Personalization Reset and Re-register Windows Spotlight in Windows 11

RunWay · Dec 3, 2025

Brink said:
Thank you for your feedback.

Another option may be to boot into Safe Mode, then perform the steps in the tutorial to not have to worry about anything interfering with the BAT.

Boot to Safe Mode in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to boot Windows 11 into normal mode, Safe Mode, Safe Mode with Networking, or Safe Mode with Command Prompt. Safe mode starts Windows in a basic state, using a limited set of files and drivers. If a problem doesn't happen in safe mode, this means that default...

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Good afternoon,
I bought a new laptop about a month ago, the Spotlight on the lock screen has never worked.
I tried two solutions: the first was to run the batch file as administrator, and the second was to run it in batch mode within the command prompt as administrator.
The most I managed to do, was get the first image to appear, and the next day it reverts to the blue Windows image.
I've already tried an in-place upgrade to fix some installation problem twice, and I also ran the sfc and dism commands, but sfc doesn't find any errors.
I have the Home version of Windows 11 on a laptop.
I tried running the batch file in safe mode, but I was completely stuck because I lost my keyboard and mouse, so I had difficulty returning to normal boot.
I have my administrator profile and the Admin profile, and in Admin profile, a Spotlight image appears, but the image doesn't change.
Any other ideas to solve this?
Thank you very much.

Brink · Dec 3, 2025

RunWay said:
Good afternoon,
I bought a new laptop about a month ago, the Spotlight on the lock screen has never worked.
I tried two solutions: the first was to run the batch file as administrator, and the second was to run it in batch mode within the command prompt as administrator.
The most I managed to do, was get the first image to appear, and the next day it reverts to the blue Windows image.
I've already tried an in-place upgrade to fix some installation problem twice, and I also ran the sfc and dism commands, but sfc doesn't find any errors.
I have the Home version of Windows 11 on a laptop.
I tried running the batch file in safe mode, but I was completely stuck because I lost my keyboard and mouse, so I had difficulty returning to normal boot.
I have my administrator profile and the Admin profile, and in Admin profile, a Spotlight image appears, but the image doesn't change.
Any other ideas to solve this?
Thank you very much.

Hello,

Another option is to use the Windows spotlight, dynamic images theme.

OR

Dynamic Theme - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

This application is your ideal companion to personalize your experience with a new beautiful picture for your wallpaper and/or your lock screen each day. The pictures are coming from the Bing and Windows Spotlight sources. You can also incrust the description of each picture directly into the...

apps.microsoft.com

DzigiBau · Dec 4, 2025

After a month of not-working Windows Spotlight feature on Lock Screen, trying all methods from this forum and other I found on internet, I reached this interesting possible solution of one of user on Microsoft forums. He said:

I discovered that the problem is related to logging into OneDrive. If you delete your Microsoft account credentials from the Credential Manager, and also delete all the cache files in this path "%localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache", Spotlight starts working again, but OneDrive, if it is still connected, will work for a few hours after which it will ask you to re-enter your credentials, creating the block again. The alternative is to enter the credentials into the Windows account, since the problem only occurs if the Windows user is a local account. Has Microsoft decided to block the functionality for those who do not use a Microsoft account in Windows? They have been pushing for a long time to prevent the use of local accounts.

This is very interesting and my experience so far confirms some of this story. I use Windows 11 at my work which is connected through Microsoft account and at my home I have Local account, but from time to time I use OneDrive to finish some of my work at home. Both computers, business and home one, give me completely the same pictures change in Windows Spotlight. It started a month ago and I assume it could be related with some of recent Windows updates. Pictures downloaded are the same on both computers, their changes is completely the same and the only link between my business Microsoft account and home Local account computer is use of OneDrive.

The problem here is my laptop, which is not connected on OneDrive, I do not use it at all, I have Local account only and there is no Windows Spotlight feature on it for more than a months. I tried every solution I could find.

It is eventuality that Microsoft decided to connect Windows Spotlight feature with Microsoft account or way around through OneDrive connection which I find as wrong since the proper solution is connecting with computer does not matter if it uses Microsoft or Local account. If one buy Windows 11 licence, it has to work regardless of Microsoft or Local account since Windows Spotlight feature is part of Windows 11 package. It should not be restricted at all.

The only thing we could do is to wait another update with a hope that Microsoft will change the way of delivering of Windows Spotlight pictures making it available for all users regardless of their using of Microsoft or Local account. In this very moment, we all do the correct thing using this script from page 1, but on other side Microsoft blocks delivering of new pictures to certain number of users, probably due to use of Local account. That is the situation why some of us cannot make Windows Spotlight working again although it worked in the past.

RunWay · Dec 4, 2025

DzigiBau said:
After a month of not-working Windows Spotlight feature on Lock Screen, trying all methods from this forum and other I found on internet, I reached this interesting possible solution of one of user on Microsoft forums. He said:

I discovered that the problem is related to logging into OneDrive. If you delete your Microsoft account credentials from the Credential Manager, and also delete all the cache files in this path "%localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache", Spotlight starts working again, but OneDrive, if it is still connected, will work for a few hours after which it will ask you to re-enter your credentials, creating the block again. The alternative is to enter the credentials into the Windows account, since the problem only occurs if the Windows user is a local account. Has Microsoft decided to block the functionality for those who do not use a Microsoft account in Windows? They have been pushing for a long time to prevent the use of local accounts.

This is very interesting and my experience so far confirms some of this story. I use Windows 11 at my work which is connected through Microsoft account and at my home I have Local account, but from time to time I use OneDrive to finish some of my work at home. Both computers, business and home one, give me completely the same pictures change in Windows Spotlight. It started a month ago and I assume it could be related with some of recent Windows updates. Pictures downloaded are the same on both computers, their changes is completely the same and the only link between my business Microsoft account and home Local account computer is use of OneDrive.

The problem here is my laptop, which is not connected on OneDrive, I do not use it at all, I have Local account only and there is no Windows Spotlight feature on it for more than a months. I tried every solution I could find.

It is eventuality that Microsoft decided to connect Windows Spotlight feature with Microsoft account or way around through OneDrive connection which I find as wrong since the proper solution is connecting with computer does not matter if it uses Microsoft or Local account. If one buy Windows 11 licence, it has to work regardless of Microsoft or Local account since Windows Spotlight feature is part of Windows 11 package. It should not be restricted at all.

The only thing we could do is to wait another update with a hope that Microsoft will change the way of delivering of Windows Spotlight pictures making it available for all users regardless of their using of Microsoft or Local account. In this very moment, we all do the correct thing using this script from page 1, but on other side Microsoft blocks delivering of new pictures to certain number of users, probably due to use of Local account. That is the situation why some of us cannot make Windows Spotlight working again although it worked in the past.

Good afternoon,
Interesting, I use two Onedrive accounts, the personal one and the professional one (Microsoft 365) and in Credential Manager, Windows Credentials, Generic Credentials, I only find one, the professional one, related to Onedrive. The only credential with my personal email, wich I tried to remove, removes the link to my phone in windows.
So, removing this and deleting all the files at the Cache directory didn't work for me.
Any idea?
Thank you very much

shrl · Feb 8, 2026

Hi. I'm experiencing the same issue.
Spotlight works on my desktop, but not on the Lockscreen. I've tried the .bat file, and I've tried clearing %localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache, but to no avail.

25h2, I don't use Microsoft-Cloud; I have a local account.

Brink · Feb 8, 2026

shrl said:
Hi. I'm experiencing the same issue.
Spotlight works on my desktop, but not on the Lockscreen. I've tried the .bat file, and I've tried clearing %localappdata%\Microsoft\TokenBroker\Cache, but to no avail.

25h2, I don't use Microsoft-Cloud; I have a local account.

Hello,

Another option is to use the Windows spotlight, dynamic images theme.

OR

Dynamic Theme - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

This application is your ideal companion to personalize your experience with a new beautiful picture for your wallpaper and/or your lock screen each day. The pictures are coming from the Bing and Windows Spotlight sources. You can also incrust the description of each picture directly into the...

apps.microsoft.com

Chuck99 · Mar 11, 2026

I did the fix by renaming the Settings folder to *.BAK as per this:
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings

The Assets folder was already empty.

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

Lockscreen Spotlight took about 24 hours to start working. It’s been 4 days & I get only 1 new image per day. The Assets folder only has 2 pictures at a time. I‘m counting the landscape & portrait versions as one. As a new one shows up an old one is removed.

I used to get 3 new images every day. Any idea why only 1 new picture a day now?

Thanks.

Chuck99 · Mar 12, 2026

I got it working properly. I went back used the original Settings folder but this gave me a black screen because it automatically emptied whatever was in the Assets folder. The I re-did the fix process & now it works. I have no idea why that didn’t work the first time.

Brink · Mar 12, 2026

Chuck99 said:
I got it working properly. I went back used the original Settings folder but this gave me a black screen because it automatically emptied whatever was in the Assets folder. The I re-did the fix process & now it works. I have no idea why that didn’t work the first time.

Glad you got it sorted. Thank you for posting your findings and results. :shawn:

Chuck99 · Mar 12, 2026

Brink said:
Glad you got it sorted. Thank you for posting your findings and results.

The first time “fixed”, the pictures in the Assets folder were small square icons in a singe row. If that makes sense.

After the second fix the photos in the Assets folder were in the usual format of each one being a single long line of characters.

Also, when I got the black screen the previous picture’s description still showed.
IOW no photo available so there was nothing to display. However a description was being loaded & displayed from some where.

Chuck99 · Mar 13, 2026

There are now 6 different photos in the Assets folder, 3 from yesterday morning & 3 from late yesterday night.

But the only the first picture listed has displayed every time I used the computer yesterday & so far today. IOW it's stuck.

In the lock screen settings I toggled to Picture & back to Windows spotlight. That changed the picture. With luck that will get the pictures showing in rotation.

Brink · Mar 13, 2026

Chuck99 said:
There are now 6 different photos in the Assets folder, 3 from yesterday morning & 3 from late yesterday night.

But the only the first picture listed has displayed every time I used the computer yesterday & so far today. IOW it's stuck.

In the lock screen settings I toggled to Picture & back to Windows spotlight. That changed the picture. With luck that will get the pictures showing in rotation.

Hopefully. If not, then another option is to use the Windows spotlight, dynamic images theme.

OR

Dynamic Theme - Free download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

This application is your ideal companion to personalize your experience with a new beautiful picture for your wallpaper and/or your lock screen each day. The pictures are coming from the Bing and Windows Spotlight sources. You can also incrust the description of each picture directly into the...

apps.microsoft.com

neldog · Mar 13, 2026

Chuck99 said:
But the only the first picture listed has displayed every time I used the computer yesterday & so far today. IOW it's stuck.

To load a new image to the lock screen, look at the top right corner. There you will see a description of the image currently displayed, and below that you will see; "Do you like what you see".

Put your mouse cursor over that wording, now a new dialog box will open, and you will now see: "It's Interesting" and below that you will see: "It's not for me", mouse click, "It's not for me". A new image will load.

Chuck99 · Mar 13, 2026

neldog said:
To load a new image to the lock screen, look at the top right corner. There you will see a description of the image currently displayed, and below that you will see; "Do you like what you see".

Put your mouse cursor over that wording, now a new dialog box will open, and you will now see: "It's Interesting" and below that you will see: "It's not for me", mouse click, "It's not for me". A new image will load.

Funny thing -

I’d sit down at the PC several times a day & frequently there would be a different Lock Screen picture so I presumed they automatically changed. I know you can click on if you like it or not but did this rarely.

Today my wife says the picture doesn’t change automatically. It changes because she clicks on No, she doesn’t like it.

All this time I thought it was automatic.

neldog · Mar 14, 2026

Chuck99 said:
Funny thing -

I’d sit down at the PC several times a day & frequently there would be a different Lock Screen picture so I presumed they automatically changed. I know you can click on if you like it or not but did this rarely.

Today my wife says the picture doesn’t change automatically. It changes because she clicks on No, she doesn’t like it.

All this time I thought it was automatic.

Well, it is supposed to be automatic, and if working as coded, it will change the image automatically every few days or so, (I don't know the exact time it takes to switch to a new image).

I was just letting you know you can force the issue if you want. Also, my hope is that it will hopefully trip something to help your system get back on schedule. That part is just a guess/hope, I don't know if it will help or not. let us know in a few days if it helps.

EDIT: Sometimes I will get a new image, if after a system startup, I let the computer just set there in lock screen for a few moments. Sometimes after a while, just sitting in lock screen, it will switch to a new image.

Chuck99 · Mar 14, 2026

neldog said:
Well, it is supposed to be automatic, and if working as coded, it will change the image automatically every few days or so, (I don't know the exact time it takes to switch to a new image).

I was just letting you know you can force the issue if you want. Also, my hope is that it will hopefully trip something to help your system get back on schedule. That part is just a guess/hope, I don't know if it will help or not. let us know in a few days if it helps.

EDIT: Sometimes I will get a new image, if after a system startup, I let the computer just set there in lock screen for a few moments. Sometimes after a while, just sitting in lock screen, it will switch to a new image.

Thanks -

Currently I'm getting the generic blue bloom picture. Not sure if it's something I did or not.

That said, I never got any new pictures yesterday, 3-13-2026. The Assets folder only has them from 3-12-2026. Will wait & see if new ones show up today, 3-14-2026.

neldog · Mar 14, 2026

Chuck99 said:
Thanks -

Currently I'm getting the generic blue bloom picture. Not sure if it's something I did or not.

That said, I never got any new pictures yesterday, 3-13-2026. The Assets folder only has them from 3-12-2026. Will wait & see if new ones show up today, 3-14-2026.

Okay, the blue bloom image is problematic if your lock screen is set to Windows Spotlight. I have had that happen to me before. You need to go back into settings and change lock screen to "Picture" and select one. Shutdown and restart. Work for part of today in that setting, then go back into settings and put it back on Windows Spotlight. When you are through for the day power off he computer.

Tomorrow when you power on the computer, and it boots to lock screen, if it's the bloom image, leave on lock screen for at least 15 minutes and see if you get a spotlight new image. If after a while a new image appears, (and that could be immediately) hit enter and logon, or you try to change the image as I explained before.

This Spotlight thing is a little buggy sometimes...

Chuck99 · Mar 15, 2026

neldog said:
Okay, the blue bloom image is problematic if your lock screen is set to Windows Spotlight. I have had that happen to me before. You need to go back into settings and change lock screen to "Picture" and select one. Shutdown and restart. Work for part of today in that setting, then go back into settings and put it back on Windows Spotlight. When you are through for the day power off he computer.

Tomorrow when you power on the computer, and it boots to lock screen, if it's the bloom image, leave on lock screen for at least 15 minutes and see if you get a spotlight new image. If after a while a new image appears, (and that could be immediately) hit enter and logon, or you try to change the image as I explained before.

This Spotlight thing is a little buggy sometimes...

Thanks -
I followed your instructions & now have a picture for a Lock Screen. The Assets folder does contain the usual 6 files. I haven't looked at them but presume it's the normal 3 landscape & 3 portrait ones.

FWIW my computer boots to the Windows Desktop & not the Lock Screen & has always done that.

I'll see if the Lock Screen pictures automatically change throughout the day & will I'll let you know.

neldog · Mar 15, 2026

Chuck99 said:
FWIW my computer boots to the Windows Desktop & not the Lock Screen & has always done that.

When Windows boots up, the screen you see is the Lock Screen. It displays a Spotlight image if you have it setup that way, or you can select an image from your computer to display. Windows desktop is what you see after you sign in.

Chuck99 · Mar 15, 2026

neldog said:
When Windows boots up, the screen you see is the Lock Screen. It displays a Spotlight image if you have it setup that way, or you can select an image from your computer to display. Windows desktop is what you see after you sign in.

View attachment 165979

I don't sign in.

When my PC powers up, the first screen is black with the ASRock name, then the lock screen briefly flashes & then the Desktop appears. It was also this way with Windows 10. I'm presuming it works this way because I'm not using a sign in password.

If waken from the sleep mode the Lock Screen displays & pressing any key opens the Desktop.

FWIW the first Lock Screen picture is still being displayed & has not changed.

Personalization Reset and Re-register Windows Spotlight in Windows 11

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