Metadata staging failed with Error 0x80070490 – DeviceSetupManager 131

If you open the Event Viewer, the Microsoft-Windows-DeviceSetupManager/Admin event log may have hundreds of DeviceSetupManager (Event ID: 131) entries. The entries contain the following data:

Metadata staging failed, result=0x80070490 for container '{GUID}'

(or)

Metadata staging failed, result=0x800704D9 for container '{GUID}'

The above events are generated by the Device Setup Manager (DsmSvc) service, which enables the detection, download, and installation of device-related software.

Cause

Error 0x80070490 means “ERROR_NOT_FOUND” and the error code 0x800704D9 means “ERROR_INCORRECT_ADDRESS”. These errors occur because the device metadata URL is broken. The device metadata URL is specified in the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata

In the above key, a value named “DeviceMetadataServiceURL” stores the metadata URL, which is below:

https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=2257403&clcid=0x409

The above URL is supposed to redirect to the current device metadata URL, which is as follows:

http://dmd.metaservices.microsoft.com/dms/metadata.svc

As the above metadata URLs are inaccessible, the “Metadata staging failed” events are reported in the Windows Event log.

Workaround

To workaround the issue, turn off the automatic driver metadata download option.

1. Launch sysdm.cpl via the Run dialog (Win + R)
2. Click on the Hardware tab.
3. Click “Device installation settings.”
4. Click “No (your device might not work as expected).”
5. Click Save Changes, and click OK.

This should stop the DeviceSetupManager log entries from appearing in the Event Viewer.

Use the above workaround until Microsoft fixes its device metadata URL.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Device Metadata

Note: The above option determines whether Windows downloads manufacturer’s apps and custom icons (metadata) for your devices. A device metadata package consists of a device icon and multiple XML documents, and each document specifies various components of the device’s attributes. Devices and Printers displays device-specific information to the user based on the XML documents from the device’s metadata package. For more information about device metadata packages, please see Overview of Device Metadata Packages – Windows drivers | Microsoft Learn.

Some users say that setting the above option to “No” blocks automatic driver updates via Windows Update. However, when I tested, the drivers updates installed as usual.

Regardless, manual driver updates will work.