BLUETOOTH NOT CONNECTING

Question

Using Windows 10 Pro 22H2, 20.100.10.11 intel bluetooth driver. Already tried like a million methods, none worked. I can pair and headphones show as connected in Bluetooth settings but they are located in "Other devices" section, instead of "Audio". Tried two different bluetooth devices to connect to. They also show as "Connected" but disconnect after ~30s and headphones themselves do not show that they are connected. Headphones can connect to my phone, but not laptop. I would really appreciate any help or suggestions. Also be free to ask for any additional information that may help resolve this issue.

Answer 1

Hello,

Can you use this instruction to find out the bluetooth LMP number on your computer? https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/what-bluetooth-version-is-on-a-windows-device-f5d4cff7-c00d-337b-a642-d2d23b082793

Then tell me the headphone's brand and model please. Thanks!

Answer 2

Hi ABDUR REHMAN

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A Forum!

I know how discouraging it is when your Bluetooth headphones appear to connect but Windows refuses to recognize them as an audio device.

Unfortunately, Windows 10 is no longer supported, according to the following article: End of support for Windows 10, Windows 8.1, and Windows 7 as of October 14, 2025. On Windows 10, headphones can pair successfully but show up under “Other devices” instead of as an audio device when the A2DP stereo profile fails to load. This can happen due to outdated Intel Bluetooth drivers, disabled services, incorrect profile selection, or power‑saving settings interfering with the Bluetooth radio.

Here's a few thing you can try:

1. Reset the Bluetooth stack and restart services
   • Remove the headphones from Settings → Bluetooth & devices.
   • Press Win + R, run services.msc.
   • Restart “Bluetooth Support Service” and “Device Association Service.” These services directly affect pairing and connection initialization.
   • Restart the PC and re‑pair the headphones.
2. Reinstall or update your Intel Bluetooth driver
   • Open Device Manager → Bluetooth.
   • Right‑click your Intel adapter → Uninstall device.
   • Restart Windows so it loads a fresh driver.
   • Install the latest Intel Wireless Bluetooth package from Intel’s support site; older versions like 20.100.10.11 are known to cause audio profile failures.
3. Enable all Bluetooth services for the headphones
   • Control Panel → Devices and Printers.
   • Right‑click your headphones → Properties → Services tab.
   • Ensure all available services, including A2DP/Audio Sink, are checked. This resolves cases where Windows incorrectly omits required audio components.
4. Disable “Hands‑Free Telephony”
   • Same Properties → Services window.
   • Uncheck Hands‑Free Telephony. This forces Windows to use the A2DP profile instead of the hands‑free HFP/HSP profile that blocks the stereo endpoint from appearing.

Hope this helps. Let me know if there's anything else I can help you with!

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