Bluetooth help

Question

Bluetooth help

Russ Stratton 0

I'm experiencing a strange issue with Bluetooth on my Windows PC. While using Bluetooth devices (like headphones or a controller), the Bluetooth suddenly stops working at random times. The device disconnects and, at the same time, the Bluetooth icon disappears from the taskbar.

When I check the settings, there's no sign of Bluetooth — it's as if it was never there. However, once I restart the computer, Bluetooth works again, the icon is back, and everything functions normally... until it happens again.

This issue is completely random, and I haven’t noticed any pattern. I’ve already tried updating drivers and running the Bluetooth troubleshooter, but nothing has solved it so far.

Any ideas on how to fix this or what could be causing it?

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2 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

When the Bluetooth icon disappears, that indicates a problem with the Bluetooth drivers.

When that happens again:

1

Open Device Manager (accessible by right clicking your Start Button)

At the top of Device Manager, choose View - Show Hidden Devices

Does that show hidden Bluetooth device(s)

if so, right click and uninstall that

Restart your PC

Check if Bluetooth is then working

2

If Bluetooth is still not working, go to the support page for your PC on the manufacturers website, then from there, download and install (not update) the Bluetooth device drivers they recommend.

If you have any difficulty locating that support page, click your Start Button, then just type msinfo and press Enter, please provide a screenshot of the resulting System Information window.

Answer 2

Since the Bluetooth icon disappears completely, it sounds like Windows is losing the Bluetooth adapter rather than just disconnecting your devices. Open Device Manager and check whether the Bluetooth adapter disappears when the issue occurs. If it does, uninstall the Bluetooth adapter, restart your PC and install the latest Bluetooth driver from your PC or motherboard manufacturer's support website. Also, disable "Allow the computer to turn off this device to save power" in the adapter's Power Management settings. If the problem continues after that, updating the BIOS and chipset drivers is worth trying, as this can also be caused by a hardware issue with the Bluetooth adapter.