You are setting the spotlight feature on your Windows 11 computer, but you notice the spotlight feature is not working correctly on your Windows 11 PC.
If this issue is the case and you are worried about that, there is nothing to worry about.
I have been in a similar situation as you, and I have been able to get out of this issue with proper tests and research. So, if you are looking for an ultimate solution to solve your spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 system computer, you are in the right place then.
This post will show you some of the best practical and effective techniques to solve your spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 computer.
Keep reading and precisely follow the instructions.
So, let’s get started to know some methods to fix the spotlight not working issue within a few minutes.
Why Does your Spotlight Not Work on Windows 11?
Some potential technical causes for creating the spotlight not working problem in Windows 11 PC.
However, this section will discuss the possible explanation for the spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 computer.
Here is a list of possible common reasons for the spotlight not working issue I have found:
Corrupted System Files
Corrupting system files is one of the most common reasons for spotlight not working issues on your Windows 11 computer device. When the system files become corrupted, your application may become conflicting.
To fix the spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 computer, you need to repair or reset your windows.
Corrupted or Problematic device drivers
A corrupted or problematic device driver is the most common reason for the spotlight not working problem on a Windows computer. If you do not keep your sound driver up to date, it may cause spotlight not working issues in your Windows 11 computer device.
So, keep your device drivers always up to date to avoid spotlight not working problems in your Windows 11 computer device.
Follow our guide to Fix Installation Failed Error 800f0830 on Windows 11.
Outdated Windows
Another reason for the spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 computer is outdated Windows OS. When your Windows OS is outdated, your system may conflict with the spotlight feature that negatively impacts spotlight performance.
So, update your Windows regularly to avoid spotlight not working problems in your Windows 11 computer device.
Overprotective Antivirus suite
The third-party antivirus suite application is another reason to create the spotlight not working issue on Windows 11 computers.
Sometimes, third-party antivirus suite applications conflict with the system firewall, creating unnecessary issues. You need to remove or uninstall the AV suite to fix the problem.
Corrupted Spotlight Cache
Corrupted spotlight cache files are among the most common reasons for the spotlight not working issue on your Windows 11 computer.
To solve the spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 computer, delete the corrupted spotlight cash files or folder. After deleting the corrupted cache files or folder, set the spotlight feature.
You’ve seen the possible potential reason for the spotlight not working issue on your Windows 11 computer so far, and in the next part, I’ll show you several tested and proven solutions to solve the problem.
So, let’s dive into the main section to solve the spotlight not working issue without further delay.
Read more on how to Fix Sound Cracking Issue on Windows 11.
How to Fix Windows 11 Spotlight Not Working
Windows Spotlight is a windows 11 built-in feature that displays the different images on the Windows lock screen. The spotlight feature also showed the facts and information of the image location that give users a different experience.
Many Windows 11 users have claimed that the spotlight feature’s images have become stuck and are no longer working. Sometimes, the lock screen does not show any photos, and it goes to the entire black screen.
There are some practical ways you can solve the spotlight not working problem.
This section will show you several tested and proven solutions to solve the spotlight not working issue on Windows 11 computers.
Let’s dive right in to see what solution you have to solve the spotlight not working issue.
Here are the steps to fix the Windows 11 spotlight not working issue:
1. Check Network Connection & Restart WiFi Router
Commonly, the Windows Spotlight feature displays the different lock screen images. These lock screen images are downloaded from Bing daily using your active internet connection.
But, your screen will be stuck on that image if you don’t have an active internet connection because the spotlight feature cannot download the new photos and other information.
So, first, you need to check your internet speed to ensure your internet speed is stable and safe. To confirm this, use Speedtest by Ookala or Fast.com to run a speed test to calculate your internet speeds.
If your speed test result is not good as you expected, then you can try to fix your error by restarting your router. Here are the steps to restart your router correctly:
- Unplug the router power cable from the wall socket and router itself.
- Wait for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Plug the power cable into the router and wall socket, then press the power button to turn on the router.
- Wait a few seconds or minutes to reconnect the internet.
After establishing your network connection, recheck your network connection speed to ensure your network connection problem is solved. Then, recheck the spotlight feature to make sure the feature is working correctly.
But, if you continue to have issues with your internet, you should contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) and report the problem.
2. Run System Maintenance Troubleshooter
If your Windows 11 spotlight feature is not working correctly, run the system maintenance troubleshooter to automatically identify and resolve the issue. This method is one of the practical methods to solve the spotlight feature problem quickly.
Follow the steps below to run the system maintenance troubleshooter:
- Press Win + S keys on your keyboard or click on the Windows Search icon on the left-side corner of the taskbar to open Windows Search Panel.
- Type the control panel into the search bar and press the Enter button to open the Control Panel.
- Set your control panel window viewed by Large Icons.
- Scroll down and find out the Troubleshooting option, then click on it to open the available troubleshooting option.
- Select System and Security option.
- Click on the System Maintenance option under the System section.
- Click on the Advanced link.
- Check the Apply repairs automatically checkbox.
- Click on the Next button to start the troubleshooting.
- Click on the Try troubleshooting as an administrator to detect the issues and resolve the fixes with administrator permissions.
- Wait a few times to detect and resolve the problems automatically.
- After a while, the System Maintenance troubleshooting is complete and shows the result.
- Click on the Close button to exit the System Maintenance troubleshooting window.
- Check to see whether the spotlight feature is not working problem is solved.
You may also like to read: Delete Temp Files on Windows 11.
3. Turn off Metered Connection
According to some users, A metered connection is the reason for the Spotlight not working issue in Windows 11. It is unable to download new photos as a result of this. If you find yourself in this situation, simply turn off the Metered connection.
Follow these steps to turn off the metered connection:
- Press the Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings. Or
- Click on the Start icon at the left side corner at the taskbar and select Settings app under the Pinned apps to open the System Settings.
- Select the Network & internet tab on the left side settings menu panel.
- Select the Ethernet option on the right-side top of the window.
- Make sure to toggle off the switch next to Metered connection if the switch is turned on.
- Restart your computer to apply the changes and see whether the spotlight feature problem is solved.
Check out our expert-recommended post on how to solve Error 0x00000001 in Game Pass on Windows 11.
4. Re-enable Windows Spotlight
Another effective way to solve the Windows spotlight not working problem on your Windows 11 system is to disable the spotlight feature and enable it again. Applying this simple solution may help you fix the spotlight not working issue.
Follow the steps below to re-enable the Windows Spotlight feature:
- Press the Win + I keys on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings. Or,
- Click on the Start icon at the left side corner at the taskbar and select Settings app under the Pinned apps to open the System Settings.
- Select the Personalization tab on the left side settings menu panel.
- Select the Lock screen option on the right-side top of the window.
- Click on the drop-down menu next to the Personalize your lock screen.
- Select Picture or Slide Show option to disable the Windows Spotlight feature.
- Restart your computer and navigate to the Personalize your lock screen again.
- Select the Windows Spotlight option to enable the Windows Spotlight feature again.
- Press Win + L keys on your keyboard to lock the screen and see whether your problem is solved.
5. Re-register Spotlight Using PowerShell
You can resolve the Windows spotlight not working issue by re-registering the Spotlight feature in the PowerShell console.
However, you must disable the Spotlight feature on your Windows 11 computer before beginning this procedure. You can follow Method 4: Re-enable Windows Spotlight to disable the Spotlight feature.
Follow these steps to re-register the Spotlight feature in the PowerShell console:
- Press Win + S keys on your keyboard or click on the Windows Search icon on the left-side corner of the taskbar to open Windows Search Panel.
- Type powershell into the search bar.
- Click on Run as administrator to open the Windows PowerShell with administrator privilege.
- Enter the following command into the PowerShell and hit the Enter key.
- Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ContentDeliveryManager* | foreach {Add-AppxPackage “$($_.InstallLocation)\appxmanifest.xml” -DisableDevelopmentMode -register}
- After executing the command successfully, close the Windows PowerShell.
- Restart your computer and navigate to the Personalize your lock screen again.
- Select the Windows Spotlight option to enable the Windows Spotlight feature again.
- Press Win + L keys on your keyboard to lock the screen and see whether your problem is solved.
Check out the easiest way to Fix Function Keys Stopped Working on Windows 11.
6. Uninstall BitDefender (If Applicable)
Uninstalling Bitdefender antivirus can help fix the Windows Spotlight feature not working in Windows 11. The solution is getting on the answers.microsoft forum according to user complaints.
Follow the steps below to uninstall the BitDefender antivirus:
- Press Windows Key + I on your keyboard to open the Windows System Settings App.
- Click on the Windows icon on your taskbar, and then click on the Settings icon under the pinned apps to open Windows Settings.
- Select the Apps tab option from the left side settings menu panel.
- Click on the Apps & features option at the top of the right side screen.
- Scroll down and find your Bitdefender antivirus application. (In this example, I’m showing you another antivirus uninstall process that I use.)
- Click on the three-dot menu and select the Uninstall button.
- Click on the Uninstall button to confirm to delete or remove the app.
7. Clean the Spotlight Assets
You can resolve the Windows spotlight not working issue by cleaning the Spotlight feature cache.
However, you must disable the Spotlight feature on your Windows 11 computer before beginning this procedure. You can follow Method 4: Re-enable Windows Spotlight to disable the Spotlight feature.
Follow the steps below the clean the Windows Spotlight cache:
- Press Win + R keys on your keybaord to open the Windows Run Program.
- Enter the following command to open the Spotlight Assets folder:
- %USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets
- Press Ctrl + A keys on your keyboard to select all the files and hit the DEL key or click on the Recycle Bin icon to delete all the selected files.
- Restart your computer and navigate to the Personalize your lock screen again.
- Select the Windows Spotlight option to enable the Windows Spotlight feature again.
- Press Win + L keys on your keyboard to lock the screen and see whether your problem is solved.
8. Run the System File Checker (SFC) Tool
Another option to fix the spotlight feature not working issue on your Windows 11 system is to run the System File Checker (SFC) tool to scan and restore the corrupted system files.
Follow the steps below to fix the spotlight feature not working issue on your Windows 11 system by the SFC tool:
- Press the Win + S key on your keyboard to open the Windows Search panel.
- Type cmd and click on Run as administrator to open the Command Prompt with admin privileges.
- Type the sfc /scannow command. Hit the Enter button to run the SFC tool to scan and restore the corrupted system files.
- Wait until the process is complete.
- After the successful scan, see whether your error is solved.
Final Thoughts
Windows Spotlight is a built-in feature in Windows 11 to see different images on your lock screen. The image location’s facts and information were also displayed in the spotlight, providing users with a unique experience.
There are some typical causes of the spotlight issues. In this post, I describe these potential causes that occur in the spotlight not working problem.
There are several practical solutions to solve the spotlight, not working problems. Here I demonstrate several tested and proven solutions to solve the spotlight not working issues on Windows 11 system computers.
I hope you found this post to be informative. If you found your solution, please let me know which method works for you.
You may also look at other posts if you’re interested in learning more about similar topics.
