Windows Spotlight displays images of different sceneries and animals on your computer’s lock screen every 24 hours. You’ll also find educational information about lock screen images and options to like or dislike images. Windows Spotlight is easy to activate but sometimes fails to work.
Some users report that their lock screen background image remains the same and doesn’t change after enabling Windows Spotlight. There are also instances when Windows Spotlight fails to display information about images ntawm lub xauv npo.
A buggy Windows Update may cause your PC to stop displaying Spotlight images. Corrupt system files can also trigger the problem. We’ll explain why these errors happen and how to fix the problem.
1. Txheeb xyuas Koj Kev Txuas Lus Is Taws Nem
When you activate Windows Spotlight, it displays pre-downloaded background images included in Windows installation for the first few days. Afterward, Windows fetches additional images from Microsoft (Bing)—this requires an internet connection.
If you’ve never connected your computer to the internet after enabling Windows Spotlight, Windows won’t display new images when it’s done rotating the pre-downloaded images. Connect your computer to a Wi-Fi or Ethernet network and monitor your lock screen for some days.
Metering your internet connection can also prevent Windows from downloading Windows Spotlight images in the background. So, verify that your computer’s internet connection isn’t metered.
Hauv Windows 11, mus rau chaw > Network & internet > xaiv Wi-Fi or Ethernet > [Network name] Properties > and turn off Metered kev twb kev txuas.
In Windows 10, head to chaw > Network & Is Taws Nem > raws li txoj cai > Hloov kev sib txuas khoom, thiab toggle tawm Teem raws li kev sib txuas lus.
2. Restart Windows Spotlight
Stopping and re-enabling the Windows Spotlight feature can also get your PC back to changing lock screen images.
- In Windows 11, open chaw, xaiv personalization ntawm sidebar, thiab xaiv Xauv npo.
- xaiv lub Windows spotlight drop-down menu in the “Personalize your lock screen” row.
Hauv Windows 10, mus rau chaw > personalization > Xauv npo and set the “Background” to the Windows spotlight kev xaiv.
- Xaiv ob qho tib si Duab or slideshow.
Reboot your computer and re-enable Windows Spotlight in the personalization settings menu. Close all active apps before restarting your computer, so you don’t lose unsaved data.
3. Reset Windows Spotlight Settings
Re-register the system files powering the Windows Spotlight functionality. You’ll find these files in the Windows Content Delivery Manager folder. Follow the steps below to re-register Windows Spotlight files in Windows 10 and 11.
- Open your PC’s File Manager, paste the directory below in the address bar, and press Sau.
C:Users%username%AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewySettings
You can also access the folder through the Windows Run box. Press Windows qhov tseem ceeb + R, muab tshuaj % USERPROFILE% / AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewySettings nyob rau hauv lub dialog box, thiab xaiv OK.
You’ll find two files (nkawg.lo thiab settings.dat) in the Windows Content Delivery Manager Settings folder.
- Right-click the roaming.lock file, select the Rename icon, and rename the file to roaming.lock.bak.
Windows will warn that changing the file extension will render the file unusable. Select Yog Ua mus.
- Do the same for the settings.dat file. Right-click the file, select the Rename icon, and rename it to settings.dat.bak.
Windows will create fresh copies of both files in the folder when you restart your computer. That should get Windows Spotlight working correctly again.
4. Re-register Windows Spotlight
Re-register Windows Spotlight if the problem persists or if Windows doesn’t replace the Windows Spotlight files after resetting the feature. Before you proceed, ensure your PC’s background personalization is set to Windows Spotlight. Otherwise, you may encounter an error re-registering Windows Spotlight.
In Windows 11, head to chaw > personalization > Tom qab and set the “Personalize your background” option to Windows spotlight.
On Windows 10 devices, head to chaw > personalization > Xauv npo and set “Background” to Windows spotlight.
- Open your PC’s Start menu, type powershell in the search bar, and run the Windows Powershell app as an administrator.
- Paste the following command in the Powershell terminal and press Sau.
Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ContentDeliveryManager* | foreach {Add-AppxPackage “$($_.InstallLocation)appxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode -register }
- Close the Windows Powershell and reboot your computer when the deployment operation progress hits 100%.
Reboot your computer and check if your Windows automatically changes the background image on your lock screen every 1-2 days.
5. Khiav qhov System File Checker
Corrupt system files can cause Windows Spotlight and other system processes to malfunction. Use the Windows Daim Ntawv Teev Tseg to find and repair corrupt system files on your computer.
- Qhib Start menu, ntaus cmd in the search bar, and run the Command Prompt administrator.
- If your PC runs Windows 10, run the following command and press Sau. Jump to step #3 if you have a Windows 11 computer.
DISM.exe / Hauv internet / Tu-duab / Restorehealth
The command prompts the Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to download files needed to replace corrupt system files. Proceed to the next step when the restore operation is complete.
- Ntaus los yog muab tshuaj txhuam sfc / scannow in the Command Prompt terminal and press Sau. This command runs the System File Checker.
SFC will display a “Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.” message if it finds and replaces any corrupt file.
Run SFC in Safe Mode if you keep getting a “Windows Resource Protection could not perform the requested operation.” error. Try the next troubleshooting fix if the SFC doesn’t find any corrupt file or if Windows Spotlight still doesn’t work.
6. Delete Windows Spotlight Assets
Windows may fail to change your lock screen if corrupt files are in the folder housing Windows Spotlight pictures. Clearing out Windows Spotlight files can fix the problem.
- Xovxwm Windows qhov tseem ceeb + R to launch the Windows Run box. Paste the path below in the Run box and press Sau.
% USERPROFILE% / AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewyLocalStateAssets
- Delete all files in the Assets folder. Press Ctrl + A thiab nias qhov Rho tawm tus yuam sij rau koj cov keyboard.
Restart your computer and check if deleting that resolves the issue. Enable Windows Spotlight and ensure your computer has an internet connection.
7. Update Your Computer
If you haven’t updated your computer in a long time, installing an update might restore Windows Spotlight to normalcy.
Hauv Windows 11, qhib lub chaw app, xaiv Qhov Hloov Piav Qhia qhov rais ntawm sidebar, thiab xaiv Kos rau cov tshiab or Download & nruab tag nrho.
Hauv Windows 10, mus rau chaw > Hloov Kho & Ruaj Ntseg > Qhov Hloov Piav Qhia qhov rais thiab xaiv Kos rau cov tshiab.
8. Uninstall Windows Updates
A bug-ridden or unstable Windows update can break Windows Spotlight and other system features. If Windows Spotlight stopped working correctly after installing a Windows Update, uninstall the problematic update. You can also roll back your computer to a previous/stable state using Qhov System Restore.
- qhib lub chaw app, xaiv Qhov Hloov Piav Qhia qhov rais ntawm sidebar, thiab xaiv Hloov tshiab keeb kwm.
If your PC runs Windows 10, go to chaw > Hloov Kho & Ruaj Ntseg > Qhov Hloov Piav Qhia qhov rais, thiab xaiv Saib qhov hloov tshiab keeb kwm.
- Scroll to the “Related settings” section and select Uninstall hloov tshiab.
- xaiv uninstall next to the update you suspect is responsible for Windows Spotlight malfunction.
- xaiv uninstall again on the pop-up to proceed.
Check if Windows Spotlight works correctly after Windows successfully uninstalls the updates and restarts your computer.
Lub teeb ntawm qhov kawg ntawm lub qhov
Hu rau Microsoft Support if these solutions don’t fix the problem. Performing a clean reinstall of Windows may also fix the problem. However, ensure you back up your files to an external drive or cloud storage service.