How to Troubleshoot Bluetooth devices!

Anonymous
2009-08-07T02:06:02+00:00

I just bought a new laptop that supports Bluetooth and when try to connect my Bluetooth phone, mouse and headphones things just don’t work. I’m not making any progress. I’m having trouble getting these set up and working properly. Can someone point me to some general Bluetooth troubleshooting information that might help?

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments
Answer accepted by question author
Anonymous
2009-08-07T02:07:42+00:00

Basic troubleshooting usually starts the same as with any other type of hardware devices. Try the following:

·         Make sure that the devices are supported by your operating system and then

·         Go to the manufacturer’s web site and download the latest version of software or drivers for those devices. While you’re there you might browse the site to see if there are known issues or other information for your device.

·         Make sure the Bluetooth device is listed in the Bluetooth Devices Browser in the Control Panel (keep in mind that some Bluetooth devices may install a custom dialog window for their device in the control panel).

·         Make sure that you’re system is up to date on any service packs and other updates for your operating system

For additional troubleshooting, browse to the topics listed below for other scenarios that you may run into.

You can also search the forums or even the manufacturer’s web sites for help for other issues with specific Bluetooth devices.

Troubleshoot problems with Bluetooth enabled devices

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Hel p/11a74104-645d-40d4-b933-bde5d15537bb1033.mspx

Set up a Bluetooth enabled device

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/67cdb8d4-c3fe-43db-a00e-53159bf8695b1033.mspx

What is a Bluetooth personal area network (PAN)?

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/c4d99703-d2da-4132-acda-7d23815609531033.mspx

911894 You receive an error message immediately after you install the USB transceiver for a Microsoft keyboard or optical mouse to configure Bluetooth on a Windows XP SP2-based computer

960531 The Bluetooth item in Control Panel on a Windows Vista SP2-based computer does not work as expected when you click the item

Connect to a Bluetooth personal area network (PAN)

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/en-US/Help/703a6d0e-62dc-4382-a6b8-fc247a7964831033.mspx

Was this answer helpful?

6 people found this answer helpful.
0 comments

58 additional answers

Sort by: Newest
Most helpful Newest Oldest
  1. Anonymous
    2009-12-01T21:46:44+00:00

    There are a few different issues being described here.  I can try to help, but please post a new topic for them.  If we find steps that are good to add to this troubleshooting thread, we can add them.  Gator5000e:  Please uninstall any third party Bluetooth software, unplug your batteries from one of your mice, leave them unplugged for 20 seconds, then ensure you have new batteries in one of your mice, and try again.  Please let me know what happens. 

    If the Bluetooth Add a device window still fails to find any devices, please open eventvwr.msc and go to Windows Logs\System and look for errors from bthusb.  Post your results in a new thread with something like "bluetooth unable to (discover or install) XXX type of mouse" so we can track these issues separately.  Do the same with each mouse if you have time, but if the behavior is different, let's go with different threads.  I'll do my best to check in for responses each day this week.

    Todd [MSFT]

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  2. Anonymous
    2009-12-01T20:42:35+00:00

    I am also having a problem with Bluetooth mice. I have tried three of them and none are working. In some, the looking for BT devices never finds anything. For others, it sees a mouse and the picture gets added to the device window but I can't not do anything with it. If I go to properties for the device, under service for the device there is nothing - jsut a bloank screen. None of the ID info is sceen in the dialog box either. Apparently this is a big problem as there are all sorts of entries of bluetooth connection problems if one does a google search. Dell told me this is a MS problem (surprise) but from what I am seeing, it appears to be so.

    I see that no MS rep has been on this page since August, well before the official release of W7. Maybe we should take that as a hint that they have no idea how to fix this problem. As much as I like W7, I never had this issue with XP.

    BTW, I am running W7 Professional, 64 bit.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  3. Anonymous
    2009-11-27T01:55:27+00:00

    Your problem lies with Microsoft's native driver, the driver never prompts for the security code to connect, subsquently the device is never authorized to pair, Windows knows it is there but is not authorized to use it. It still suprizes me that Microsoft fails to see the logic here, it's really simple. BTW this was not an issue in RC1 or RC2 so once again as in Vista someone in engineering made a last minute change to a working driver and released it without testing.

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments
  4. Anonymous
    2009-11-26T00:17:10+00:00

    I have tried most things I could think of or that were suggested but there is no bluetooth showing in add/remove programs. I have even tried installing Broadcom bluetooth software and it can't find the bluetooth dongle. Any suggestions

    Was this answer helpful?

    0 comments