Inconsistant lock screen image

Win10 Pro 21H1 build 19043.1526

OK, this has to be the least significant problem in all of Windows installations, but I'm going to ask about it anyway.

I have a lock screen picture set on 4 computers and have "Show lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen" on all of them. On one (and only one) of those computers a different picture is displayed when the computer is restarted and at least sometimes (maybe always) awakened from sleep. The correct picture is displayed if I switch users or manually perform a Lock.

The incorrect picture is one of the Microsoft-provided backgrounds. I probably responded "Yes" to the "Do you like what you see?" question that appears shortly after installation. I don't really remember.

I've tried switching the "Show lock screen background picture on the sign-in screen" option off and on but it makes no difference. It's as though Windows is ignoring that setting.

Anyone have an idea of what is going on here?

Hmm. If the first step in that procedure

1

If you haven't already, make sure that the Microsoft Edge (only if listed), Microsoft Store, and Settings apps are turned on in background apps so they can run in the background for Windows Spotlight images. (see screenshot below)
is really required, I'll stick with the broken function. I want nothing to do with either Edge or Microsoft Store (and would uninstall them if I could). The background picture I want displayed is a .JPG file in Pictures folder. It shouldn't need Edge and certainly does not need Microsoft Store to display it.

Bastet said:

If you only require a picture rather than an image which changes every day then you may have to manually set each pc to ‘picture’ & choose the photo.

As I said (or tried to say) in my initial post, I've done that and it works on 3 or my 4 computers. And on that 4th computer the chosen picture is shown when switching users or after performing a Lock, but the picture from MS Spotlight is shown after a reboot or awakening from sleep.

Bastet said:

As for the ‘like what you see’ this will only show when Spotlight is default & with this you cannot choose your own photo.

I would love for Windows to forget that I ever selected anything in Spotlight. Somehow It thinks I want Spotlight after a restart or when awakening,

Bastet said:

Is sync between devices enabled? If so then it may be syncing the lock screen setting. I would turn this off & see what happens. If all is OK then change the lock screen picture & then turn on sync each of the devices one by one & see if the photo appears on the other devices.

Sorry. I thought I had responded.
I do not have sync turned on on any of the computers. I'm using local accounts on all of them, not the Microsoft account. (I assume using the MS account is required for syncing.) I'm not going to switch to MS account and enable syncing just to debug this minor irritation.

Bastet said:

If not then you may have to try an in-place repair if picture is still automatically switching to spotlight.

I did not try an in-place repair, but I did do an in-place upgrade to Win11. And the problem is still happening.

I upgraded to Win11 last weekend. The problem has been going on for many months - long before the upgrade.