A few days back, I noticed tha the wallpaper on my windows lock screen was not changing every time I restarted my computer or logged in again. I searched online about this and came to know about a feature which is called Window spotlight and also what exactly the problem is causing this.

While logging in every time on your windows, you always see a different lock screen picture, and this is due to the spotlight feature. All the different images from the Bing and displays them on your lock screen, you can choose to display many or just a few pictures every time you log in.

This feature enhances your lock screen experience, but the problem comes when you do not get a new lock screen picture on your next login, and it just keeps stuck at one image no matter how many times you restart your computer. So today, we are going to solve the issue 'Windows Spotlight background won't change' with three possible solutions, just explained below.

How to Fix Windows Spotlight Lock Screen Picture Won't Change

Fix 1: Clear Spotlight Assets

To solve your problem using this technique, you would have to use PowerShell and registry editor, but do not worry, it would not be hard to follow for you.

  • Step 1. Go to the Start menu and click on the "Settings" icon. click settings
  • Step 2. Click on the "Time & Language". click time and language
  • Step 3. In the left section tabs, click on the "region" and select "United States" in the country or region option. click country and region
  • Step 4. Now again, go in the windows settings and select "Personalization". click personalization
  • Step 5. Click on the "Lock screen" in the left tabs. Now, select "pictures" in the background drop-down menu. click background
  • Step 6. Paste the following path in the explorer:
    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets
  • Step 7. Delete all the files in that folder and open "PowerShell" by searching it in the search box and run it as administrator. open powershell
  • Step 8. Paste the following piece of code in the PowerShell and hit enter.
    Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ContentDeliveryManager* | foreach {Add-AppxPackage "$($_.InstallLocation)\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -register}
  • Step 9. Now, open Registry Editor by searching Regedit in the windows search box and also run is as an administrator. open registry editor
  • Step 10. Search for the following path in the registry editor:
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Authentication\LogonUI\Creative

In the end, delete every folder inside the creative folder except the s-1-0-0 one. And restart your pc, go to the settings, then personalization, and then to the lock screen > background > Windows spotlight. Boom, now you have successfully solved the issue.

Fix 2: Reset Spotlight settings

  • Step 1. Click on Start, go to the settings, then choose the personalization section and click on the lock screen. click personalization
  • Step 2. Choose Pictures/Slideshow in the background option. Then, paste the following path in the explorer.
    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings
  • Step 3. Write .bak at the end of the settings.dat/roaming.lock files. write bak
  • Step 4. Paste the following way in the explorer and delete all the files.
    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets
  • Step 5. Like the 5th step, now paste the following path and delete everything in it.
    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache
  • Step 6. Click on Start menu, go to Settings then to Personalization, and finally again to the Lock Screen.
  • Step 7. Again Select the Windows spotlight in the background options. And the Windows spotlight will successfully reset.

In the end, reboot the computer and your lock screen background will change again.

Fix 3: Re-register Spotlight

This is the simplest method to solve the issue but for this to work you'll need an administrator account and in case you've forgot your admin password don't worry. PassFab 4WinKey is a software that can help you recover a lost password, do give it a try before reinstalling Windows.

  • Step 1. Open the PowerShell by searching in the windows search bar and by right-clicking on it run it as administer. open powershell
  • Step 2. Paste the following code.
    Get-AppxPackage -allusers Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager | foreach {Add-AppxPackage "$($_.InstallLocation)\appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -register}
  • Step 3. After the code above has successfully run, paste the following code. Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "*SystemApps*"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
    dism/online/cleanup-image/restorehealth
    sfc/scannow

Last, reboot the computer and you have now solved your problem.

Wrapping up

I have explained to you the three ways which you use to solve the problem. I would recommend you first to use the fix 3, then fix 2 and finally then fix 1. If your problem is solved after fix three or any fix, then you do not need to follow the others. I hope you have successfully solved the problem. Comment down below to let us know if our fix guide helped you.