How to reconnect to a already paired bluetooth A2DP headset?

Anonymous

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.

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.

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Anonymous

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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67 additional answers

Anonymous

2014-05-02T18:00:14+00:00

I have {less than 2 weeks), Window 8.

I have paired the bluetooth device. But when I follow the steps above, I'm not seeing the device in there. Only the installed speakers.

Help!

Thanks, Sporttrac986
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Anonymous

2014-03-30T00:10:56+00:00
MDS, you should try this:

Darkclad's post on January 26, 2010...

:( 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.

MDS: this worked for me !!!
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Anonymous

2014-03-29T23:29:14+00:00

Excellent find Darkclad, this is obviously the best way to reconnect an already paired device... I opened the Bluetooth settings but never thought of clicking the audio tab.... indeed why bury it so deep ? An afterthought maybe, somebody suddenly woke up too late, but in the end, why should MS make it simpler, after all people are used to loose incredibly long time periods getting around Window's whims (all Windows), that's what one discovers when switching to OSX or even Linux, much much less time lost to get things done.... once you know the system.
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Anonymous

2014-03-02T05:49:10+00:00

Did you find a solution?

How did you break the paring and repair it?

Do you mean the pairing of the Bose and Win7 PC or the Bose and Win8 Phone?

I have the exact same issue now. My Win7 PC added Bose AE2W as Bluetooth device but it doesn't give me any sound. I check all the sound settings - Playback devices, Recording devices.

the sound level bar is moving up and down if I play something under "Communications Headphones" as I made Microphone Array Listen properties checked on "Listen to this device - Communications Headphones" But Bose headset's BT light is still blue and blinking, meaning it's not connected w/ the PC. The microphone seems to be working but I have no way to hear my voice either.

I'm about to return this Bose headset, but my Vista PC is working just okay. So there should be some prob with Win7 PCs.

Please Please let me know the solution.

Thank you.
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