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Windows does not have one universal “lock screen images” folder. First open Settings > Personalization > Lock screen and check whether the mode is Windows spotlight, Picture, or Slideshow. Spotlight images and user-selected pictures use different locations.
Common locations by lock screen mode
| Lock screen mode | Likely location | What it contains |
|---|---|---|
| Windows spotlight | %LocalAppData%PackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewyLocalStateAssets |
Per-user Spotlight assets. Files may have no extension. |
| Picture or Slideshow using a custom image | C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsSystemData<user SID>ReadOnlyLockScreen_* |
A commonly reported, protected cache of recently used lock-screen images. |
The second path is not the folder where you originally saved the photograph. Windows may keep a working copy in its system-managed cache while leaving your original file in its original location.
Finding a Windows Spotlight image
1. Confirm Spotlight is enabled
Go to Settings > Personalization > Lock screen. Set Personalize your lock screen to Windows spotlight.
2. Open the Spotlight asset folder
- Press Win+R.
- Paste
%LocalAppData%PackagesMicrosoft.Windows.ContentDeliveryManager_cw5n1h2txyewyLocalStateAssetsand press Enter. - Copy candidate files to a normal folder such as
PicturesSpotlight. Do not rename or alter the originals in place. - Make a copy of a candidate, add
.jpgto the copy’s filename, and open it. The folder can contain files that are not ordinary photographs, so inspect copies rather than assuming every file is a usable JPEG.
This location is community-reported guidance for the current user’s ContentDeliveryManager cache, not a Microsoft specification promising the same path on every release.
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Finding a custom Picture or Slideshow image
Use the reported SystemData cache as a lead
For a picture you previously selected in Windows Settings, Microsoft Q&A community answers commonly point to:
C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsSystemData<user SID>ReadOnlyLockScreen_*
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<user SID> is the Windows security identifier for your account, and the asterisk represents a LockScreen subfolder whose exact name can vary. The directory is protected and may require administrator permissions to browse. The cache is not guaranteed to exist, to contain every image you have used, or to have identical naming on every Windows build.
Do not confuse the cache with the original file
When you choose a picture through Settings > Personalization > Lock screen > Personalize your lock screen > Picture > Browse photos, Windows lets you select a file from any accessible folder. The original remains wherever you stored it; the SystemData copy, when present, is a display cache. Finding or deleting a cached copy does not prove that Windows moved or deleted the original photograph.
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Windows 10 versus Windows 11
Both Windows 10 and Windows 11 support Spotlight and custom lock-screen images. Microsoft’s managed-device Personalization CSP documents lock-screen configuration for Windows 10 version 1709 and later and Windows 11, but that documentation does not establish that the personal custom-image cache is identical across all releases. Treat the SystemData path as a typical lead, especially on Windows 11, rather than a universal Windows 10 rule.
If the folder is empty or inaccessible
- Recheck the lock-screen mode. A Spotlight cache will not be found in the custom-image SystemData location, and vice versa.
- Look for the image in the original folder you chose with Browse photos; Windows may not retain a readable cached copy.
- Use File Explorer’s address bar with the complete path and enable viewing of hidden items if needed.
- Copy files out before adding extensions or testing them. Avoid deleting or editing protected SystemData files in place.
- If a path differs on your build, record the Windows edition and build number before treating that difference as evidence of a new standard location.
The practical answer
For Spotlight, start with the current user’s ContentDeliveryManager...LocalStateAssets folder. For a custom Picture or Slideshow image, inspect the reported per-user SID cache under C:ProgramDataMicrosoftWindowsSystemData, while remembering that it is community-documented, protected, and version-dependent. The reliable way to identify which path applies is to check the lock-screen mode first.
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