Can't pair Bluetooth keyboard - "Check the PIN and try connecting again."

Anonymous
2018-02-24T16:22:25+00:00

I've been using a Bluetooth keyboard with my Windows 10 laptop for months. Suddenly it wouldn't connect, and I made the mistake of removing it from my Bluetooth devices before discovering its batteries were dead. Now, with new batteries, it won't pair.

The problem is that when I go to Windows Settings and select Add Bluetooth or other device and put the keyboard into pairing mode, it shows up in the Add a device dialog, but when I click it, it says "Connecting..." for a long time and then says "Check the PIN and try connecting again." 

That's not the way it's supposed to work! That Add a device dialog is supposed to give me a PIN and then I'm supposed to type it on the keyboard. So I have no way to proceed and complete the pairing.

Troubleshooting steps I have done so far.

  • I've tried the process repeatedly.
  • I moved the keyboard very near to, and then many feet away from, the laptop.
  • I moved the laptop and the Bluetooth keyboard to other locations in house, further away from other wireless devices.
  • I turned off all other Bluetooth devices in house.
  • In Device Manager I deleted everything under the Bluetooth category, selecting to delete the driver files also, and rebooting. (After reboot, everything comes back by itself.)
  • The laptop vendor support app, and Windows updates, say the laptop is up to date.
  • I swapped Bluetooth keyboards between two PCs. This keyboard paired to that PC without issue. The PIN appeared, I typed it on the keyboard, and done. That keyboard from the other PC would not pair on this laptop, displaying the same issue as the other keyboard did.
  • I have seen the solutions offered by ThomasFulton and Hanuki4 in this thread on this forum, but I don't get the same dialogs that these answers refer to, so am unable to use the info.
Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2018-06-05T21:48:55+00:00

I Got It Working

I had this exact same problem, was about to go and get a corded keyboard. 

After some recent Windows 10 forced update the bluetooth keyboard stopped working

after I had to replace the batteries I could not pair it. 

It kept asking for a PIN but no matter what I entered it would no longer pair. 

It would not pair in the Control Panel / Bluetooth & other devices section and

did not give me an option to put in a code. 

What worked finally for me what: 

Start -> Run -> devicepairingwizard

Select your keyboard, click next 

Click 'or enter a code' link below

On this screen a numeric code will be presented

Quickly type in the code you see on the Wireless Keyboard and press Enter

If successful it will install some files and pair!

I had to try a couple of times to input the code quick enough but thankfully it worked.  

Hope this helps out others.

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  1. Anonymous
    2018-02-24T16:29:47+00:00

    Ciao,

    I'm Ugo, a Microsoft Independent Advisor willing to help other Microsoft customers.

    Regarding your question, did you try the solutions proposed by Microsoft in this page?

    https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/14169/...

    Please let me know if this helped somehow.

    Ciao

    Ugo

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  2. Anonymous
    2018-02-24T16:46:18+00:00

    Have you tried pairing through Devices and Printers instead? Also, if you are prompted for a PIN, try 0000 or 1111.

    https://www.groovypost.com/howto/pair-a-bluetoo...

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  3. Anonymous
    2018-02-24T16:53:55+00:00

    Hello Ugo. Your answer is not helpful. I had already seen that page. The only fix that is only remotely related to my issue is this one:

    I don't know the PIN for an accessory I want to pair with. Where can I find it?

    Check the documentation for the accessory. (Often, the PIN is "0000" or "1234.") You may also be able to find the PIN on the accessory itself.

    I don't have an "accessory," I have a keyboard. And my keyboard did not come with a PIN; that's not the way keyboard pairing works. Read my third paragraph carefully.

    Other than that, the page contains generic, basic things that are not at all relevant to my particular issue. I would think that if you had actually read my post, instead of skimming for a couple of keywords, you would know that too.

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  4. Anonymous
    2018-02-24T17:17:40+00:00

    Thanks Andre.

    I did try Devices and Printers in Control Panel. I can't remember exactly what happened, except that it didn't work, so I tried it again just now. I put my keyboard in pairing mode, clicked Add a device, and see my keyboard in the list. I clicked Next, it says Connecting, but after a while it said That didn't work  Try again, and make sure your keyboard is still discoverable. (My keyboard was discoverable throughout this process; I was watching its blinking light.)

    I have never been prompted for a PIN, any of the many times I've tried to pair using various methods. And that's one of my points. I have three bluetooth keyboards in use on three PCs. In the past I have never been prompted for a PIN with a Bluetooth keyboard. The pairing process gives me a PIN, and I then type it on the keyboard, and then it pairs.

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