Windows 11 Home: Windows Spotlight Feature Not Functioning

Windows 11
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I've come across numerous posts attempting to resolve Windows Spotlight issues, but none of the solutions have been effective. I've tried deleting the cache, switching the screen from Windows Spotlight to Picture and back again, but to no avail. I've also executed a .bat file from a tutorial, but unfortunately, it didn't work either. I'm at a loss for what to try next.

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I feel your pain I’ve been there too. Don’t worry, I’m here to help you troubleshoot the Windows Spotlight issue on your Windows 11 Home.

First, let’s try some basic troubleshooting steps to see if we can get it working again.

  1. Restart the Windows Spotlight service: Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog, type services.msc, and press Enter. In the Services window, find the Windows Spotlight service, right-click it, and select Restart.
  2. Check for Windows updates: Ensure your system is up-to-date by going to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update. If there are any updates available, install them and restart your system.
  3. Disable and re-enable Windows Spotlight: Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen, and toggle off the “Get fun facts, tips, and more” switch. Wait for 10 seconds, then toggle it back on.

If none of these steps work, let’s try some more advanced troubleshooting:

Clear the Windows Spotlight cache manually:

  1. Open File Explorer and navigate to C:\Users\<YourUsername>\AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets.
  2. Delete all the files in this folder.
  3. Go back to the LocalState folder and delete the cache folder.

Run the Windows Store Apps troubleshooter:

  1. Press the Windows key + S to open the Search bar, type wsreset, and run the command.
  2. Follow the prompts to run the troubleshooter.

If you’ve tried all these steps and Windows Spotlight still isn’t working, you can try resetting Windows 11’s cloud experience. This will reset all Windows 11 settings to their default values, so proceed with caution:

  1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator (right-click the Start button and select Command Prompt (Admin)).
  2. Run the command Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml}.

If none of these steps resolve the issue, you might want to consider performing a System File Checker (SFC) scan or a DISM scan to identify and fix any corrupted system files.

Let me know if any of these steps help you resolve the Windows Spotlight issue