Top 3 Ways to Fix Windows Spotlight Image Not Working

Windows Spotlight is a feature introduced by Microsoft through Windows 10. When the Spotlight feature is enabled on PCs running Windows 10 or Windows 11, images are downloaded from Bing daily. The images are used as the background image on the PC lock screen.

While Windows Spotlight is a great feature for introducing variety to your lock screen backgrounds, it is not without its challenges. One of those challenges is when the feature stops working. That is, the pictures do not change anymore, which can be due to various reasons.

Ways to Fix Windows Spotlight Image Not Working

If your PC is running Windows 10 or Windows 11 and the Spotlight feature is not active, it could be due to one of the following:

• Disabled background apps
• Corrupted system images in the Spotlight folder
• Incorrect regional language settings
• Defective internet connection.

Now that you have an idea of ​​what is preventing Windows Spotlight images from working, here is what you can do to fix it:

Enabling background apps

Windows Spotlight uses Bing images for the lock screen background image. Windows Spotlight may be affected if Microsoft Edge (the browser that runs Bing as the default search engine) is not working. Here’s how to fix it:

Step 1: Click on the Start menu and select the gear icon that represents settings.

2nd step: In the Settings windows, click on Privacy.

Step 3: Scroll through the options under App permissions and select Background apps in the left pane.

Step 4: Scroll down the list of apps and make sure Settings and Microsoft Edge are turned on.

Clean up corrupted Spotlight images

Cleaning up the Spotlight image folder is an easy way to fix the Windows Spotlight image that is not working. You can follow the steps below to use this method:

Step 1: Click the Start button and search for Run. Alternatively, you can just simultaneously press Windows + R keys on your keyboard.

2nd step: Enter the command path below in the Run window box:

%USERPROFILE%/AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewySettings

Step 3: Hit Enter on your keyboard or click OK and this should open the PC Settings folder.

Step 4: Right click on the settings.dat file and select Rename.

Step 5: Change the name of the file to settings.dat.bak.

Step 6: Right click on the roaming.lock file and select Rename.

Step 7: Change the name of the file to roaming.lock.bak.

Step 9: Once the computer has restarted, click on the Start menu and select Settings.

Step 10: In Windows settings, click on the Personalization option.

Step 11: In the left pane of the window, select Lock screen.

Step 12: Click on the Background drop-down menu and then select Windows Spotlight.

Once you’ve completed these steps, you can run a quick test to make sure Windows Spotlight. Lock your computer by simultaneously pressing Windows + L keys on your keyboard. You should see new images every time you try to login.

Resetting Windows Spotlight Using PowerShell

If the other methods above don’t work, you can try resetting Windows Spotlight using PowerShell. This is how it works:

Step 1: In Windows settings, click on the Personalization option.

2nd step: In the left pane of the window, select Lock screen.

Step 3: Click the Background drop-down menu and then select Image or Slideshow.

Step 4: Click Start and then search for PowerShell.

Step 5: Go to the results for Windows PowerShell, and then select Run as administrator.

Step 6: Copy and paste or type the command below:

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

Step 7: Press Enter on the PC.

Step 9: From the Start menu, launch Windows Settings.

Step 10: In Windows settings, click on the Personalization option.

Step 11: In the left pane of the window, select Lock screen.

Step 12: Click on the Background drop-down menu and then select Windows Spotlight.

When this process is complete, Windows Spotlight should start functioning normally.

Saving Windows Spotlight Images

Here is how to fix Windows Spotlight images that are not working. Once the Windows Spotlight feature starts working again, you can also save the Spotlight images as your PC background or for other use.