Win 11 spotlight doesn't work

Richard Dungan 0 Reputation points
2026-05-04T16:02:49.4433333+00:00

Win 11 spotlight isn't working. It is selected under personalized but still doesn't work.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Display and graphics
0 comments

7 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. C. Denninger 5 Reputation points
    2026-09-04T08:20:46.78+00:00

    Since the July/August 2026 Windows 11 (Dutch) system update Spotlight (in Windows lock-screen) works again.
    Note: I did not test the Windows background and I expect Microsoft not to fix this bug in Windows 10.

    So it wasn't the use of a local account, nor corruption of an account nor several other things and steps in these posts. In short: It wasn't us. It was indeed a bug in Microsoft's programming and they finally fixed it!

    Thanks for non-acknowledging this @Microsoft and all the help and suggestions of everyone else here!

    Now this bug is finally fixed these feedbacks can be finally closed: https://aka.ms/AA8iflt | https://aka.ms/AAt4ceb | https://aka.ms/AAaslmf | https://aka.ms/AAz1ary | https://aka.ms/AAzt31k | https://aka.ms/AAztamk | https://aka.ms/AAzt31p | https://aka.ms/AAzt31t | https://aka.ms/AAztic7 | https://aka.ms/AAztamr | https://aka.ms/AAzticc

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  2. Richard Dungan 0 Reputation points
    2026-05-07T13:52:09.3166667+00:00

    I've done the repair install, the repair upgrade, so far nothing has worked. I guess it's going to take a complete fresh install.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  3. DaveM121 928.6K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2026-05-04T16:40:12.16+00:00

    Go into the Settings App - Personalisation - LockScreen

    Set Background to Picture and choose one

    CLo9se the Settings App

    Then open Windows File Explorer.

    Paste this into the Address bar in File Explorer and press Enter, delete everything in the resulting folder

    %USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

    Paste this into the Address bar in File Explorer and press Enter, delete everything in the resulting folder

    %USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings

    Close File Explorer.

    Then right click your Start Button, choose Powershell (admin)

    Run (Copy and Paste) this command and press Enter

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

    Restart (not shut down) your PC when thta command completes.

    Go into the Settings App - Personalisation - LockScreen

    Set Background back to Windows Spotlight, that wait a while to see if Windows Spotlight is working.

    Was this answer helpful?

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  4. Kapil Arya 38,361 Reputation points Volunteer Moderator
    2026-05-04T18:01:31.6733333+00:00

    I recommend to install latest updates, see if that helps.

    If not, try re-register Windows Spotlight.

    Was this answer helpful?

  5. AI answer

    2026-05-04T16:03:01.9766667+00:00

    Try these steps to get Windows Spotlight working again on Windows 11:

    1. Confirm Spotlight is enabled in both places
      • Open Settings > Personalization > Background.
        • Under Personalize your background, select Windows spotlight.
      • Open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.
        • Under Personalize your lock screen, select Windows spotlight.
    2. Make sure Spotlight is allowed by policy (work/school devices)
      • On organization-managed devices, Spotlight can be disabled by policy (for example via the AllowWindowsSpotlight or ConfigureWindowsSpotlightOnLockScreen settings). If this is a work or school PC and Spotlight never changes images, contact the administrator to confirm these policies are not set to block Spotlight.
    3. Re-register the Spotlight content delivery component
      • If Spotlight is selected but stuck on one image or not updating at all, re-register the Content Delivery Manager package:
        1. Open PowerShell as administrator.
        2. Run: 
                  Get-AppxPackage -AllUsers ContentDeliveryManager | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
        3. Restart the PC and leave it connected to the internet for a while so Spotlight can download new images.
    4. If using a custom lock screen or background
      • A custom lock screen or background image configured by an organization (via policy or management tools) replaces Spotlight images. In that case, only suggestions, tips, or organizational messages appear, not Spotlight pictures. To see Spotlight images, remove or change any enforced custom background configuration.

    If Spotlight still does not work after these steps, check for Windows Updates and install any pending updates, then restart and test again.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

    Was this answer helpful?

Your answer

Answers can be marked as 'Accepted' by the question author and 'Recommended' by moderators, which helps users know the answer solved the author's problem.