Turn off "Windows Spotlight (?)"

I think it's called Windows Spotlight, I maybe wrong, it's when you first boot up or wake up the pc, it's the pre-login screen, that has the Cortana stuff on it. I don't use Cortana and have all but eliminated it from the desktop. Of course it can't be completely eliminated but I don't see it unless searching the pc.

Anyway I went into "Settings>Personalization>Lock Screen" and turned off "Get fun facts etc...etc.. on your lock screen". This worked for a few days, no Cortana. Then poof it's back. Sure enough the thing I turned off is back on mysteriously. I'm not sure if there was an update or something, that could've turned it back on.

Is there anyway to turn Windows Spotlight off permanently? I've turned the toggle switch mentioned earlier back off, but I'm just waiting until it gets turned back on.

Windows Spotlight and 'get fun facts... etc....' are quite separate things.

If you select Spotlight as your lock screen you get a new picture approximately daily along with three clickable links, one that tells you what the picture is and asks 'Do you like what you see?', the other two will open Edge after you sign in with a page relevant to the picture. These links are part of Spotlight and can't be turned off. If you select Spotlight you won't see the 'get fun facts... etc....' switch in the Settings page.

Selecting Picture or Slideshow as your lock screen has the optional 'get fun facts... etc....' switch. I have mine turned off, I haven't yet seen anything that turned it back on unexpectedly.

Is there anyway to turn Windows Spotlight off permanently?

Yes. Select Picture or Slideshow as you lock screen.

This worked for a few days, no Cortana. Then poof it's back.

Do you sign in with a MS account? Perhaps the setting is being synced with another one of your devices?

swarfega said:

Hi there

Windows Spotlight is something different but Cortana does appear on the lock screen.

If you click on the search box and then on the gear on the menu that pops up, you will see a button about the lock screen. Disable that and it should disappear.

This is the switch that was back on. But, I specifically remember turning this one off. It just doesn't make sense it was back on, I know of nothing that would be able to turn a setting off or on.

that's a good idea.