Personalization Reset and Re-register Windows Spotlight in Windows 11


Windows_Spotlight_banner.png

This tutorial will show you how to reset and re-register Windows Spotlight for your account in Windows 11.

In Windows 11, you can have Windows Spotlight as a theme and display different background images on your desktop and lock screen, and occasionally offers suggestions on the lock screen.

If Windows Spotlights stops working and/or stops changing the background image, you can reset and re-register Windows Spotlight to fix it.


Windows Spotlight will not work while connected to a metered network (ethernet or wireless), or in Battery Saver mode.

Windows Spotlight requires Background Apps to be turned on.


Sometimes it may take 24 to 48 hours after resetting for Windows Spotlight to sync again.


Another option is to use the Windows spotlight, dynamic images theme.



EXAMPLE: Windows Spotlight on Desktop and Lock screen

Windows_Spotlight_desktop_background.jpg
Windows_Spotlight_lock_screen.jpg



Here's How:

1 Change your desktop background to something other than Windows Spotlight. (see screenshot below)

This step is only available in Windows 11 build 22557 and higher.


www.elevenforum.com

Change Desktop Background to Spotlight, Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you different ways to change the desktop background to a picture, solid color, slideshow, or Windows Spotlight image for your account in Windows 11. You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Windows Spotlight...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Windows_Spotlight_desktop_background-1.png

2 Change your lock screen background to something other than Windows Spotlight. (see screenshot below)

www.elevenforum.com

Change Lock Screen Background to Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you different ways to change the lock screen background to Windows Spotlight, a picture, or slideshow for your account in Windows 11. The lock screen (aka: welcome screen) is the screen you see at startup and when you lock (Win+L) the PC. You will need to dismiss the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Windows_Spotlight_lock_screen_background-1.png

3 Click/tap on the download button below to download the file below.

Reset_and_re-register_Windows_Spotlight.zip​


(Contents of BAT file for reference)
Code: 
:: Reset Windows Spotlight
DEL /F /S /Q /A "%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService"
DEL /F /S /Q /A "%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalCache\Microsoft\IrisService"
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"

:: Re-register Windows Spotlight
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager*).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"
PowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage *MicrosoftWindows.Client.CBS*).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

4 Save the ZIP file to your desktop.

5 Unblock the ZIP file.

6 Extract the BAT file from the ZIP file.

7 Run the BAT file.

8 Restart the computer to apply.

9 After you sign in, you can change your desktop background back to Windows Spotlight if wanted. (see screenshot below)

This step is only available in Windows 11 build 22557 and higher.


www.elevenforum.com

Change Desktop Background to Spotlight, Picture, Solid Color, or Slideshow in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you different ways to change the desktop background to a picture, solid color, slideshow, or Windows Spotlight image for your account in Windows 11. You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Windows Spotlight...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Windows_Spotlight_desktop_background-2.png

10 Change your lock screen background back to Windows Spotlight if wanted. (see screenshot below)

www.elevenforum.com

Change Lock Screen Background to Spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you different ways to change the lock screen background to Windows Spotlight, a picture, or slideshow for your account in Windows 11. The lock screen (aka: welcome screen) is the screen you see at startup and when you lock (Win+L) the PC. You will need to dismiss the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com

Windows_Spotlight_lock_screen_background-2.png


That's it,
Shawn Brink


Related Tutorials

 

Attachments

Last edited:
Click to expand...
Two weeks ago I did a fresh install of Windows 11 Pro 24H2 using this website: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/

The spotlight was not working it was giving me the blue default wallpaper, after I did the steps above I got a new wallpaper but I can't change and no news or weather cards showing, here's an example of what I mean:

widget-packed-lock-screen-min-700x467.webp


Anything in red are missing in my lockscreen.

Now I am on latest version of Windows KB5051987 (OS Build 26100.3194)

What should I do to fix it?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MS-7C79
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-11900KF
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WIFI ATX LGA1200
    Memory
    Kingston HyperX Fury RGB 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB
    Sound Card
    BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC C24G1 24.0" Curved
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 144 Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
    Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM
    Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM
    Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB 2.5" SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850 Platinum 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX
    Case
    Corsair 5000D Airflow RGB ATX Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Liquid Cooler
    Keyboard
    NextTime X75
    Mouse
    Glorious MODEL I - Black
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome - Opera
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Ali_S said:
Two weeks ago I did a fresh install of Windows 11 Pro 24H2 using this website: https://schneegans.de/windows/unattend-generator/

The spotlight was not working it was giving me the blue default wallpaper, after I did the steps above I got a new wallpaper but I can't change and no news or weather cards showing, here's an example of what I mean:

View attachment 125200

Anything in red are missing in my lockscreen.

Now I am on latest version of Windows KB5051987 (OS Build 26100.3194)

What should I do to fix it?
Click to expand...

Hello, :alien:

Possible issue with the installation media you used from that site.
 

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
Brink said:
Hello, :alien:

Possible issue with the installation media you used from that site.
Click to expand...
Is there any way to fix it, or do I need to install Windows again?
The website didn't mention any stuff related to Spotlight.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MS-7C79
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-11900KF
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WIFI ATX LGA1200
    Memory
    Kingston HyperX Fury RGB 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB
    Sound Card
    BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC C24G1 24.0" Curved
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 144 Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
    Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM
    Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM
    Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB 2.5" SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850 Platinum 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX
    Case
    Corsair 5000D Airflow RGB ATX Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Liquid Cooler
    Keyboard
    NextTime X75
    Mouse
    Glorious MODEL I - Black
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome - Opera
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Ali_S said:
Is there any way to fix it, or do I need to install Windows again?
The website didn't mention any stuff related to Spotlight.
Click to expand...

Just to confirm, do you have U.S. region set? Those features may not work in some regions.

www.elevenforum.com

Change Country or Region Geographic Location (GeoID) in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to change your country or region for your account in Windows 11. The country or region home location in Windows, referred to as geographic location (GeoID), indicates the country or region you are in. Windows 11, Microsoft Store, and apps might use your country...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

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
Brink said:
Just to confirm, do you have U.S. region set? Those features may not work in some regions.

www.elevenforum.com

Change Country or Region Geographic Location (GeoID) in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to change your country or region for your account in Windows 11. The country or region home location in Windows, referred to as geographic location (GeoID), indicates the country or region you are in. Windows 11, Microsoft Store, and apps might use your country...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
Click to expand...
Yes, also I tried multiple regions like the UK and Canada for a couple of days.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    MS-7C79
    CPU
    Intel Core i9-11900KF
    Motherboard
    MSI MPG Z490 GAMING EDGE WIFI ATX LGA1200
    Memory
    Kingston HyperX Fury RGB 32 GB (4 x 8 GB) DDR4-3000 CL15
    Graphics Card(s)
    MSI GAMING X TRIO GeForce RTX 3070 Ti 8 GB
    Sound Card
    BEHRINGER U-PHORIA UMC22
    Monitor(s) Displays
    AOC C24G1 24.0" Curved
    Screen Resolution
    1920 x 1080 144 Hz
    Hard Drives
    Samsung 970 Evo Plus 250 GB M.2-2280 PCIe 3.0 X4 NVME SSD
    ADATA XPG GAMMIX S50 Lite 1 TB M.2-2280 PCIe 4.0 X4 NVME SSD
    Seagate Barracuda Compute 2 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM
    Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB 3.5" 7200 RPM
    Kingston SSDNow V300 120 GB 2.5" SSD
    PSU
    Corsair HX850 Platinum 850 W 80+ Platinum Certified Fully Modular ATX
    Case
    Corsair 5000D Airflow RGB ATX Mid Tower
    Cooling
    Corsair iCUE H150i ELITE LCD Liquid Cooler
    Keyboard
    NextTime X75
    Mouse
    Glorious MODEL I - Black
    Internet Speed
    30 Mbps
    Browser
    Chrome - Opera
    Antivirus
    Windows Security
Ali_S said:
Yes, also I tried multiple regions like the UK and Canada for a couple of days.
Click to expand...

When you get time, you could try a clean install with an official ISO from Microsoft below to see if it may work better using it.

www.elevenforum.com

Download Official Windows 11 ISO file from Microsoft

This tutorial will show you how to download an official Windows Server or Windows 11 64-bit or ARM64 ISO file from Microsoft. Microsoft provides ISO files for Windows Server and Windows 11 to download. You can use these ISO files to clean install or in-place upgrade Windows 11. The Flight Hub...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

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
Brink said:
Ah, yep I was thinking of the other package instead.

BAT file updated to include these as well.
Click to expand...

Hello Brink! Thanks for the instruction on how to reset the desktop background Spotlight! I've been wondering it since Win 11 has been released and it stopped working on my OS.

So, currently after I reset it, it loads new desktop backgrounds after 24 hours but the thing is in OS settings it sets the option to just "Photo" right after it downloads and sets new background. And when I press "Spotlight" again it sets "Photo" again instantly. The background itself has no "Learn about this picture" after some time.

I've reset this Iris app multiple times but it's the same all the time. My system region is set to US, also you can check my regedit that it shows as the "True" for the retrieve success.

Is there anything I can try to get it work properly?
 

Attachments

  • Screenshot 2025-03-23 153011.webp
    Screenshot 2025-03-23 153011.webp
    33.5 KB · Views: 1

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
Hello Brink! Thanks for the instruction on how to reset the desktop background Spotlight! I've been wondering it since Win 11 has been released and it stopped working on my OS.

So, currently after I reset it, it loads new desktop backgrounds after 24 hours but the thing is in OS settings it sets the option to just "Photo" right after it downloads and sets new background. And when I press "Spotlight" again it sets "Photo" again instantly. The background itself has no "Learn about this picture" after some time.

I've reset this Iris app multiple times but it's the same all the time. My system region is set to US, also you can check my regedit that it shows as the "True" for the retrieve success.

Is there anything I can try to get it work properly?
Click to expand...

Hello, and welcome to the forum. :alien:

Double check the registry settings below. This is what they should be set as when "Windows Spotlight" is set as your desktop background.

Code: 
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DesktopSpotlight\Settings]
"EnabledState"=dword:00000001

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers]
"BackgroundType"=dword:00000003
 

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
Brink said:
Hello, and welcome to the forum. :alien:

Double check the registry settings below. This is what they should be set as when "Windows Spotlight" is set as your desktop background.
Click to expand...

Thanks a lot for the help and my greetings too! Yes, indeed I had "0" in both places, so I put "1" and "3" accordingly and then in my Settings the desktop was set to "Spotlight" again!

But just in about few minutes as I've been writing the reply to you, it changed to the next wallpaper and set to "Photo" in settings again! I checked in Regedit and those values are both set to "0" again! 😔
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
Thanks a lot for the help and my greetings too! Yes, indeed I had "0" in both places, so I put "1" and "3" accordingly and then in my Settings the desktop was set to "Spotlight" again!

But just in about few minutes as I've been writing the reply to you, it changed to the next wallpaper and set to "Photo" in settings again! I checked in Regedit and those values are both set to "0" again! 😔
Click to expand...

Do you have any 3rd party apps installed that could be changing this?
 

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
Brink said:
Do you have any 3rd party apps installed that could be changing this?
Click to expand...
No, absolutely, I never tried any of this kind. More over I have the very clean and fresh install of genuine system 24H2 with latest patch Tuesday.

This behavior was exactly the same when I've been upgrading to newer versions (23H2, 24H2) on my other PCs. The only thing I had no idea how to reinstall the Iris app and now when I now how to, I see that it's stuck every time a new background is downloaded and set.
And by the way the lock screen Spotlight feature works without any problems at the same time...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
No, absolutely, I never tried any of this kind. More over I have the very clean and fresh install of genuine system 24H2 with latest patch Tuesday.

This behavior was exactly the same when I've been upgrading to newer versions (23H2, 24H2) on my other PCs. The only thing I had no idea how to reinstall the Iris app and now when I now how to, I see that it's stuck every time a new background is downloaded and set.
And by the way the lock screen Spotlight feature works without any problems at the same time...
Click to expand...

As a workaround for now, you could use the policy in the tutorial below to prevent changing the desktop background. You'll need to quickly set the policy before it auto changes from "Windows Spotlight" though.

www.elevenforum.com

Enable or Disable Changing Desktop Background in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to enable or disable changing the desktop background for specific or all users in Windows 10 and Windows 11. You can change your desktop background in Windows 11 to be a picture, solid color, a slideshow, or Windows Spotlight image. You can disable changing the...
www.elevenforum.com www.elevenforum.com
 

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
Brink said:
As a workaround for now, you could use the policy in the tutorial below to prevent changing the desktop background. You'll need to quickly set the policy before it auto changes from "Windows Spotlight" though.
Click to expand...
Excellent! This can really help! As the setting is now set to "Spotlight" after I put 1 and 3 in those reg settings again and as I understand it will be like that until tomorrow it changes the wallpaper again, so meanwhile I can apply this policy now to check...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
Excellent! This can really help! As the setting is now set to "Spotlight" after I put 1 and 3 in those reg settings again and as I understand it will be like that until tomorrow it changes the wallpaper again, so meanwhile I can apply this policy now to check...
Click to expand...

Correct. The policy will lock in current desktop background settings, and prevent (gray out) them from being changed.
 

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
Done, but it greyed out and set to "Photo" in Settings instantly again!

Brink said:
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\DesktopSpotlight\Settings] "EnabledState"=dword:00000001 [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Wallpapers] "BackgroundType"=dword:00000003
Click to expand...

I just checked again these settings are kept at "1" and "3" wile the group policy blocks the ability to change background as long as I open the Settings app! Right after that those values are both reset to "0" again!
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
Done, but it greyed out and set to "Photo" in Settings instantly again!

I just checked again these settings are kept at "1" and "3" wile the group policy blocks the ability to change background as long as I open the Settings app! Right after that those values are both reset to "0" again!
Click to expand...

Depending on how instant, try this:

1) Undo the policy, so you're able to change the background in Settings.

2) Change the background to "Windows Spotlight" in settings.

3) Quickly apply the policy again to hopefully prevent if from auto changing again.
 

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
Okay, as I've mentioned it doesn't allow me to change to Spotlight from settings until I reset the Iris app every time it gets stuck at Photo, I'll have to reset the Iris again and then apply the policy to check if it can lock it at Spotlight...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
Okay, as I've mentioned it doesn't allow me to change to Spotlight from settings until I reset the Iris app every time it gets stuck at Photo, I'll have to reset the Iris again and then apply the policy to check if it can lock it at Spotlight...
Click to expand...
Just to confirm, is the "Windows Spotlight" option there to select, or is it just instantly changing back?
 

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
Brink said:
Just to confirm, is the "Windows Spotlight" option there to select, or is it just instantly changing back?
Click to expand...
It is there to select but right at that moment I click it, it sets to Photo, so in other words it doesn't select Spotlight even though it is there in list and I can click it...

After I reset the Iris I can choose it again but only until 1st wallpaper is set after 24 hours. And then it turns that "unchoosable" again...
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 24H2
dmlev said:
It is there to select but right at that moment I click it, it sets to Photo, so in other words it doesn't select Spotlight even though it is there in list and I can click it...

After I reset the Iris I can choose it again but only until 1st wallpaper is set after 24 hours. And then it turns that "unchoosable" again...
Click to expand...

As a test, create a new account on the PC to see if "Windows Spotlight" works properly while signed in to that account.

If so, you could use that account instead.
 

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
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