If possible, could you take a photo of the "Software Update" screen that gets displayed after following the Setup (the gear icon) -> General -> Software Update menu item chain? (Or if not, the text for the two Model ID entries, the two version entries in the version listing, and the buttons showing along with which of the buttons are active/selectable.) If you see a difference between the "Software Update" screen without the USB with the update file(s) inserted and with it inserted as instructed by the software/firmware update instructions, another photo of that or a description of what's different in what's displayed.

Also, which model ID, 17LML2NA-DB50 or 17LDL2NA-DB30, did you select to download the update file(s) for?

I'm not aware of a means to force a software update. The multimedia system's software update process has validation checks to ensure the file(s) on the USB flash drive are valid for the Model ID and that the file version (s) are newer than is already loaded in the system. From the "Vehicle Installation Instructions":
The reason I'm asking for that is the " check for updates" icon has me thinking something isn't working quite right so it would help if I could see what you're seeing and hopefully figure out what might be going on.

An old version of the on-board map database shouldn't have any effect on the software update.

At one time there was a web page on the (US) Lexus web site where you could pay for a two year renewal of the dynamic navigation subscription and find a download link to download an update file to the latest version of the on-board database for transferring to a USB flash drive and updating the on-board map database in a manner similar to the USB flash drive software update procedures. However, when Lexus updated and reorganized their website when the "new" Lexus Interface with Drive Connect system, that web page either got deleted or hidden to the point where it can't be found anymore.

So, if you ever do want to update your ES's on-board map database, a visit to a dealer's service department (or possibly some service department with an active subscription to TechStream) will be needed.

The TechStream subscription is because that's what my Lexus dealer's service department finally figured out (when my car was in the shop for the update) was what to use to obtain and download onto a USB flash drive for updating my 2019 ES's navigation system. (I don't know why the service manager thought I needed to preorder the map database update and the parts department supposedly verified the part needed and ordered - !! an SD Card loaded with the update !! - for my 2019 ES. It wasn't until the service technician went to do the update that they figured out there's no SD card slot on 2019 ESs to use for on-board map database updates and subsequently figured out what really was the process that worked.)

 

sorry for the late reply to all:
it appears my Nav system has an automatic updating design. So, I have no options to Update on my own.
As for the screen going blank at times, it has not done that again since I orginally posted. So I am good for now.!
Thank you all for your efforts in your replies.
Brian