying these steps, restart your computer and check if Windows Spotlight is working again. If the issue persists, consider reaching out to Microsoft Support for further assistance.

References:

Answer 2

nobuko c 125.1K Independent Advisor

Hello,

Please try the following steps:

Run Windows Update and make sure your PC is fully up to date.
Delete the Windows Spotlight cache (temporary files). Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, and change the background from “Windows Spotlight” to “Picture” (or “Slideshow”), then close the Settings window. Press Windows + E to open File Explorer. At the top of File Explorer, select the “View” tab and enable “Hidden files” to show hidden items. Then open the following folders in order: Windows (C:) > Users > your user folder > AppData > Local > Packages > Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy > Settings In the “Settings” folder, right‑click and delete the files inside (there may be only one file). After that, return to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and set the background back to “Windows Spotlight”. Restart your PC from the Start menu’s power icon and check whether the issue has improved.

Please note that it may take several days for these steps to take full effect on Windows Spotlight.

If the same situation continues after restarting, please monitor it for up to about one week.

Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T17:08:17.5333333+00:00

Thank you. I followed the steps up until my user folder. After that, there is no AppData within my user folder.
Felix T 0 Reputation points

2026-03-09T22:06:57.8733333+00:00

If you don't see AppData you might not have enabled hidden files. In File Explorer you need to go to the View dropdown, then Show and check Hidden Items. Anyway, the issue for me turned out to be a limited wifi connection.
AlexandarVasilev-0873 0 Reputation points

2026-05-24T09:48:24.0333333+00:00

Didn't work

Answer 3

Marcelo Tadeu 20

Hi, I'd like to help. Use this free app found in the Microsoft Store; it's exactly the same as Windows Spotlight, just configure it for Spotlight. This is a real solution. Spotlight on Windows 11 is being broken by updates; install this and the problem is solved. Link below.

https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9nblggh1zbkw?hl=en-US&gl=US

It's free.

Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-02-27T23:04:14.6733333+00:00

Thank you, Marcelo. I will definitely try this. What do you mean by "configure it for Spotlight"? I downloaded the app but will wait to hear back on this question.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-02-28T14:25:35.02+00:00

Hi, in the dynamic theme under "customize your background" you can choose images from Bing, Spotlight, and more, and the same applies to the lock screen.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T17:07:24.7433333+00:00

I downloaded the app but it keeps removing this option from the drop down so I can't actually utilize it.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T17:43:02.49+00:00
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T17:45:20.6966667+00:00

This program is very good, it has no errors. See if the image helps.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T18:19:52.29+00:00

Thank you, Marcello. It did work and I was able to select One Windows Spotlight picture right after I downloaded the app but the next day, One Windows Spotlight picture was no longer an option in the drop down. I downloaded the app again but the next day it was gone again. Not sure why it does this.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T18:40:07.6833333+00:00

I understand. I installed this app on many computers and they all worked perfectly. 23H2, 24H2, and 25H2 are the best options to replace the original until Microsoft fixes it someday. The graphical interface is the same as the original Windows 11.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-09T18:43:26.9666667+00:00

Perhaps you should try using sfc /scannow to check for Windows errors.
Romana 0 Reputation points

2026-05-22T10:22:37.7266667+00:00

Thank you, I tried many things to fix windows spotlight and It didnt work. But app you suggested replaced it perfectly.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-05-22T11:58:22.31+00:00

You're welcome.
Kavindra Nethsingha 5 Reputation points

2026-07-22T01:50:34.3966667+00:00

Has Microsoft given up on Spotlight that we have to resort to 3rd party apps? Seriously, we should consider Linux.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-07-23T13:51:17.7333333+00:00

It's not a third-party app, it's in the Microsoft Store and Linux is crap.

Answer 4

Anh N 0

Doing this worked for me, except I just restored the deleted files after step 3 and skipped step 4

Steps to Fix Windows Spotlight

Toggle Spotlight Settings:
- Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
- Change "Personalize your lock screen" from Windows Spotlight to Picture or Slideshow.
Clear Spotlight Cache Files:
- Press Windows key + R to open Run, paste the following, and click OK: %USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets.
- Delete all files in that folder.
Re-enable Spotlight:
- Go back to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and set it back to Windows Spotlight.
- Restart your computer.
Re-register Spotlight using PowerShell (If needed):
- Right-click Start, select Terminal (Admin) or PowerShell (Admin).
- Paste this command and press Enter: Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers *ContentDeliveryManager* | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}.
- Restart your PC

Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-18T09:15:42.4533333+00:00

Thank you, but everyone here has already followed these steps many, many times and it didn't solve the problem.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-03-18T14:59:36.1133333+00:00

I tried this but now I have no images on my lock screen whereas I used to have images that didn't change or provide a "like what you see" or other icon to show information. I believe that Marcelo's suggestion above for the Dynamic Theme has worked for my background but not the lock screen. I have background photos that change each day and at the bottom of the screen it shows the name of the photographer and few word description of the photo. I guess I now need to keep trying to fix the lock screen so that it changes images daily and provides an icon to view details of the photo - not a Bing download.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-03-18T19:01:10.5566667+00:00

Anh, How did you restore the deleted files in step 3?
Sathyme 25 Reputation points

2026-03-18T19:40:37.2833333+00:00

Ummm - Not sure what you mean - But NO as I wrote SOMEWHERE on this thread - Windows seems to do this every year around this time - and I knew it would come back (My tweets also hopefully kept it present in their "hearts!" :-) - So As I check EVERYDAY - and I use the pix for my Newsletter on LinkedIn - I just waited and a few days ago - one appeared - BUT it wasn't able to load itself into the Windows section of the code where it uploads automatically to your Screen so to speak - so I waited and today I checked and there were 6 of them like usual (2 are duplicates from Last Oct. - but that's common - sometimes they are ALL duplicates on any given day!) Then I checked to see in the Settings - as that's where you know if they are working as well - as it will no longer be a Blue Screen but an image in the Spotlight section - and it was there. Then I closed my laptop and reopened and VOILA! It was there, same as what you see in the screenshot. Windows finally fixed it on their "backend".
Anh N 0 Reputation points

2026-03-19T06:33:07.05+00:00

This was what worked for me so I just wanted to share, tho obviously this doesn't work for a lot of people. And for the deleted files I just went in the bins and restore said files
AlexandarVasilev-0873 0 Reputation points

2026-05-24T09:22:20.6666667+00:00

Nope, didn't work...
Anonimous 30 Reputation points

2026-05-24T18:12:47.8233333+00:00

This command worked for me in PowerShell: Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager* | Reset-AppxPackage

Answer 5

Sathyme 25

Well - It appears as we figured - Windows Spotlight is back - as of today for me - 3/18/26 - There are 6 assets in the asset folder as usual (If you collect them - 2 are Portrait/Landscape) duplicates from 10/5/25) - but they are back - Check your asset folder and go to Settings - Personalization - Lockscreen - and you should see - if you have it on Windows Spotlight - NOT the Blue pix but a new image - (see attached) I don't know if it reached everyone, but I have it as of today - and Yes, I checked EVERY DAY!

!Windows Spotlight 3-18-26.jpg

Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-18T21:42:21.71+00:00

And did the background also revert, or was it only for the lock screen as you showed?
Sathyme 25 Reputation points

2026-03-18T22:42:38.2033333+00:00

Again - Not sure what you mean by Background - If you mean Desktop - I don't use pix for my desktop - just Black - I am referring to the Spotlight pix when you log in. Spotlight should be back for you - when you open your laptop or desktop (Login) - You should see the Spotlight pix - The screengrab I attached showed WHAT you should see in your Settings - as another "clue or confirmation" that you have Spotlight Pix back when you open your computer. Otherwise - as you must know by now - You only see the BLUE pix that is the basic one that you get when you first set-up your computer etc. - So I am not sure how to be clearer - but Spotlight is back - and If you did any "downloads or fixing/manuvering" in the interim to get pix on your screen - that MAY be why - if you don't see it as normal on your computer or you don't have it back yet - Check your assets folder - You should have 6 pix in there w/today's date. (See attached) If not, and you did some other things to get pix in the interim while Spotlight was "down" - See if you can revert back - but your assets folder should have 6 pix - and Spotlight is back.

Windows Spotlight 2 _3-18-26.jpg

Also - I saw somewhere in this thread - Someone said it was the same as Windows 10 - I have a Windows 10 laptop as well - and THIS didn't happen with that laptop - I didn't lose Spotlight pix on login at all - everything was normal - BUT that is b/c they don't issue updates for Win 10 anymore - so - Windows Spotlight wasn't affected AT ALL by this latest "outage" so to speak on Windows 10.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-19T09:00:39+00:00

Spotlight works in two ways: on the lock screen (log-in) and also on the desktop background. I suggest you remove your "black screen" from the background and see if a Spotlight image appears, just to test something other than the four native images from the Windows 11 installation. I'm the one who commented on Windows 10 because I used it for years, and yes, the same problem with Windows 10 happened in 11. So please test it by replacing the black screen you use with a Spotlight image, but remember to check if a different image appears than the four native ones from the installation. I think you'll be disappointed, understand? Thank you.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-03-19T09:56:18.2766667+00:00

This is the spotlight image for today using the dynamic theme. It should also look like this for the original native spotlight, but it doesn't work.
Kunisagi Yuna 0 Reputation points

2026-04-06T09:12:14.5866667+00:00

how did you fix it? did you do anything or it just came back like usual, nothing happens? please tell more specific, because i've stucked in the blue screen since Feb or March :((
Anonimous 30 Reputation points

2026-04-06T09:32:33.7633333+00:00

Kunisagi Yuna, do you use a local account and OneDrive? Then it's probably a known bug that Microsoft has to fix. If you use a Microsoft account to login in Windows you can try the command: Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager* | Reset-AppxPackage

It rebuilds the Windows Spotlight Lock Screen feature (folders and files).
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-04-06T09:55:27.81+00:00

The Windows Spotlight is still malfunctioning, only working on the lock screen and taking many days to change the image. The background is still not working. I recommend everyone install the Microsoft Dynamic Theme App, which resolves the issues.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-04-06T23:48:13.0666667+00:00

Marcelo, I have downloaded the Microsoft Dynamic Theme App twice but for some reason it keeps disappearing. Any idea why it would be doing that? If it is downloaded, should it just automatically open up when I start my computer each day?
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-04-07T15:04:20.86+00:00

Once installed, it doesn't open the graphical interface; it runs in the background, changing your background and lock screen approximately once every 24 hours. You only open the interface to adjust your preferences: Spotlight, Bing, or fixed image. No one has ever reported anything like this to me. If you only use Spotlight on the lock screen, it's possible to fix the original Spotlight, but not the background yet. If you want, I can show you the steps.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-04-09T16:22:44.6166667+00:00

It has worked in the past and showed the option on the drop down within either the lock screen or background (one, but not both). Right now my background dropdown has 4 options - picture (which it is set on now and shows a couple word description of what the picture is along with the photographers name), Solid color, Slideshow or Windows Spotlight - which has doesn't seem to change but does have "learn about this picture" that when clicked, brings me to a bing page. I would be ok to have spotlight on my lockscreen if it also has the little info icon (which mine currently does not have).

As for the lock screen, it has 3 options within the dropdown - Picture, Slideshow or Windows Spotlight (which it is set to and for some reason today it finally changed from the flamingos to a tower or castle in the distance surrounded by trees - but it has no description or option to see what/where the picture is).

This is frustrating but really trivial. It is taking up too much time for something that isn't important but I really like the old way with Windows spotlight that automatically changed pictures each day and had a little icon on the screen which, when you hovered over it, it gave a brief description of the photo or you could click on it and a new window would open with more detailed info of the photo.

I am not good with the details of computers and what's going on in the background. I just know surface level stuff/basic stuff so when you say "If you keep switching between your Microsoft account and a local account and then back to your Microsoft account, eventually the image will change. It doesn't necessarily need to go through OneDrive". I don't really understand about the switching back and forth part. I just log into my computer each morning but we do use One Drive. I actually just thought that One Drive was what enabled us to be cloud based an no longer need a server. Ugh, sorry for sounding so dumb.
Erin C 20 Reputation points

2026-04-09T16:27:03.9033333+00:00

This is my background pic today. I can't take a screenshot of my lock screen with the tower/castle amongst the trees because it makes me sign in and then the lock screen is gone.
Marcelo Tadeu 20 Reputation points

2026-04-09T18:04:45.3266667+00:00

You don't need to apologize, you're right, Spotlight is very unimportant. The intention is to have a little fun fixing this thing, and you're not dumb, you're here with us being a part of this, trying to get your computer working correctly. Regarding the local and Microsoft accounts, it was feedback for "Anonymous" that brought up that account information; you can read it later. And about the old Spotlight feature, I remember it was as you described, but the updates moved it, and now it's in the expanded context menu when you click on it, but without a photo. Your computer is normalizing with today's photo; that means you're doing a good job.