How To Fix Windows Spotlight?

Windows 10 has become the official operating system of the Microsoft series and follows up on a lot of aspects from its predecessor, Windows 8. In addition to all the new features, there are also improvements in different areas including performance and stability. There is one feature that takes advantage of your Microsoft account: Windows Spotlight. It highlights interesting things you should do or discover when you sign in on your device. It also recommends games, apps, news and other stuff that is considered relevant to you. While I can't say I am a fan of this feature due to lack of privacy because it takes your account information and sends it to Microsoft, there are people out there who have no problem with this trend. Well if you happen to be on this side then here is how to fix Windows Spotlight if it stops working for whatever reason on your PC.

One of the best things about Windows is that it allows you to customize your computer,

Allowing you to feel more comfortable with your device. While you can opt to set the image of your choice as the background for your log-n or lock screen, some prefer to have a fresh set of images every time they log in.

This is where Windows Spotlight comes in. This Windows 10 feature allows users to display images from the search engine, Bing, as their background every time they log into their computer. This feature allows users to keep it fresh, giving them new awe-striking images every time they log in.

However, sometimes, this feature just stops working, and no new images load. When this happens, there are a few things you can do to reset the feature and get it up and running again.

Method 1: Check your internet connection

Since Windows Spotlight gets its background images from Bing, it needs an internet connection to be able to download the said images and display them on your screen. So if there’s a problem with your internet connection, then it won’t be able to download new images and keep them on rotation.

With that said, the first thing you should do is check if your Wi-Fi connection is enabled or your LAN cable is properly connected. You can see this on the lower right side of the screen. If your internet connection has a problem, you can run the troubleshooter to find out why and fix it.

Method 2: Check your computer’s permissions and reset Windows Spotlight

If your PC’s internet is working fine, the next easiest step to take is to check if your computer has the proper permissions enabled. Incorrect configuration can lead to the feature getting stuck on one image.

To check if  it does, go to the Settings of your PC. You can access it via the Start button on the lower left-hand corner of your screen.

Once you’re at the Settings, open your Privacy settings.

On the left panel, go to Background apps and ensure that the permission for both Microsoft Edge, Microsoft Store, and Settings are toggled to “On” as this is necessary to download new images from the internet.

After this, go to your computer’s lock screen settings. You can simply type “Lock screen settings” in the search bar. In this section, click on “Background” on the left-hand side and deactivate the feature by setting it to either “Picture” or “Slideshow.”

Once you have deactivated it, open your Command Prompt by clicking on the Start button and typing in “cmd.” Once it’s open, you need to run this command to clear the settings of Windows Spotlight and reset it.

DEL /F /S /Q /A “%USERPROFILE%/AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewyLocalStateAssets”

DEL /F /S /Q /A & “%USERPROFILE%/AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewySettings”

After you’ve pressed Enter, run this other command to launch your PC’s PowerShell and to re-register Windows Spotlight.

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command “& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager*).InstallLocation + ‘AppxManifest.xml’ ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}”

After this, you need to restart your PC so that the changes can take effect. After this, go back to the Lock screen settings and change your background option to “Windows spotlight.”

Summary: Fix Windows Spotlight

• Start Regedit.
• Find the lock screen folder.
• Set the slideshow key to 0
• Disable Active ScreenSaver.
• Remove the Windows Spotlight folder.
• Restart your computer.

Conclusion

Windows Spotlight provides users like you with a fresh new look every time you log into your PC. However, there can be times when the feature malfunctions, and the aforementioned steps can help you reset it so that you’ll always have a brand new photo to look forward to every time you log in.