Win 11 spotlight doesn't work

Richard Dungan 0 Reputation points
2026-05-04T16:02:49.4433333+00:00

Win 11 spotlight isn't working. It is selected under personalized but still doesn't work.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Display and graphics
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  1. Richard Dungan 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-07T13:52:09.3166667+00:00

    I've done the repair install, the repair upgrade, so far nothing has worked. I guess it's going to take a complete fresh install.

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  2. DaveM121 926K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-04T16:40:12.16+00:00

    Go into the Settings App - Personalisation - LockScreen

    Set Background to Picture and choose one

    CLo9se the Settings App

    Then open Windows File Explorer.

    Paste this into the Address bar in File Explorer and press Enter, delete everything in the resulting folder

    %USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

    Paste this into the Address bar in File Explorer and press Enter, delete everything in the resulting folder

    %USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings

    Close File Explorer.

    Then right click your Start Button, choose Powershell (admin)

    Run (Copy and Paste) this command and press Enter

    Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ContentDeliveryManager* | foreach {Add-AppxPackage "$($_.InstallLocation)\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -register }

    Restart (not shut down) your PC when thta command completes.

    Go into the Settings App - Personalisation - LockScreen

    Set Background back to Windows Spotlight, that wait a while to see if Windows Spotlight is working.

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  3. Lucus-V 11,765 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-05-06T18:31:44.96+00:00

    Hi Richard Dungan,

    Please try performing an In-place upgrade.

    Disclaimer: Let’s try performing an in-place install or in-place upgrade which will refresh your Windows files and operating system without removing files or applications. That being said, we always recommend that if you have important data, you should back it up before making large system changes. If you want to back up your data first, please do so. Once you are done backing up, you can follow the steps in the following guides: How to run In-place upgrade in Windows 11 - Microsoft Community

    If you have further information, please feel free to let me know.

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  4. Kapil Arya 38,266 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-04T18:01:31.6733333+00:00

    I recommend to install latest updates, see if that helps.

    If not, try re-register Windows Spotlight.

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  5. AI answer

    2026-05-04T16:03:01.9766667+00:00

    Try these steps to get Windows Spotlight working again on Windows 11:

    1. Confirm Spotlight is enabled in both places
      • Open Settings > Personalization > Background.
        • Under Personalize your background, select Windows spotlight.
      • Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
        • Under Personalize your lock screen, select Windows spotlight.
    2. Make sure Spotlight is allowed by policy (work/school devices)
      • On organization-managed devices, Spotlight can be disabled by policy (for example via the AllowWindowsSpotlight or ConfigureWindowsSpotlightOnLockScreen settings). If this is a work or school PC and Spotlight never changes images, contact the administrator to confirm these policies are not set to block Spotlight.
    3. Re-register the Spotlight content delivery component
      • If Spotlight is selected but stuck on one image or not updating at all, re-register the Content Delivery Manager package:
        1. Open PowerShell as administrator.
        2. Run: 
                  Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers ContentDeliveryManager | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
        3. Restart the PC and leave it connected to the internet for a while so Spotlight can download new images.
    4. If using a custom lock screen or background
      • A custom lock screen or background image configured by an organization (via policy or management tools) replaces Spotlight images. In that case, only suggestions, tips, or organizational messages appear, not Spotlight pictures. To see Spotlight images, remove or change any enforced custom background configuration.

    If Spotlight still does not work after these steps, check for Windows Updates and install any pending updates, then restart and test again.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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