Personalization Find and Save Windows Spotlight Images in Windows 11


Windows_Spotlight_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to find and save the Windows Spotlight images displayed on your desktop and/or lock screen background in Windows 11.

You can have Windows Spotlight as a theme and display different background images on your desktop and lock screen in Windows 11.

Windows Spotlight uses the Bing daily wallpaper for images, and stores them on your computer to reference and show on your desktop and/or lock screen background.

See also Bing Wallpaper Gallery:

If wanted, you can find and save these cached Windows Spotlight images as JPG files to use as you like.


Here's How:

1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below.

Find_and_save_Windows_Spotlight_images.zip


(Contents of BAT file for reference)
Code:
@echo off
pushd %cd%

md "%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages" 2>nul

setlocal enabledelayedexpansion

cd "%LocalAppData%\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets\"
for /r %%f in (*) do (
  set dest="%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages\%%~nxf.jpg"
  for %%A in ("%%f") do (
    if %%~zA GEQ 51200 (
      if not exist !dest! copy "%%f" !dest!
    )
  )
)

cd "C:\Windows\SystemApps\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\DesktopSpotlight\Assets\Images\"
for /r %%f in (*.jpg) do (
  set dest="%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages\%%~nxf"
  if not exist !dest! copy "%%f" !dest!
)

cd "%LocalAppData%\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService\"
for /r %%f in (*) do (
  if "%%~xf"==".jpg" (
    set dest="%UserProfile%\Desktop\WindowsSpotlightImages\%%~nxf"
    if not exist !dest! copy "%%f" !dest!
  )
)

popd

2 Save the ZIP file to your desktop.

3 Unblock the ZIP file.

4 Extract the BAT file from the ZIP file.

4 Run the BAT file.

5 A WindowsSpotlightImages folder will be created on your desktop containing a copy of all cached Windows Spotlight images as JPG files. (see screenshot below)

You can hover over an image in the WindowsSpotlightImages folder to see its Dimensions (ex: "1920 x 1080").

You can rename these image files if wanted.


WindowsSpotlightImages_folder.png



That's it,
Shawn Brink


 

Attachments

Last edited:
Where can I find information on writing scripts like this, do you know? I know the basics of programming and a few CMD commands, but I struggle to understand the scripts. I changed the "copy" instructions to "move" to avoid duplicates. After deleting the "portraits," I relocated the "landscape" files to a new folder. Is it possible to implement this script to delete the "portrait" files while keeping the "landscape" ones intact?
Thank You!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40GHz 3.40 GHz
Thank you very much!
To further improve this, is there a way to modify the script to delete only the "portrait" files while keeping the "landscape" images?
I'm interested in learning how to create scripts like this. I'm familiar with several CMD commands and have some basic programming knowledge, but I'm having trouble understanding how scripts work.
I modified the original script by replacing "copy" with "move" to prevent duplicate files. This is because after deleting the "portrait" images, I move the remaining files to a different folder.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40GHz 3.40 GHz
Thank you very much!
To further improve this, is there a way to modify the script to delete only the "portrait" files while keeping the "landscape" images?
Short answer: Not natively from CMD.

If you're using PowerShell or JScript, it's possible to call different Windows API's to extract the image's pixel dimensions. CMD cannot do this without you running some external app, which returns the image size as text output. Assuming you're serious about learning to script in Windows, PowerShell is the better path to follow. Spotlight image files are created with "random" hashes as their filenames. Because the metadata is tracked by Client.CBS, there is no need to expose which files are portrait vs landscape, and which two files are paired (other than by file date).
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
I registered for an account just to say thank you! <3
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Asus Z370-E
    CPU
    Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8700
    Motherboard
    Asus Z370-E
    Memory
    64GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA RTX 2070 SUPER

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom self build
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING (11GB GDDR5X)
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G75 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3 wall mounted
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gbps Download and 35 Mbps Upload
    Browser
    Google Chrome
    Antivirus
    Microsoft Defender and Malwarebytes Premium
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    CyberPower CP1500PFCLCD
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PC
    CPU
    Snapdragon X Elite (12 core) 3.42 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB LPDDR5x-7467 MHz
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15" HDR
    Screen Resolution
    2496 x 1664
    Hard Drives
    1 TB SSD
    Internet Speed
    Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
    Browser
    Chrome and Edge
    Antivirus
    Windows Defender

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel
    Motherboard
    MSI
    Memory
    16
    Graphics Card(s)
    1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek
Unfortunately it doesn't work now. Win 11
Works for me. This is a freshly installed 24H2:

Windows 11 x64-2025-01-04-08-35-51.webp



The script makes no assumptions, other than you're allowing Spotlight to feed you new wallpapers. Do you get a specific error message if you run the script?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Do you get a specific error message if you run the script?
When I click, red inscriptions appear in the console for a moment and that’s it, as a result, an empty folder.
The one in the post works, but I wanted it with names.
The system is absolutely the same, except for the interface language. I tried from the "downloads" folder and from the desktop.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel
    Motherboard
    MSI
    Memory
    16
    Graphics Card(s)
    1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek
Run the same batch file from inside an Administrator's CMD or Terminal window. If there's an error, it should remain onscreen.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Run the same batch file from inside an Administrator's CMD or Terminal window. If there's an error, it should remain onscreen.
1736028567539.webp

Get-ChildItem : Can't find the way "C:\Users\sartu\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_c
w5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\TargetedContentCache\v3\338387", because he doesn't exist.
line:1 character:21
+ foreach ($File in ((Get-ChildItem $ContentCache | Sort-Object LastWri ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : ObjectNotFound: (C:\Users\sartu\...Cache\v3\338387:String) [Get-ChildItem], ItemNotFound
Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetChildItemCommand
I translated the text of the writing
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel
    Motherboard
    MSI
    Memory
    16
    Graphics Card(s)
    1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek
This folder doesn't exist if you are not allowing "Get fun facts, tips and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen", because you have:
- disabled the feeds from Content Delivery Manager, by using registry changes or some privacy tool​
- "debloated" your Windows​

Without subscription #338387, there is no way to read the wallpaper's metadata and find the image's photo credits. Otherwise it's like every other generic Wallpaper script which just copies some "random" filename out of the Spotlight folder.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 7
Per my earlier post
I snagged these from b27766 a while ago, they were all that was offered w/ the little app I have from many years ago.

Win11 b27766.1000_ 2eAllLockScreenys.webp
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Self made in 2023
    CPU
    i7-12900K @ 3.2 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 APEX
    Memory
    2/16 GB Critical DDR5
    Graphics Card(s)
    GeForce RTX 3060 Ti
    Sound Card
    On board sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    27 inch LED
    Hard Drives
    1 TB Samsung SSD w/ 3 partitions
    250 GB Samsung SSD for WSE 2016 BU OS
    1 TB Samsung SSD (Storage)
    PSU
    RM850x SHIFT 80 PLUS Gold Fully Modular
    Case
    Fractal Design Define 7 Compact - Mid Tower
    Browser
    EDGE
  • Operating System
    Windows 11 Pro x2
    Computer type
    Laptop
    Manufacturer/Model
    LG gram 15, 15.6" Laptop
    CPU
    Core i5-1135G7
    Motherboard
    LG
    Memory
    16GB M.2 2280 NVMe SSD
    Graphics card(s)
    Integrated - Intel Iris Xe Graphics
    Sound Card
    Onboard sound
    Monitor(s) Displays
    15.6" IPS Display
    Screen Resolution
    Full HD 1920 x 1080
    Hard Drives
    512 GB
    Browser
    EDGE
This folder doesn't exist if you are not allowing "Get fun facts, tips and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen", because you have:
- disabled the feeds from Content Delivery Manager, by using registry changes or some privacy tool​
- "debloated" your Windows​

Without subscription #338387, there is no way to read the wallpaper's metadata and find the image's photo credits. Otherwise it's like every other generic Wallpaper script which just copies some "random" filename out of the Spotlight folder.
Thanks, I'll check the settings tomorrow. It's just that the scripts in the header are working.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel
    Motherboard
    MSI
    Memory
    16
    Graphics Card(s)
    1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek
@garlin
I checked and did not find the folder, only those in the screenshot.
1736056976336.webp

There is no "Get fun facts, tips and more from Windows and Cortana on your lock screen" in the personalization/lock screen.
1736057028726.webp

Although it was there before, in previous installations (I reinstalled the system 3 days ago)
Well, I just turned off “supplier notification”, etc. in Explorer. Now I returned it, no change.
I am inclined to believe that I installed Windows in “Europe mod”, although I am not in this zone. Didn't touch the rest
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel
    Motherboard
    MSI
    Memory
    16
    Graphics Card(s)
    1050 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek
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