How to reconnect to a already paired bluetooth A2DP headset?

Anonymous
2009-12-03T13:50:48+00:00

I use a bluetooth stereo headset with my Laptop running Windows7/Fedora 12 and also with my mobile phone and with my ipod. I want to connect my headset to one of above devices at a time.

I have paired my headset with all of above devices (Windows 7, Fedora 12, my mobile and my ipod). Suppose I've currently connected my headset to the ipod and now I want to use it with my mobile. All I have to do is disconnect headset from ipod and connect it to my mobile. (The 'connect' and 'disconnect' facilities are there in both my ipod and mobile).

Suppose now I want to use the headset with Windows 7. (it's already paired and shown under Bluetooth Devices). Surprisingly in windows 7 there's no way of connecting to a already paired headset. (when you right-click on the headset icon under bluetooth devices there's no 'connect' options.). Now one might ask why don't you restart the headset? But it'll never work since headset will try to connect to the last device it connected. (in this case my mobile phone). Only way I can connect my headset to Windows 7 now is putting the headset back into pairing mode, deleting the headset from windows, and re pair it. This will take a lotof time and this will also install drivers for four bluetooth profiles headset supports. (A2DP, AVRCP, handsfree, headset). (This will also create a system restore point to make things slower).

Similar to my mobile phone and ipod in Fedora linux it's just a matter of right clicking bluetooth icon and selecting 'connect'. I have not used windows for a long time and may be I miss something very obvious or the way Windows 7 bluetooth works is very frustrating.

I use Windows 7 professional in a Dell Inspiron laptop. The bluetooth stack used is the one supplied with Wndows 7.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2010-07-20T14:39:16+00:00

Hi Jeff,

Reconnecting using Playback Devices works for reconnecting an already paired A2DP Bluetooth Headset to your PC, per the OP. Headsets are usually "dumb" in the respect that you cannot ask them to connect to a specific device, they just try to reconnect to the last device they connected to. Using "Playback Devices" gets around this by getting your computer to ping the device and ask it for a connection.

It sounds like you're having a totally different issue to the OP, namely that you can't get your android phone to connect to your PC after you've paired it. It's probably worth starting a new thread on that issue as it is completely separate to reconnecting "dumb" devices.

Apologies if I've misunderstood you.

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  1. Anonymous
    2010-02-18T19:04:50+00:00

    Same issues here, Zivo, and Plantronics 510.

    they worked great in the Win7 RC, but now that I've upgraded to Windows 7 Premium they work like ____.  They pair fine, connecting is the painful right click bluetooth tray icon, settings, audio, connect.

    Then its a ____ shoot as far as whether or not they become available as the new audio device.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-02-15T04:16:55+00:00

    I have the same problem tried two different headsets and no difference, once you disconnect good luck connecting again. In the old XP you could right click on the device and select connect. Voila! simple. Now all you can do is check the settings and when was the last time it connected, how about connect again? How does the design of this things work? they connect once and pat themselves in the back for a job well done?

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-01-26T08:42:40+00:00

    :( Well there is a way to re-connect :( BUT it is a hassle too.

    1. Right click on bluetooth icon on status bar
    2. Click Open Settings
    3. Select Audio tab
    4. Turn on your device
    5. Select what you need i.e. headset or earphone and click connect

    WHY THE #$#@ THIS CAN NOT BE SIMPLIER !!!!!!

    STUPIDITY

    Whoever coded this in Microsoft deserves Shnobel Prize of the Year.

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-01-23T06:25:18+00:00

    Same here. I have a RocketFish Bluetooth headset, and once paired to Windows 7 and disconnected (from the device) and can not reconnect to it. I have to remove it and pair again. My friend that recommended this device has no problem having this headset paired with his MAC and his BlackBerry. I like a lot of things from Windows 7 (compared to Vista)... but definitely very disappointing to have this issue.

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