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Bluetooth Troubleshooter says "device does not have bluetooth", when bluetooth is native on my device

Anonymous
2020-02-05T02:57:51+00:00

Hi, I have a Dell Inspiron 17-7779 and was having an issue while running a program that utiliized Bluetooth 4.0, where the Bluetooth would be working find, and then the program said Bluetooth was turned off, and when I went to go turn it back on, the option to turn it on does not exist. 

I followed lots of troubleshooting and completed the following steps:

  • Restarted my computer (several times)
  • Ran "services.msc" and restarted "Bluetooth Support Service"
  • Windows said drivers were out of date

Eventually, I came across a Microsoft post that suggested uninstalling the device, which I did. I restarted my computer, and ran Windows Update, and no drivers were installed. In Device Manager again, the Bluetooth device was gone, even when checking "Show hidden devices" under "View".

I ran Bluetooth Troubleshooter, which then told me that "Device does not have Bluetooth. Bluetooth is not available on this device". I restarted the computer and repeated previous steps several times with no success. I have tried 2 different driver programs that both do not detect nor fix the issue. I have gone to both the Dell and Intel websites and tried to install the latest driver. The driver that was downloaded that I installed was the "Intel(R) Dual Band Wireless-AC 3165". Restarted computer. Restarted Bluetooth Support Service. Still, my computer fails to recognize that it even has Bluetooth. 

Does this leave me to do a system reset? 

Help/suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Devices and drivers

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-02-05T03:05:42+00:00

    Hi Joey. I'm Greg, an installation specialist, 10 years Windows MVP, and Volunteer Moderator here to help you..

    I'll give all possible steps for troubleshooting Bluetooth in order of priority, so even if you've tried them please do it over in sequence. Many problems right now are being solved by updating to the latest version so if you want to skip to that step see the Repair Install at bottom:

    Try Updating the Bluetooth driver from the PC maker's Support Downloads webpage for your exact model. Install it even if it's the same or newer than the one in Device Manager reached by right clicking the Start button.

    Right click Start button to access Device Manager, locate Bluetooth device (if necessary from View tab Show Hidden Devices), on Driver tab see if Roll Back is available, if not try Update Driver, first automatically, then Browse, then Let Me Pick to try all previously installed Drivers.

    If these fail Uninstall the Driver, restart PC to reinstall. If the BT driver is not there, access the View tab in Device Manager to "Show Hidden Devices."

    Make sure you're pairing correctly as shown here: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/15290/...

    See Fixes here which are all working:

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

    https://superuser.com/questions/1017867/make-wi...

    https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/for...

    https://www.lifewire.com/fix-windows-10-bluetoo...

    Try the Bluetooth troubleshooter at Settings > Update & Security > Troubleshoot.

    Try turning off Fast Startup at Settings > System > Power & Sleep > Additional Power Settings > Choose what Power buttons do > Change settings that are unavailable > uncheck Fast Startup.

    If this is a mic or headset right click Volume icon in System Tray to Open Sound Settings, make sure the correct device is selected for input or output in the dropdown menu.

    Then try pairing again, if necessary run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter again.

    If this was caused by a Version Update then for 10 days you can roll it back in Settings>Update & Security>Recovery and then hide it until it matures using the Hide Updates Tool which is explained more here:

    https://www.howtogeek.com/223864/how-to-uninsta....

    If you think the BT adapter has failed, you can replace it easily with a USB nano adapter like this one: https://www.amazon.com/ZEXMTE-Bluetooth-Receive...

    Go over this checklist to make sure the install is set up correctly, optimized for best performance, and any needed repairs get done: http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wiki...

    Start with Step 4 to turn off Startup freeloaders which can conflict and cause issues, then Step 7 to check for infection the most thorough way, then step 10 to check for damaged System Files. Then continue with the other steps to go over your install most thoroughly.

    If nothing else helps you can run a Repair Install by installing the Media Creation Tool and choosing from it to Upgrade Now. This reinstalls Windows in about an hour while saving your files, apps and most settings, solves many problems while also bringing it up to the latest version 1909 which you need anyway and by the most stable method. http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-10/m....

    I hope this helps. Feel free to ask back any questions and let us know how it goes. I will keep working with you until it's resolved.

    ________________________________________________________

    Standard Disclaimer: There are links to non-Microsoft websites. The pages appear to be providing accurate, safe information. Watch out for ads on the sites that may advertise products frequently classified as a PUP (Potentially Unwanted Products). Thoroughly research any product advertised on the sites before you decide to download and install it.

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  1. Anonymous
    2020-06-25T19:12:41+00:00

    Mr. Windows MVP's answer didn't do anything for me. Here's how I managed to fix this:

    1. Open device manager (type it into the search bar on the bottom left or hit Windows+R and type devmgmt.msc)
    2. Click 'View' on the top, and select 'Show Hidden Devices'
    3. If Bluetooth pops up (which it did for me, thankfully), click on it. Right click each of the tabs that appears under Bluetooth and uninstall ALL of them.
    4. Restart your computer. The computer will automatically re-install everything and it should appear again.

    I hope this could helps somebody, because it sure would have helped me 2 hours ago, haha.

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  2. Anonymous
    2020-04-19T16:36:53+00:00

    Hey Greg, 

    I apologize for the long delay in response. All of the steps were not really possible except for the last one, given that the computer had no indication of bluetooth existing on it. I went ahead and ran the repair install, and came back the next morning to find out that my PC still didn't recognize that it had bluetooth capabilities. 

    I ran through the steps again, and unfortunately I wasn't paying attention to which step did it, but one of them did end up solving the issue! I wish I could say which, but I can't say for sure.

    Thanks for the time and effort you put into the problem and for fixing my computer!

    Joey

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