Is the Spotlight theme not working on your Windows 11 computer? If yes, you can follow this article to get the solutions along with other vital information.
Windows Spotlight is a fantastic feature that displays selected images on Microsoft Windows 10 and 11’s lock screen and desktop background. Many of you may be already familiar with it. However, some of you may have trouble using this feature.
After applying the Spotlight theme on Windows 11, many users reported that it was not working or changing the backgrounds. Fortunately, you can solve this problem easily. Before that, let’s know about the reasons.
Why is Windows Spotlight not working?
Usually, Windows Spotlight doesn’t work due to the following reasons:
- Network problem
- Third-party antivirus interference
- Corrupted cache
- Required services are not running
- Corrupted system files
It’s also possible that the above reasons are not valid for your problem. But, solutions from this article should work.
How to fix Spotlight not working on Windows 11?
To solve this problem, you will need to follow the methods mentioned below. However, before that, make sure you have a good internet connection and that you are the administrator of this computer. A simple restart is also a good thing to do before trying out the following methods:
1. Turn off metered connection
- Press Win + I on the keyboard to open Windows 11 Settings.
- Now, go to Network & Internet and click on Ethernet or WiFi, depending on what type of connection you have been using.
- Toggle the switch off next to the Metered connection.
- Restart your PC.
After turning off the metered connection, give it some time and see if Windows Spotlight starts working or not. Otherwise, follow the next methods.
2. Clear the cache and reregister the service
- Press Win + R on the keyboard to open Run.
- Paste the following command and click on OK.
%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings
- Rename the roaming.lock to something like roaming.old, or anything you prefer.
- Right-click on the start button, and choose Terminal (Admin).
- Now, paste the following command and press Enter to execute it
Get-AppxPackage -Name Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml" -Verbose}
- Restart your PC.
When the corrupted cache causes the Windows 11 Spotlight issue, this method will solve that easily.
3. Disable or uninstall the antivirus
- Press Win + I on the keyboard to open Windows Settings.
- Go to Apps and click on Installed apps.
- Find your antivirus program, for example, Bitdefender.
- Click on the three horizontal dots next to it and click on Uninstall.
- Follow any additional on-screen steps to complete the uninstall process.
Similarly, you also can uninstall other third-party firewalls to see if it help.
4. Change DNS
- Go to Network & Internet and then your connection settings like method 1.
- Click on Edit next to the DNS server assignment.
- Choose manual from automatic if it is not already set.
- Enable IPv4 or 6, depending on your connection and DNS type.
- Now, use these addresses as primary and alternate DNS and click on OK.
8.8.8.88.8.4.4 - Restart your PC.
As the wallpaper from Bing is downloaded via internet, a stable internet is necessary. Using a good DNS service can help in this case. Above, I have mentioned the Google DNS addresses. You can use any other good DNS addresses you want.
5. Change time zone and region
- Open Windows Settings.
- Go to Time & language and then Language & region.
- Change your region from the Country or region section.
- Go back and go to the Date & time.
- Now, choose your preferred Time zone and also Set the time automatically.
- Restart your PC.
Wrong time zone and region settings also can cause this problem. So, the above methods may help o get rid of Spotlight not working on Windows 11.
6. Troubleshoot common network issues
- Open Windows Settings.
- Go to System and click on Troubleshoot.
- Go to Other troubleshooters.
- Click on Run next to Internet Connections.
- Complete the troubleshooting process.
7. Restart or reset the Router and Windows
You also should reset and restart your router. Sometimes, the router may not give a stable internet experience due to internal issues. Doing it will surely help. In addition, restart Windows 11 as well.
8. Clear the asset folder
- Open Run as before.
- Type the following command and click on OK:
%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets - Delete everything from the Asset folder.
- Restart your PC.
9. Allow required background apps
- Open the Start Menu, and type Microsoft Store.
- Right-click on Microsoft Store and go to App Settings.
- From the Background apps permissions section, set it to Always or Power optimized (recommended).
- Do the same for the Settings app as well.
10. Try a different network or VPN
- Go and download the CyberGhost VPN app or anything else you prefer.
- Install it on your PC.
- Log in with your credentials.
- Connect to a VPN network.
11. Repair corrupted system files
- Open the Start Menu, and type cmd.
- Right-click on the Command Prompt and choose Run as administrator.
- Type the following command and press Enter:
SFC /scannow - Also, run the following command:
DISM /online /cleanup-image /restorehealth - Restart your PC after that.
These methods should work well. However, if you still notice that the Windows Spotlight theme is not working or changing the background, you can try to reset your PC. Alternatively, you can consider resetting Windows 11 to see if it helps.
Sometimes, Windows may fail to give you the expected performance because of outdated drivers. That may cause various issues. So, we suggest you use a tool like Driver Booster to update all of your drivers to avoid many unwanted problems.
This article has explained how you can solve the Spotlight theme not working on Windows 11. If you have any other ideas, let us know in the comment box.
