The "Windows spotlight" picture on my desktop computer has not changed in days

With all due respect, there is an article on How to Reset and Re-register Windows Spotlight in Windows 10.

 

I occasionally use the link above, and it seems to work for a while before it suddenly gets stuck on the same image again.

 

However, lately, it has even started to display some nature paintings with rather pale colors, which is another one of its quirks.

 

I could press Win + L to temporarily lock my desktop-only computer and click "I do NOT like" this and that image to train the feature.

 

However, I am the only user on my computer, and consequently, I log in automatically, but maybe I should try to do the above.

 

But honestly, I am a little afraid of locking my computer because I have never, ever done that before, so I might leave it as it is.

 

Whenever Windows Spotlight is about to show a new image, sometimes it briefly displays a plain dark blue screen (NOT a BSOD).

 

Good luck!

FWIW I note that the laptop continues to behave "normally" in this respect -- the unusual repetitions of the same images occur only on the desktop.  Both machines use the same screen saver in the same way for the same purpose -- to announce impending sleep.  Removing the screen saver (by uninstalling it and deleting the file) does not seem to have any effect.

Maybe I will try the solution mentioned in Post #13 -- or the Shawn Brink one from TenForums in post #16.  The toucans in the photo are beautiful but I get tired of them when they come back every other picture cycle.

Edited by saluqi, 05 November 2023 - 11:30 PM.

With all due respect, the most effective and almost identical solutions are mentioned in Post #2 and Post #16.

And the essential point is to restart your desktop computer as part of the solution.

Good luck!

Thank you, yes, I noticed.  The link in Post #13 also amounts to almost the same thing, done "by hand" so to speak.

 

In the meantime I have run DISM and sfc, which took an inordinately long time and had an obvious dramatic effect.  The recycling toucans have disappeared.  It will take a few days to see whether that actually "fixed" this -- did it replace the source files?  I am not clever enough to know that, so propose to wait a few days to see.  If not -- as I rather expect -- then the obvious next step is the solution you mention, first posted I think on tenforums by Shawn Brink quite some time ago.

 

I really don't mind if MS knows what photographs I like.  In fact I "like" nearly all the photos that appear in Windows Spotlight.  I have been a photographer, at times as a professional, for more than 75 years, so if anyone cares to know what kind of images I like, they are welcome.  It's not exactly a secret -- indeed, quite the opposite.

You are welcome, saluqi!

There is an article on a Tutorial on Using DISM cleanup-image for a Simple Windows 10 Repair.

On my desktop-only computer, for good measure, I usually manually run these commands:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

shutdown -r -t 0

sfc /scannow

shutdown -r -t 0

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /AnalyzeComponentStore

And if there are any errors, I also manually run this command:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /StartComponentCleanup

I also always manually run this command:

Dism /Cleanup-Mountpoints

But if sfc /scannow finds any errors that are not fixable, one should manually run:

Dism /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

shutdown -r -t 0

sfc /scannow

shutdown -r -t 0

However, by pointing this out, I am NOT trying to tell you to rerun any DISM and SFC commands now.

But the above is meant as an example on how to run those tools properly.

Good luck!

Edited by midimusicman79, 10 November 2023 - 04:30 AM.

Thanks very much for this, which significantly increases my limited understanding.  Among other things, I take it that it is preferable to shut down -r -t  0 rather than a simple "restart".  Guess I need to do a bit of homework.  Truth is, I've actually had very little trouble over the years, and have perhaps.become a bit too casual about maintenance.

You are very welcome, saluqi!

However, please note that you should run the "shutdown" command exactly like this:

shutdown -r -t 0

That means "shutdown" in one word.

Good luck!

I think I understand the "shutdown" syntax.  The -r argument causes an immediate restart after shutdown, and -t 0 makes the shutdown immediate, without a delay specified by a -t argument other than zero.

 

I have enabled, in the "power" options submenu from left-click on the "start" icon, both "sleep" and "hibernate", and "shutdown" is there by default.  I am interested in knowing how that "shutdown" -- and the shutdown from the power button on top of the computer tower case -- differ (if at all) from the result of "shutdown -r -t 0" (other than the manual restart required by both the options I mentioned).

 

A note to avoid unnecessary discussion of hibernation: the APC software of my APC UPS uses "hibernate" to save system data in the (very rare) event of a power outage so long that the UPS battery runs out of charge.  I cannot, therefore, disable hibernation altogether.  I have disabled, in the "Advanced Power Settings" menu, other occurrences of "hibernate" (especially "hibernate after" under "sleep", and "hybrid sleep" ditto) that could cause unwanted hibernation.  In the event of a power outage the system is set to sleep after a short time.  While sleeping the UPS battery will last at least a couple of days, and in fact this occurrence of hibernation, upon depletion of the UPS battery, has never actually occurred (9 years and counting . . . ).

The difference between manual shutdown via the Start Menu (or Open-Shell Menu), the command line, and the power button is that the third option (power button) is NOT a normal shutdown, but a forced (emergency) shutdown which will cause an Event ID 41 error in the Event Viewer.

And even though UPS batteries usually last for 3-5 years, their longevity gradually starts to get reduced.

From 2005-2015, I used to use an APC UPS but ever since then, I now use a CyberPower UPS.

Good luck!

Let me be sure I understand this.  Shutdown via the power button on the tower case is a forced shutdown.  AFAIK that button can be set either to an instant shutdown or to require a 4 second press.  Both versions are forced shutdown?  I might have occasion to touch the power button once or twice a year at most, so not sure I understand its capabilities.

 

Shutdown from the Power submenu is not a forced but a normal shutdown, equivalent to "shutdown -t 0" ?

 

I seem to have been very fortunate with the APC UPS units.  Very long ago I had one of the first, which traveled in my motorhome all over the US.  More recently I installed a new one.  The first battery lasted 7 years; the second is still installed (5 years and counting) and still holding a full charge -- to my astonishment I must say.  I have a "Personal" edition of the PowerChute software.  In a former residence, power outages were frequent (I was GM of the local water authority at the time, so directly involved) and this system continually surprised me by delivering more than it promised.

Today a new Windows Spotlight photo appeared, one I have never seen before.  I am most curious to see whether in fact DISM and sfc have "fixed" this problem or not.

You can configure what the power button does when you press it quickly so you can use it to shut down your computer normally, but if you press it and hold it down for 4 seconds, that is a forced shutdown.

But anyway, I never use the power button to shut down my desktop-only computer unless it freezes, AKA, hard hangs, which is seldom.

I have experienced that the Windows Spotlight feature generally works better if I sometimes interact with it. And click "I do not like" on those few images that belong to that category.
 
When doing that, I get the following message: "Thank you for sending us feedback. We will use it to improve this feature hopefully not too long."

Good luck!

Edited by midimusicman79, 14 November 2023 - 07:09 PM.

Yesterday another new Spotlight image appeared, one I have seen once before, many months ago.  It is starting to look as if DISM (used as you describe) and sfc may have "refreshed" the Windows Spotlight system . . . by replacing the source files???   I will obviously have to wait a while longer to be sure.

 

I have used the "not like" option a couple of times to dump images I really didn't like, and once very reluctantly to try to "restart" the Spotlight by dumping a beautiful photo of the center of Bruges in Belgium (I lived in Europe for a good many years, and most of those images are of places I have at least visited).

I run the DISM and SFC tools every now and then on my desktop-only computer, but I often notice that some Spotlight images return, such as those already mentioned nature paintings with rather pale colors.

And interestingly, yesterday, upon having had one of the above images for several days, I eventually decided to press Win + L and clicked "I do not like", I had to do that maybe 5-6-7 times.

(I did not count the exact number) but finally, I got a new image of a beautiful island in Portugal (in my hurry, I only read but did not also notice its name), for which I clicked "I like".

However, you can check if the DISM and SFC tools have replaced the Spotlight source files, which I am a bit unsure about, as I still have not done it myself.

But anyway, according to the article on How to Reset and Re-register Windows Spotlight in Windows 10, you can view these folders in the File Explorer (you might have to give yourself permission because these are system folders):

%USERPROFILE%/AppData\Local\Packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets

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

Or if you prefer, you can use an Administrator command prompt to view those folders, but I think the DISM and SFC tools replace corrupted system files if any might exist.

Good luck!

Edited by midimusicman79, 14 November 2023 - 08:31 PM.