How to Fix Windows Spotlight Not Changing Pictures?

In Windows 10, Microsoft introduced a new feature called “Windows Spotlight.” It regularly provides fresh images for the lockscreen on your PC alongside some interesting facts and trivia. Unfortunately, many users report problems with Windows Spotlight not changing images as often as it should.

Microsoft improved Windows Spotlight in Windows 11. The newest operating system from Microsoft lets you set Windows Spotlight collections on the desktop background, not only the lockscreen. And just like in Windows 10, Windows 11 Spotlight not changing is a common problem among Windows 11 users.

In this article, we will show you what to do if Windows 10 Spotlight not working.

Important. Any personalization in Windows 10 and Windows 11 requires system activation. You cannot change the desktop background, Windows theme, or other personalization settings without activating Windows first. Also, Windows Spotlight requires an active Internet connection.

Fix Windows Spotlight Not Changing Images

First of all, make sure you have enabled Windows Spotlight. Go to Windows Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen. Select Windows Spotlight in the Background drop-down menu.

If you use Windows 11, here is how to check whether the Windows Spotlight feature is on:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. Go to the Personalization > Lock Screen section.
3. Select Windows Spotlight from the “Personalize your lockscreen” drop-down list.

You can also set Windows Spotlight as the desktop background.

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Personalization > Background.
3. Select Windows Spotlight Collection from the “Personalize your background” drop-down list.

If Windows 11 Spotlight now working and not changing background or lockscreen images (the same applies to Windows 10), here are a few things that might cause trouble.

Note that Windows Spotlight connects to Microsoft’s servers to get new images and interesting facts. A broken Windows Spotlight might be a direct result of using third-party tools that prevent Windows from “spying” on you. These tools often block connections to Microsoft’s servers, thus Windows 11 spotlight not working and not changing backgrounds.

As a temporary measure, try restoring default Windows settings and disabling third-party apps for “optimizing” Windows 10 and 11. You may get your Windows Spotlight up and running again.

Another thing to consider is the registry tweaks or policies that some IT admins might apply to managed devices. Finally, the content delivery system may be stuck.

How to Solve Windows Spotlight Not Changing Background Images in Windows 11 and 10?

This section of the article applies to Windows 10 and 11. All paths are the same for both operating systems.

1. Open Windows Settings and go to Personalization > Lockscreen.
2. Select Picture or Slideshow from the Background drop-down. In other words, turn off Windows Spotlight.
3. Next, open File Explorer and paste the following path into the address bar:

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

   

4. Press Enter and delete everything inside the folder.
5. Next, paste the following path into the address bar in File Explorer:

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

   

6. Copy files roaming.lock and settings.dat to any preferred folder.
7. Restart your computer.
8. Go to Windows Settings > Personalization > Lock Screen. Enable Windows Spotlight and check whether Windows changes Windows Spotlight images on the lock screen.

Another Way to Fix Windows Spotlight Not Changing Background Images in Windows 10

If the previous method did not work, launch PowerShell as Administrator and execute the following command:

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

Restart your computer and check whether Windows Spotlight works.

Fix Windows Spotlight Not Working in Windows 10 Using Registry Editor

If Windows does not allow you to change background images on the lock screen and says those settings are hidden or managed by your organization, check the following:

1. If you see the error on a personal device, press Win + R and enter regedit to launch Registry Editor.
2. Paste the following path into the address bar:

   Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Personalization

3. Make sure there are no values on the right side of the window except “(Default)”. If you see the NoChangingLockScreen value, select and delete it.

Important. If you have a company-provided computer with Windows Spotlight not working, then the editing of the registry won’t help. Most likely, IT admins in your organization prevent users from changing various settings, including personalization options. In such a case, you will see a warning in the Settings app that your device is managed by your organization. At this point, you need to deal with it.

How to Force Windows Spotlight Change Background Images on Windows 10?

If nothing helps, you can download a free Dynamic Theme app from the Microsoft Store. It pulls Windows Spotlight images from Microsoft’s servers and applies them to your computer. What is even better is that the app can set Windows Spotlight pictures as the background on the lock screen and desktop (this is relevant for Windows 10 users as in Windows 11 the Settings app lets you set Windows Spotlight as the desktop background). You can download the Dynamic Theme app using this link.

We hope this article helped you fix the Windows Spotlight not changing background images error on Windows 11 and 10.