Bluetooth won't pair

[jorkki]

I dug a little deeper in the drivers files. Turns out the Microsoft cab-package that I also linked to in the other thread is probably no good as the installation files are for a PCIe version.

Both packages do claim the same driver version, 2.9.30.0 though.

The thing is that the sp71572 is an installer for the whole Bluetooth stack for Windows 7, that's why the different version number. It should not install  on Windows 10, but who knows, it might mess something up.

The drivers installation files are also generic in the sense that they recognize many different OEM versions of the cards besides HP.

I think it would be best to use just the drivers files from the package and not run the installer at all.

If you already did run the installer, it would be reasonable to check from Control Panel->Programs and Features if some crap has installed itself that you can uninstall or maybe even check if you have an automatic Restore point created that you could go back to.

Here are short instructions how to get just the driver from the sp package. For this it is easiest to use the 7-Zip archiver that you can download from here:

https://www.7-zip.org/

When you install it, let it integrate itself with the Windows File Explorer for ease of use.

1. Download the SoftPaq http://ftp.hp.com/pub/softpaq/sp71501-72000/sp71572.exe

2. Right click on the sp71572 an select 7-Zip->Open archive

3. Navigate to Win7->amd64 and right click on BlueSo~1.cab and select Open

4. Click on Extract, add BT to the end of Copy to path and click OK

5. Start Device manager and navigate to your Mediatek/Ralink BT adapter

6. Right click on the adapter and select Update driver, select Browse my computer..

7. Browse to the ..Downloads\BT and let Windows start the installation

8. If everything goes ok, Restart and check the driver version again in Device manager and see if BT works any better.

In a perfect world you should now have the Mediatek/Ralink Bluetooth adapter in Device manager but the Bluetooth stack would be from Microsoft (Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator, LE Enumerator, Protocol support driver.. etc.)

[Hogweed]

Thanks for all that... sadly didn't work though 😞

I just got the standard message about the best driver already being installed...

[jorkki]

But do you have the Microsoft Bluetooth stack or did th sp installation earlier go and install the 3rd party stack which is originally for Windows 7.

There was a time when that was needed but probably hurts more than helps with Windows 10.

You should unintall if you find one.

And what did Device Manager tell as the driver version now?

[Hogweed]

Well, I’ve tried it every way I can think of – uninstalled every BT device, including hidden, then restarted, and it finds a “BT device” or something, can’t remember, sorry – so I try to update it, but it doesn't recognise the driver in the folder we extracted from the SP.

So I refreshed again, and every time, it automatically installs RAlink Bluetooth PCIe adapter.

Now I have:

Medialink Bluetooth Adaptor (driver version 2.3.1.0)

RAlink Bluetooth PCIe adapter (driver version 2.9.30.0)

Still doesn't work.

[jorkki]

Aggravating...I asked the people who had been able tfix their bluetooth with the sp71572 if it is still working, let's see if anyone comes back:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Wireless-and-Networking/Mediatek-Bluetooth-adapter-4-0-Blueto...

This seems to have been the road that has led the farthest so far even though I shy away from installing such old stacks.

Maybe once again remove everything and just run that. There is the possibility too that those old packages leave something in the registry that make everything fail.

I need to try and figure out why the driver in the unpacked folder is no good.

I'm wondering about the Mediatek adapter in your list..does it give anything for Hardware IDs for it or is it just a software piece.

Also did you install the KB4089848, I received it automatically just today myself.

The pnputil should be a good tool to check what drivers Windows will use locally to add a device, see messages #16 & #17 here:

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Notebook-Software-and-How-To-Questions/Windows-10-Bluetooth-Problems-a...

[Hogweed]

>> I'm wondering about the Mediatek adapter in your list..does it give anything for Hardware IDs for it or is it just a software piece.

>> Also did you install the KB4089848, I received it automatically just today myself.

Yeah did that manually last week – no joy.

Losing the will to live here – pretty sure I went through all those old fixes a couple of months ago, so I really appreciate your help, but I don’t think I want to go through them all again.

Looks to me like W10 is the problem here… guess Microsoft will either fix it at some point, or they won’t…

[jorkki]

I have a feeling that the drivers are more compatible with the BlueSoleil software that comes in the SP. Bluesoleil is also selling their software but I have no idea if it is any better now.

For the final suggestion why not uninstall the current drivers from Device Manager and since the SP71572 installation took you almost there, how about trying to run the compatibility troubleshooter on it (right click on the setup file in File Explorer) and give it a final go.

I have little confidence in this working but I'm running out of ideas for now.

Time  then to concentrate on finding a mini USB dongle that hopefully works.

[Hogweed]

Well, I had one of those tiny little CSR BT dongles, so tried it - can't get W10 drivers, but it installed as generic, and I managed to get it to pair with my phone!

I can kind of send files to the laptop now - I think - not sure where some of them end up but not others. All seems a bit of a mess.

Think I might give up now - losing the will to live!