Windows Spotlight stopped working

Question

Windows Spotlight stopped working in Windows 10

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Answer 1

Tried both recommendations 1) Cleared Windows Spotlight cache, 2) Reset Windows Spotlight using Command prompt

Neither method restored Windows Spotlight

This issue started about 3 weeks ago. In Settings>Personalization>Lock Screen, the seting was always Windows spotlight

I never had this problem before even through Windows updates.

Here's a screenshot of what it looks like in Settings:

Answer 2

Thanks for the update.

If you have system restore points from a specific time period, you can revert to a system restore point before the problem occurred. But the accompanying risk may be that the data on the computer during this time will be restored to an earlier state, if you have important data. Then you can perform a backup. Based on the fact that the component composition of the spotlight of Windows 10 is different from that of Windows 11, upgrading to Windows 11 can indeed solve this problem, because it calls the new system components of Windows 11.

But I recommend that before you perform the upgrade, you can also perform a repair upgrade to Windows 10. Compared with re-registering Spotlight performed by the Powershell command, this repair is equivalent to non-destructively repairing these abnormal system components. You can try this method from Andre Da Costa:

How to: Perform a Repair Upgrade Using the Windows 11 or Windows 10 - Microsoft Community

Assuming that the repair upgrade does not take effect, you still have the option to upgrade it to Windows 11. Before upgrading, please make sure that the current PC meets the hardware requirements of Windows 11.

Windows 11 Specs and System Requirements | Microsoft

Keep us posted.

Answer 3

On 5/18/23, I did not do a 'clean boot', but rather executed the batch file with the following you provided:

DEL /F /S /Q /A

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

DEL /F /S /Q /A "%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings"

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager*).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

When the batch job completed, I restarted my PC, which then when displayed a message that it could not perform automatic repairs and prompted for a System Restore which I did. I could tell the restore went back to a specific time because previously when I launched Chrome it returned 'ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE but at the end of last week that message went away and now it is back (tried numerous procedures to fix that with no success).

Checking today, Windows Spotlight still does not work.

If I upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, do you think it may resolve the Windows Spotlight issue?

Answer 4

Hello Diane Crawford

Thanks for the updates and patience.

I suggest you try to troubleshoot whether the problem comes from third-party optimization software or anti-virus software, you can start the computer to a clean state. Check whether Windows Spotlight is working normally. Some users have reported that the problem may come from the interference of antivirus software on Windows Spotlight, so it is very important to eliminate the interference of the software.

For how to perform a Windows clean boot, please see the following article: How to perform a clean boot in Windows - Microsoft Support

Disclaimer: A “clean boot” starts Windows with a minimal set of drivers and startup programs. It helps to determine whether a background program is interfering with your game or program and to isolate the cause of a problem. 

These steps of "clean boot" might look complicated at first glance. However, to avoid any trouble for you, please follow them in order and step-by step so that it will help you get you back on track.

Assuming that everything is normal in the clean boot state, please remove or uninstall the software that may cause interference, and then create a new text document by right-clicking on the blank space of the desktop -> copy the following content into the text document-> change the extension of the file .txt to .bat -> double-click it to run -> restart your computer after running, and observe whether Spotlight takes effect.

DEL /F /S /Q /A "%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets" <br><br>DEL /F /S /Q /A "%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings" <br><br> <br><br>PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager*).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

Answer 5

Hello Diane Crawford

Welcome to Microsoft Community.

I am sorry to hear that your Windows Spotlight is not working on Windows 10, before we work together to find the cause of the problem, could you please provide some details:

1. Has this problem occurred before? Did the system perform any operations recently when the problem occurred, such as system update, software/plug-in installation
2. If it is convenient, can you describe the symptoms of the problem, is the image not changing or not showing the image? It would be great if there is a screenshot for me.

Here are several methods suitable for repairing or resetting Windows Spotlight, you can try them one by one and observe the result:

Clear the Windows Spotlight cache:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
• Type %LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState and click "OK."
• Delete all the files and folders within the opened location.
• Restart your computer and check if Windows Spotlight is functioning.

Reset Windows Spotlight using Command Prompt:

1. Press Win + X and select "Command Prompt (Run as administrator)" or "Windows PowerShell (Run as administrator)."
2. Type the following command and press Enter: RD %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets /Q
3. Then enter this command:

PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

Feel free to post back if any updates.

Best regards,

Chandy | Microsoft Community Support Specialist