Wrong location and bad map data

Question

Wrong location and bad map data

JJ W 0

Windows 11 has the wrong locations and the map data is out of date. I have tried all the recommendations and nothing changes. My system(s) thinks I live in Texas, haven't lived there in over 18 months. I have talked with tech support sent screen shots and showed them the correct maps and addresses and they say it is beyond their skills or training. They will escalate the problem. It will be fixed in the next update. This was months ago and still the same errors. The good side is that Microsoft advertisers have no idea where I live so they cant' stalk me. :-). Of course if emergency responders use Microsoft tools they won't find me either in an emergency.

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2 answers

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Answer 1

Hi, JJ W

Since the problem affects multiple systems and the standard Windows fixes made no difference, the incorrect result may be coming from outdated Wi-Fi, IP-address, or Bing Maps location data rather than the PCs themselves. Windows combines these sources when estimating location.

Besides the solutions provided by the Q&A Assist, here are some suggestions you can try:

Temporarily connect one PC to a phone’s mobile hotspot, restart it, and check the location again. If the location becomes correct, the home router’s public IP address or Wi-Fi access-point record is likely associated with the old Texas location. Contact the internet provider and ask whether they can refresh or correct the IP geolocation information.

For incorrect streets, addresses, or map details, open Bing Maps, find the affected place, and use Feedback at the bottom of the page. Include the correct address, map pin, and screenshots. This sends the correction to the team responsible for Bing Maps data.

Press Windows key + F to open Feedback Hub. Search for an existing report first, then upvote it or submit a new report under Location and maps. Attach screenshots and record the issue while reproducing it. Signed-in reports can be tracked under My feedback.

Regarding emergency calls, Windows attempts to determine and share precise location, and cellular providers can also access device location when cellular service is used. It should not be assumed that the Maps result alone is what emergency services receive.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you.

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Answer 2

Windows location can stay wrong even when settings look correct because Windows location services use GPS, nearby Wi‑Fi access points and routers, cell towers, IP address, or a default location. Also, some apps and services can still estimate location by other methods such as IP address, so correcting Windows location does not guarantee every app will match.

For a Windows 11 home device, the supported actions in the available guidance are:

Check the device location settings in Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location.
- Make sure Location services is on.
- Under Let apps access your location, review which apps recently used location and the last access time.
Set or reset the default location.
- Go to Start > Settings > Privacy & security > Location.
- Under Default location, select Set default.
- In the map app, select the correct point on the map or type the address, then select Save.
- If an old default is stuck, clear the address box and select Save, then set it again.
Clear cloud-stored location activity tied to the Microsoft account.
- Go to account.microsoft.com.
- Select Clear location activity, then select Clear.
- This applies to location history stored in the cloud for a signed-in Microsoft account.
If the problem is mainly in Microsoft Edge websites, verify site permission separately.
- Edge asks for permission the first time a site requests location.
- Website location permission can be turned off or changed in Edge settings.
If Edge is wrong on every site while other browsers work, check whether the Windows Geolocation service is disabled.
- A common cause is the Windows Geolocation service (lfsvc) being disabled, often by policy.
- For diagnosis, collect:
  - Edge version from edge://settings/help
  - Geolocation service status from sc query lfsvc
  - Active policies from edge://policy
  - Group Policy report from gpresult /h gpresult.html
  - Screenshot of Settings > Privacy & security > Location
  - Windows version from Settings > System > About
If location settings are greyed out or show Some of these settings are managed by your organization, that points to policy control rather than a normal location-setting issue.

Important limitation: the available Microsoft guidance does not provide a documented repair for stale or incorrect backend map/location data beyond resetting default location, clearing cloud activity, checking permissions, and verifying the geolocation service and policies. It also states that third-party apps may still determine location independently.

A moderator-posted workaround in Microsoft Q&A shows clearing the LfSvc cache and restarting the service. That is a higher-risk troubleshooting step because it deletes service cache data, so it should only be used carefully and only if comfortable with command-line admin actions:

net stop lfsvc
rd /s /q "%ProgramData%\Microsoft\Windows\LfSvc\Cache"
net start lfsvc

If the issue is system-wide across multiple apps and has persisted for months, the strongest evidence to provide in an escalation is:

the wrong city shown in Settings > Privacy & security > Location
the correct default location configured
confirmation that cloud location activity was cleared
whether Edge and other apps are all wrong or only some apps
lfsvc status and policy outputs if Edge is affected