"Scan for Plug-ins" function failure

contextual; Several different VSTs installed, OS is Win11, 64bit system, good expensive system, clean installs of everything, is a new pc.

Problem: not a single VST can be found.

Adobe Audition > VST plugin manager > scan for plugins > “nothing found”

Tried everything. VSTs are 64bit, system is 64bit, app is 64bit.

tried; Steinberg, Slate drums, and a bunch of others.

have read up many others having same issue in forums with no responses or fixes.