Windows 10: Next Windows 10 update brings Windows Spotlight, Lock screen content, and another Windows...

Microsoft released a new update to the Windows 10 Release Preview channel. The update KB5035941 is in testing and will be released soon to the general Windows 10 device population.

While most Windows 10 updates focus on security patches and the fixing of bugs, this one is different. It introduces several new features and changes to the Windows 10 operating system, including another push to get users to upgrade their devices to Windows 11.

Microsoft announced the release on the official Windows Insider blog.

Windows Spotlight and Lock screen content




One of the main changes of the update brings content to the desktop and Lock screen. The first introduces support for Windows Spotlight for desktop backgrounds. Windows 10 users may select to display picture, solid color, or slideshow backgrounds currently as the desktop background.

Windows Spotlight adds a dynamic component to it. Once selected, Windows 10 will switch wallpapers regularly using images provided by Microsoft. This brings Windows 10's capabilities up to par with those of Microsoft's Windows 11 operating system.

Windows 10 users may enable the new feature under Settings > Personalization > Background > Personalize your background > Windows Spotlight. A right-click on the desktop and the selection of personalize from the menu takes you to the preference directly.

The operating system's lock screen is also getting a content infusion. Microsoft notes that the update is introducing "weather, sports, traffic, and finance content" on the lock screen. It looks as if users need to enable the feature explicitly first before the content becomes available. This is done under Settings > Personalization > Lock screen.

If you check the current status quo, you will find options to change the background, pick one app that is allowed to show detailed information on the lockscreen, and several apps to show a quick status only.

Another Windows 11 upgrade offer




Microsoft continues to increase the number of upgrade prompts for users of its Windows 10 operating system. With Windows 10 end of support looming on the horizon, it is in Microsoft's interest to get as many devices as possible on its Windows 11 platform.

While hundreds of million devices are left without that option, thanks to Microsoft changing the system requirements of Windows 11, there is an even greater number of PCs that pass the requirements, but have not been upgraded yet.

Microsoft does not reveal how this offer is shown to users. It merely states that "you might see a message that invites you to upgrade to Windows 11" when you sign in. This could be another round for the fullscreen Windows 11 upgrade popup that Microsoft showed in February 2024, or something different.

Windows 10 has seen numerous iterations of the upgrade offer. Recent ones used a black pattern design as it puts the focus on getting the operating system.

Windows 10 users may extend support in 2025 by up to three years. Microsoft has yet to reveal specifics, but it is almost certain that this will come at a price.

Closing Words

As is the case with all changes that Microsoft introduces, these will roll out to the device population gradually. It may take weeks or even months before they land on some user systems.

Now You: Windows 10, Windows 11, or something else? Which operating system do you favor?

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post Next Windows 10 update brings Windows Spotlight, Lock screen content, and another Windows 11 upgrade offer appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

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Windows Spotlight on the lock screen

Hi,

There are multiple causes on why you're encountering this issue. To further troubleshoot the issue, we suggest that you disable and re-enable Spotlight. Simply follow the steps below:

• Right-click on the desktop and open Personalize.
• Open Lock Screen tab.
• Under Background, switch from Windows Spotlight to a Picture or the Slideshow.
• Click OK and close the Window.
• Now Log off and log in.
• Navigate to Lock screen and enable Windows Spotlight again.

Let us know how it works.

 

Windows spotlight images (Lock screen)

This is really dumb, but if you are like me and use spotlight for your windows lock screen images, I actually tend to like some of them alot. They rotate it seems every few days but it doesn't seem to delete them as often as it gets new ones.

With that said I couldnt find anything similar online so I made a script that would pull the files from the folder buried in app data that keeps the files. They dont have an extension normally so I append the JPG extension too them.

I create a folder on your desktop called spotlight and copy the files too it then run the conversion.

I didn't spend forever on this so be nice but otherwise;

Enjoy

Code for the crazies:
Spoiler Code: @Echo off title Spotlight Image Converter cls :checkPrivileges :: Check for Admin by accessing protected stuff. This calls net(#).exe and can stall if we don't kill it later. NET FILE 1>NUL 2>NUL if '%errorlevel%' == '0' ( goto menu) else ( goto getPrivileges ) :getPrivileges :: Write vbs in temp to call batch as admin. if '%1'=='ELEV' (shift & goto menu) for /f "delims=: tokens=*" %%A in ('findstr /b ::- "%~f0"') do @Echo(%%A setlocal DisableDelayedExpansion set "batchPath=%~0" setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion Echo Set UAC = CreateObject^("Shell.Application"^) > "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs" Echo UAC.ShellExecute "!batchPath!", "ELEV", "", "runas", 1 >> "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs" "%temp%\OEgetPrivileges.vbs" exit /B :menu Echo Windows 10 Lock screen image converter Echo. Echo Brought to you by Solaris17 of TPU Echo. Echo This will make a folder on your desktop called "Spotlight" Echo. Echo It will copy the lockscreen images to the folder then convert them to JPEG format. Echo. Echo Let me know when you are ready. Echo. Pause goto copy :copy @Echo off CLS Echo. Echo Converting and copy in progress... Echo. mkdir %userprofile%\Desktop\Spotlight > nul 2>&1 timeout 5 >nul robocopy %userprofile%\appdata\local\packages\Microsoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewy\LocalState\Assets\ %userprofile%\Desktop\Spotlight /copyall /E > nul 2>&1 ren %userprofile%\Desktop\Spotlight\* *.jpg > nul 2>&1 Echo Done!! Echo. pause[/quote]

 

Windows 10 Tweaks

Pressing “Windows+Pause Break” (it’s up there next to scroll lock) opens the “System” Window.

Windows 10: In the new version of Windows, Explorer has a section called Quick Access. This includes your frequent folders and recent files. Explorer defaults to opening this page when you open a new window. If you’d rather open the usual This PC, with links to your drives and library folders, follow these steps:

• Open a new Explorer window.
• Click View in the ribbon.
• Click Options.
• Under General, next to “Open File Explorer to:” choose “This PC.”
• Click OK

credit to Lifehacker.