Strange Bluetooth problem in Windows 10

Discussion in 'hardware' started by zopzop, Dec 21, 2016.

  1. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    I'm having an odd problem with Bluetooth on my Dell running Windows 10. Ever since a Windows Update, Bluetooth has been acting funny. It doesn't show up in my list of devices in Device Manager and I have to "Show Hidden Devices" to see it. It's greyed out and right clicking it for more information gives me an error code 45 "this device is not connected to the computer".

    The odd thing is, if I uninstall it and restart the PC, Bluetooth is enabled and working on my pc! As soon as I shut down the pc and then later turn it on again, Bluetooth is gone. I need to uninstall Bluetooth and then restart the pc and Bluetooth is working again. If I shut it down and turn it on later, Bluetooth is gone!

    I've uninstalled ALL the Bluetooth drivers and gotten the drivers from Dell using my Service Tag to get the exact drivers. It still doesn't help.

    What can be causing this? How do I fix it instead of uninstalling and rebooting every time I turn on the pc from a shut down?
     
  2. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    Here are two possible solutions I found on YouTube (I've never seen the issue personally):
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Me_A5-G0pcs
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjJT5uR9lvg&t=0s
     
  3. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    Thanks for those, but none of those solutions work. I've been googling around and I can't seem to find a fix for this particular issue.
     
  4. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    Hopefully someone else will be able to provide some suggestions. The only bluetooth problem I've been seeing in Windows 10, is it not working after driver update software installs an incompatible driver. But in these cases, the bluetooth device still shows in Device Manager, and when I uninstall the driver and scan for hardware changes in Device Manager, Windows will install a working driver.
     
  5. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    Yup this is what happens to me, then I restart the pc and bluetooth works. As soon as the pc is turned off then back on again, the Bluetooth goes missing and I have to reinstall the drivers again.
     
  6. Krusty

    Krusty Registered Member

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    If it works after a restart but not after shutting down have you tried disabling Fast Startup?
     
  7. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    Yes. I've tried it with Fast Startup on and off. Same deal.
     
  8. stapp

    stapp Global Moderator

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    Just checking that in Device manager you tried unticking the box that says "Allow the computer to turn off the device to save power" in the Power Management Tab.
     
  9. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    Yes. Same result.
     
  10. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Do you have a removeable bluetooth module installed in the device? Maybe it's time to start looking in that direction. Don't mean to be silly but is bluetooth enabled in Settings/Devices/Bluetooth? What are Bluetooth services set to in services.msc--Automatic?
     
  11. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    No removable module in the device. Yeah Bluetooth is enabled in settings and Bluetooth services are set to automatic. This was working fine before a Windows Update. :(
     
  12. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Do you have problems with multiple items connected via bluetooth or just one? Is there a BIOS update available for your machine?

    Did you test this by temporarily uninstalling the suspect update? Others might be in the same boat, did you check the Dell forums? Or you can ask about this there.

    http://en.community.dell.com/support-forums/
     
  13. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    My BIOS is up to date according to the Dell Driver site. I have no problem connecting devices via Bluetooth as long as the Bluetooth isn't 'greyed out'. I've connected my phone and transfered files, I've connected headphones, I've connected an Amazon Echo. No problems at all. It's only when I shutdown the PC and turn it on later that the Bluetooth disappears and I have to uninstall/reinstall the driver for it.

    I've included pictures and named them so you guys can see what I'm talking about.

    And no, I haven't been to the Dell forums. WildersSecurity is always my first stop for tech help :D

    PS I have no idea which Windows Update caused it.
     

    Attached Files:

  14. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    Try installing DevID Agent (it's free), and see if it's able to find and install a more recent bluetooth driver. Run it when your bluetooth is not hidden.

    Edit: First try the wireless/bluetooth driver here.
     
    Last edited: Dec 22, 2016
  15. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    Thanks for those links. I tried the drivers in your second link and nothing changed. As soon as the PC is turned off and then on, the Bluetooth is gone and has to be reinstalled.
     
  16. plat1098

    plat1098 Guest

    Yes, I understood the issue from the get-go. It sounds like the drivers you're loading are the right ones; but bluetooth should then be working under all conditions and it's obviously not. If you can rule out Windows borkiness (like running troubleshooter for network adapter and power) and you can't isolate the update you suspect is the cause, then as a last resort, consider replacing the bluetooth module. Is running a hardware diagnostic going to yield anything useful?

    http://www.dell.com/support/home/us/en/19/quicktest

    This is what I meant by a removable bluetooth module in my earlier post.

    dell module.PNG
     
  17. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    It seems it's DEFINITELY a Windows issue. Out of anger, I reformatted and installed a fresh copy of Windows. After installing a driver it missed (my Video Card's driver). I turned off the machine, waited a minute or two, then turned the machine back on. Bluetooth was still working. I allowed Windows to update itself, waited for the updates to finish, then restarted the machine like it suggested. Bluetooth was still there. Then I shut off the machine, waited a few minutes, then turned it back on. Bluetooth was gone! I had to go through the usual steps of uninstalling then reinstalling the device to get it to work (until shutdown).

    Oh well. I guess I have no choice but to wait till MS fixes this issue because Windows security is more important to me than Bluetooth (and I'm not about to spend a penny on an USB Bluetooth dongle seeing as how my Bluetooth is fully functional, it's Windows fault it's not working correctly).
     
  18. zopzop

    zopzop Registered Member

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    To anyone who cares, I think I finally fixed the problem. After trying everything : updating BIOS, updating BT drivers, updating chipset drivers, turning off/on Fast Startup, disabling the "allow Windows to turn off this device to conserve power" in power management tab in Device Manager, etc.. I went into the BIOS and saw something in the Power tab. DeepSX Power Policies was enabled for S4 and S5. I have no clue what this was but I went ahead and disabled it, saved the settings and exited bios. I shut down the PC and went out to dinner. I came back, turned it on and Bluetooth worked without needing to reboot! Why does this work? I have NO idea but it works.

    PS it seems that this problem isn't unique to Windows, googling around I saw people with Macs having this problem. They fixed it by clearing/resetting NVRAM, that's where I got the idea to go into the bios and trying to mess around with the power settings (despite the fact that I never messed with the BIOS options on this PC before).
     
  19. roger_m

    roger_m Registered Member

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    It's good that you've got it working now. I'll keep your fix mind if I come across a laptop with the same problems.
     
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