Device Manager - Update Driver Issue

This is a weird one, and I can't find any solutions to it:

Computer: Windows 10 Pro, 1903 18362.116

So when I open Device Manager and say for example, I expand Network Adapters. Then if I right-click my Ethernet Adapter and select Update Driver and then Search automatically for updated driver software, it immediately says The best drivers for your device are already installed. This is the case for every single thing listed in device manager.

The normal behavior would be for a box to come up and say Searching for Updated drivers as it searches the Windows Update Catalog for a few moments and either tell me that the best drivers for your device are already installed, OR start downloading a newer driver from the Windows Update Catalog database.

It was working when I did a clean install of 1903, but suddenly stopped for some reason. I've checked GPO's and tried different registry settings from this site to allow driver downloads and what not, but it's still not working from device manager via the Update Driver and Search automatically for updated driver software option. The option for Browse my computer for driver software works just fine.

I've tried other things too:
sfc /scannow - no problems.
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth - no problems.
Device Installation Settings are set to Yes.
Reset Windows Firewall.
No errors in event logs.

So what gives? It's like it's not even trying to check the Windows Update Catalog. Anyone ever run across this before? Any help would be grateful!

dalchina said:

If you wish to confirm the result, you can use a tool like WUMT (Windows Update MiniTool) - free.

Driver updates should be automatic anyway- no real need to attempt a manual check. I can't comment on the timing you see as I don't know the paradigm used.

I tried WUMT and there are no new updates - it does show the updates I've already installed.

But this isn't a Windows Update issue - it's a problem with Device Manager not working correctly when telling it to search for drivers automatically (online).

spunk said:

This is the default behavior for Device Manager. If your devices are working correctly and there are no Yellow Marks in the Device Manager. Then you do NOT need to install any drivers.
If a device is not working correctly, you can go to your computer/motherboard manufacturers support/download drivers site and download the driver you need.

Sorry, but no, this is not the default behavior. I can go to another PC here in the house, open Device Manager and tell it to update the driver and then Search Automatically and another window pops up while it's searching through the Windows Update Catalog to see if there are any matching hardware ID's and if there's a newer version of the driver.

Oh my PC, that window just pops up and says the best driver is already installed - without even trying to connect to the Windows Update Catalog.

Wannagofast said:

Just a thought.

If you have ever used DDU to uninstall your video drivers it has an option in it to disable driver downloads.
If this is the case, re run DDU and set the option back to default with the button on the right side of the main screen.

peace
wanna

I've used DDU in the past, so I re-downloaded the latest version and click the button to set driver downloads back to default and it says that it's already set to the default.

It was this all along:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\DriverSearching]"DriverUpdateWizardWuSearchEnabled"=dword:00000001

I was missing it in my registry for some unknown reason. WTF?!