"Start Screen" (?) problem/picture - ON EDIT: *FIXED* see Post #9

[UTUSN]

O.K., totally clueless about computers here so be kind.

Am Windows 10, use Chrome not MS/Bing. Have had this HP laptop 3 or so years, no problems. This is more of a peeve/gripe/annoyane thing than a problem.

Am barely (days) learning the difference between the "Start Screen" and the "Desktop." I think it's a Start Screen gripe.

It has been annoying all these years to have the picture when first Powering On to be changed constantly (by Microsoft?). Annoying when it's a picture I hate (frozen landscapes), and having to wait until the survey question pops up asking for Like/Dislike.

Now, WORSE: The whole rotating program, whatever it was/"Silverlight"? has gone away and one/same picture (desert/cactus) stayed permanently as the Start Screen pic.

I didn't even know where to look in Settings, finally tried "Background" (that's not it. This is the Desktop.) Then found:

*LOCK SCREEN* - also under Personalization. This is for Start Screen, and there sure enough was the ugly cactus picture.

Also there was the "Pictures" option that had the Beach with Cave picture that seems to be the default.


**********My question is: How to get back the rotating pictures (Silverlight?). I've tried selecting the "Pictures" option which only leads to MY personal pictures (not what I want) and tried the Lock Screen on and off. All I can get is either the cactus or the beach cave. TIA

ON EDIT: ---------FIXED!---------see post #9. ------am RID of the cactus; rotating pics are back. Also hate LIGHTHOUSES!1

[mr_lebowski]

1. Well, if you're able to follow detailed directions ... there's a fix :)

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_10-hello/windows-spotlight-lock-screen-picture-wont-change/443cc26c-29f1-4481-80c9-6fb7130f6191

[UTUSN]

3. Well, thanks for the very useful link. Am still pondering "if able to follow directions".

Anything missing here? Will attempt the actual execution when I've decided whether I can follow directions.

***********
How to reset Windows Spotlight
If the Windows Spotlight feature is stuck on the same image, or it's not working at all, you can use the following steps to fix the issue:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. Click on Lock screen.
4. Under "Background," make sure Windows Spotlight is NOT selected and change the option to Picture or Slideshow.

5. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command.
6. Type the following path and click OK.

%USERPROFILE%/AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewyLocalStateAssets

7. Select all the files (Ctrl + A) and hit the Delete key to clear all old images (if applicable).

8. Use the Windows key + R keyboard shortcut to open the Run command again.
9. Type the following path to where the Windows Spotlight settings are stored and click OK.

%USERPROFILE%/AppDataLocalPackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewySettings

10. Right-click settings.dat and roaming.lock individually, then click Rename and name them settings.dat.bak and roaming.lock.bak.

11. Restart your computer.
12. Open Settings.
13. Click on Personalization.
14. Click on Lock screen.
15. Under "Background," make sure to enable Windows Spotlight.

Once you complete these steps, you can lock your PC (Windows key + L), and the Lock screen should show new Bing images.

If everything worked as expected, remember to go back to the Settings folders where Windows Spotlight stores the settings and delete the settings.dat.bak and roaming.lock.bak files.

Alternative method to fix Windows Spotlight
If the steps mentioned above didn't fix Windows Spotlight, you can try to reset the settings using the following steps:

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Personalization.
3. Click on Lock screen.
4. Under "Background," make sure to enable Windows Spotlight. (If you don't enable the feature, you're likely to get an error while running the PowerShell command.)

5. Open Start.
6. Search for Windows PowerShell, right-click the result, and select Run as administrator.
7. Enter the following command and press Enter to reset the Windows Spotlight:
Get-AppxPackage -allusers *ContentDeliveryManager* | foreach {Add-AppxPackage "$($_.InstallLocation)appxmanifest.xml" -DisableDevelopmentMode -register }

8. Restart your computer.
After completing these steps, you should be able to lock your PC (Windows key + L), and the Lock screen should show new Bing images.

Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/how-fix-windows-spotlight-stuck-same-image-windows-10?passport=1526946645

[mr_lebowski]

4. I just did the first set cause my photo doesn't ever change either

restarting now, will let you know if the first set worked.

those instructions are really simple.

[mr_lebowski]

5. Yeah, no first set didn't work ...

2nd set just errored out saying it couldn't find the path and now I can't even get to the folders I visited in the first path, those are like gone even though all I did was delete files, not folders.

All in all ... fail for me.

But they might work for you. Worst case AFAIK is ... it doesn't fix it.

BTW easiest way to powershell (admin) is to *right* click the Start button. And when you're in there, right click at the prompt will paste whatever is in your clipboard.

[UTUSN]

6. Nope. Pasting the first link got Error "Windows cannot find link" -

For starters, getting to the Run window, following the detailed directions exactly (Windows + R), capital R got nothing. Innovating to use the lower case "r" got there.

I guess I'll call HP.

[mr_lebowski]

7. Doubt HP's going to do anything. It's a Windows problem ...

You could try a full-blown Windows repair. That would probably work.

[mr_lebowski]

8. Windows + R absolutely works ...

E.g. if you engage caps lock to make r into R, it still works.

What doesn't work is Windows+Shift+r ... if they'd meant that three key combo, they'd have said that

[UTUSN]

10. Never mind. See Post #9 ----------FIXED

[mr_lebowski]

11. Cool! Man, you really wanted your pictures to change lol ...

I've had an awesome picture of the Hong Kong skyline at night (taken from Victoria Peak) as mine for years and years

[mr_lebowski]

2. Also those places where it says 'type this' you can actually copy/paste it, just be careful to get

only those characters ...

[UTUSN]

9. ************FIXED*********** By Windows Support

From Google got phone support. Got Virtual Agent, which didn't get the right problem, sent me to Phone Assistant, who issued a Ticket # and transferred me to Tech Support. This fellow fixed it, went through the steps to the "Run" window, changed the File Extension adding something to the DAT extension. Now the pics are back to rotating.

The phone # that worked for me: 425-635-2970