Personalization Find and Save Windows Spotlight Images in Windows 11

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

galileo said:
BINGO !!! That found the folder path...and it is circuitous. Here is the containing folder:

C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Local\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService

(note that there is no "." between "Microsoft" and "Windows")

There are subfolders (apparently for the last 2 days) within this containing folder that hold the image files.

Hmm. I don't have that folder. I only get as far as below.

%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache

galileo · Dec 29, 2023

Brink said:
Hmm. I don't have that folder. I only get as far as below.

%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache

Are you using Spotlight images as your desktop background (Settings>Personalization>Background) ?

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

galileo said:
Are you using Spotlight images as your desktop background (Settings>Personalization>Background) ?

It is, but I just turned it on a few hours ago to test with you. It may need more time to populate the cache. I'll keep monitoring.

galileo · Dec 29, 2023

Brink said:
It is, but I just turned it on a few hours ago to test with you. It may need more time to populate the cache. I'll keep monitoring.

...try your VBS routine and see what it finds...

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

galileo said:
...try your VBS routine and see what it finds...

It currently just opens the folder below. I'll give it some more time to see what shows up after the image has changed a few times.

C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\DesktopSpotlight\Assets\Images

galileo · Dec 29, 2023

Brink said:
It currently just opens the folder below. I'll give it some more time to see what shows up after the image has changed a few times.

C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\DesktopSpotlight\Assets\Images

FWIW...Here is a snip of my Windows Explorer...

garlin · Dec 29, 2023

Brink said:
It currently just opens the folder below. I'll give it some more time to see what shows up after the image has changed a few times.

C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\DesktopSpotlight\Assets\Images

Those are static 4K desktop files, pre-installed by Windows (confirmed by mounting the install media).

galileo · Dec 29, 2023

garlin said:
Those are static 4K desktop files, pre-installed by Windows (confirmed by mounting the install media).

True...the location of the "desktop" Spotlight background images is not in that folder...they are here:

C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Local\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

galileo said:
True...the location of the "desktop" Spotlight background images is not in that folder...they are here:

C:\Users\xxxxx\AppData\Local\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService

Ok. I have it now. Spotlight just needed to auto change the image first.

galileo · Dec 29, 2023

Brink said:
Ok. I have it now. Spotlight just needed to auto change the image first.

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

galileo said:

Using the command below will copy those files into the existing WindowsSpotlightImages desktop folder, but I'm having issues with it running in the BAT file for some reason. The command below is getting ignored when using it in the BAT file.

for /r "%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService\" %f in (*.jpg) do copy %f "%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages"

galileo · Dec 29, 2023

Brink said:
Using the command below will copy those files into the existing WindowsSpotlightImages desktop folder, but I'm having issues with it running in the BAT file for some reason. The command below is getting ignored when using it in the BAT file.

for /r "%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService\" %f in (*.jpg) do copy %f "%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages"

Keep in mind that there are no files in the "IrisService" folder there are only subfolders. The following lines will copy the "folders" (in this particular case to the "Pictures\Camera Roll" folder...repath to suit...) and then open the destination folder in Explorer:

set src=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService
set des="%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\Camera Roll"
xcopy %src%\*.* %des%\*.* /s /e /h
explorer /n, /e, %des%

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

galileo said:
Keep in mind that there are no files in the "IrisService" folder there are only subfolders. The following lines will copy the "folders" (in this particular case to the "Pictures\Camera Roll" folder...repath to suit...) and then open the destination folder in Explorer:

set src=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService
set des="%USERPROFILE%\Pictures\Camera Roll"
xcopy %src%\*.* %des%\*.* /s /e /h
explorer /n, /e, %des%

Correct. You could use the command I posted in a command prompt to copy only the JPG files in all subfolders inside the "IrisService" folder to a folder you wanted.

The command just doesn't work if used in the BAT for some reason.

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

Ok. Got the command to work in the BAT.

The BAT in the tutorial has now been updated to include spotlight images in the subfolders in the "IrisService" folder.

SmokeMe · Dec 29, 2023

Are you guys referring to these, lock screens ?

If so, I found a little app that will DL, add .jpg extensions & save them in a folder. You just have to sort out those you don't want afterword's
You can find the pictures (without an extension, so you have to append .jpg) in:
C:\Users\<Your_Username>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

Brink · Dec 29, 2023

Hello @SmokreMe,

It's for the three locations below in total, but we were referring to getting the last one on there now.

%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\DesktopSpotlight\Assets\Images

%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService

Aldar · Jan 13, 2024

Hey Brink, I have to thank you for over the years I've come across your work and tutorials and much appreciated. Never had a problem, just this time something funny happened and I am not sure where it came from. I downloaded "Find_and_save_Windows_Spotlight_images bat" file and clicked it in the download folder and got "WindowsSpotlightImages" folder on the desktop, then noticed all the files in download folder were turned into .jpg files, not a big deal I just changed them back to .exe or .pdf whatever I remembered them to be. I ddin't know if your .bat file did this or something else but hitting the .bat file was the only thing I did. Maybe I'll just do it again to be sure, just tried it again and it did not happen again. So I am at a loss as to how that happened. .EXE and .PDF files all turned into .JPG. But I bet you can figure out what I did!
Thanks for your work and help over the years

Brink · Jan 13, 2024

Aldar said:
Hey Brink, I have to thank you for over the years I've come across your work and tutorials and much appreciated. Never had a problem, just this time something funny happened and I am not sure where it came from. I downloaded "Find_and_save_Windows_Spotlight_images bat" file and clicked it in the download folder and got "WindowsSpotlightImages" folder on the desktop, then noticed all the files in download folder were turned into .jpg files, not a big deal I just changed them back to .exe or .pdf whatever I remembered them to be. I ddin't know if your .bat file did this or something else but hitting the .bat file was the only thing I did. Maybe I'll just do it again to be sure, just tried it again and it did not happen again. So I am at a loss as to how that happened. .EXE and .PDF files all turned into .JPG. But I bet you can figure out what I did!
Thanks for your work and help over the years

Hello Aldar, and welcome.

The BAT file should only rename the extensions of files to ".jpg" in the "%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages" folder created by the BAT, and no where else.

LesFerch · Feb 14, 2024

@Brink Here's a revised version of the script that can be run repeatedly and won't leave files without extensions in the target. It also skips copying files that already exist in the target, doesn't copy the cropped images, and skips icon images (based on an arbitrary 50K size cut-off).

Code:

:: Created by: Shawn Brink
:: Created on: December 29, 2022
:: Updated on: Februrary 14, 2024
:: Tutoria: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/find-and-save-windows-spotlight-images-in-windows-11.11556/

@echo off
pushd %cd%

md "%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages" 2>nul

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

cd "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets\"
for /r %%f in (*) do (
  set dest="%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages\%%~nxf.jpg"
  for %%A in ("%%f") do (
    if %%~zA GEQ 51200 (
      if not exist !dest! copy "%%f" !dest!
    )
  )
)

cd "C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\DesktopSpotlight\Assets\Images\"
for /r %%f in (*.jpg) do (
  set dest="%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages\%%~nxf"
  if not exist !dest! copy "%%f" !dest!
)

cd "%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService\"
for /r %%f in (*) do (
  if "%%~xf"==".jpg" (
    set dest="%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages\%%~nxf"
    if not exist !dest! copy "%%f" !dest!
  )
)

popd

Brink · Feb 14, 2024

LesFerch said:
@Brink Here's a revised version of the script that can be run repeatedly and won't leave files without extensions in the target. It also skips copying files that already exist in the target, doesn't copy the cropped images, and skips icon images (based on an arbitrary 50K size cut-off).

Thank you. BAT in tutorial now updated. :shawn: