How to Reset Windows Spotlight Settings in Windows 11

Windows Spotlight displays a stunning new image from Bing on your lock screen daily. Although it’s enabled by default, you might need to reset its settings and configure it anew if it fails to work properly.

There are two ways to reset Windows Spotlight Settings on Windows 11. The first method involves creating and running a batch file, while the second uses File Explorer. We’ll cover both methods below, with detailed steps for each. Let’s dive into it.

Method 1: Run a Batch File to Reset Windows Spotlight Settings on Windows

Resetting Spotlight settings with this method require creating and running a batch file. But before you can do that, you must make a few adjustments in Windows Settings. Here’s how to do it.

1. Press Windows + I on your keyboard to open Settings.
2. Choose Personalization from the left-hand menu.
3. Scroll down in the right pane and click Lock screen.

   

4. Find the option Personalize your lock screen, then choose either Picture or Slideshow from the drop-down menu.
5. Close the Settings window and open Notepad. If you need help, see our guide on how to open Notepad on Windows 11.
6. Copy and paste the following code into it:

7. :: Reset Windows SpotlightDEL /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 SpotlightPowerShell -ExecutionPolicy Unrestricted -Command "& {$manifest = (Get-AppxPackage *ContentDeliveryManager*).InstallLocation + '\AppxManifest.xml' ; Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register $manifest}"

8. After pasting the above code, save the file as “Reset_spotlight.bat” on your desktop. To do this, click File in the top menu, then select Save As.

   

9. On the screen that appears, type “reset_spotlight.bat” as the file name and choose Desktop as the location. Next, set the file type to All Files and click the Save button.
10. Once you save the batch file, right-click on it and select Run as administrator from the context menu. If prompted for confirmation, click Yes to run the script.

The batch file will now reset the settings and re-register the necessary package files. When it’s, you’re all set; you should now be able to configure Windows Spotlight on your lock screen again.

Method 2: Use File Explorer to Reset the Settings of Windows Spotlight

The second method involves using the File Explorer app to reset Windows Spotlight settings. Here’s how:

1. Open Windows File Explorer, and click on C: drive in the left pane.
2. Scroll down and double-click the User folder, then select your username from the list of user folders.
3. Double-click the AppData folder, then the Local folder.
4. Click on the Packages folder, then select Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy from the list of folders inside.
5. Next, open the Settings folder and here you’ll find two files – settings.dat and roaming.lock.

   

6. Right-click on each file and rename them to settings.dat.bak and roaming.lock.bak respectively.

After renaming these files, close the File Explorer window and then restart your computer. When you open the Lock Screen settings again, you’ll find that the Spotlight settings have been reset to their default values.

If you don’t want to go through the steps outlined above, you can use the Run command instead. This will allow you to access the settings.dat and roaming.lock files directly without navigating through multiple folders manually.

To do this, press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog. Then type the following path in the text box and hit Enter:

%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\Settings

Now you can rename the files as mentioned above in order to reset Windows Spotlight settings. After doing this, close the Run window and restart your computer.

Reset Windows Spotlight to Fix Its Problems

Resetting Windows Spotlight can help fix issues with your lock screen and restore its functionality. It’s also advisable to reset these settings regularly for optimal performance with Windows Spotlight.