My Bluetooth has been working just fine and now all of a sudden I no longer have Bluetooth on my computer.

Yesterday my headphones worked one minute; the next minute I could no longer use them, I could not disconnect them, I could not connect a different set. Basically all Bluetooth function is gone.

The Bluetooth icon on the Bottom tray has vanished and Bluetooth is no longer listed in Devices list.

No idea how this could have happened. One minute I had Bluetooth and now it's just...gone.

Any idea what to do now?

EDIT

Further information:

In Device Manager, if I select Show Hidden Devices, the Bluetooth icon pops up again on the list of devices. I've check all of the updates for the items listed under Bluetooth and they are all up to date. If I exit Device Manager and go back in Bluetooth is once again hidden.

My computer updated Windows in the middle of the night (not last night but the night before). My headphones were connected but I guess as soon as the battery wore down and I tried to use my second set the lack of Bluetooth functionality became evident.

Try looking for Bluetooth in your list of Programs. See what devices are listed there and if you can right click anything to put back in the system tray.

This link indicates this is not unusual. It says something about restarting the Bluetooth service, but I didn't read it all.


Disappearing Bluetooth

Thanks, but I have this sinking feeling it's worse than that.

When I run the Device Troubleshooter for Bluetooth I get this message: Device does not have Bluetooth".

And in the list of Bluetooth Devices in the Device manager, when I run the Properties for each item, I get the message, "Currently this hardware device is not connected to the computer (Code 45)"

Have you tried this from Drac's link. A similar issue not Blue tooth. This has helped me...


Step 1:

I would suggest you check if Bluetooth Support service is started.

Press Windows + R keys on the keyboard, type services.msc and press OK.
Now, find Bluetooth Support Service and start it
Double click on the Bluetooth Support Service set the startup type as Automatic.

Something else you could look at
code 45

I also just wanted to say that googling brings up many people this has happened to, along with several steps towards possible solutions. Hope you can get it sorted.

Winfrey, I did that and still no Bluetooth.



Draclvr, All of the drivers for the bluetooth devices listed under Bluetooth are installed and apparently updated.



However, the FAQ also says :

"To check the drivers installed in Programs and features, Press Windows + X keys on the keyboard and select Programs and features and check whether the Bluetooth driver is installed."

If I press Win-X I can't check whether the Bluetooth Driver is installed because Bluetooth isn't listed in the programs.

Did you try the trouble shoot that is in update and security... troubleshoot.... additional troubleshoot... find and fix other problems...Bluetooth?

I've been checking all those FAQ's for hours and nothing helps. I've been going around in circles.

My Bluetooth shows under Hidden Devices, the drivers appear to be updated, but there just is no Bluetooth on my computer.


Winfrey, yes, I have run the Troubleshooters. I just get the message that Bluetooth is not installed on my computer, and that Code 45 error.

How about this: In Device Manager, Click on view tab and select “show hidden devices”. Right click on the hidden device, click on enable.



Did you do both the Support service and bluetooth service?


Press Windows+R keys to open Run. Type “servces.msc” without quotes and hit Enter.
From the list of services, locate the Bluetooth Support Service and Bluetooth Service.
Right click on the Bluetooth Support Service and then click on Properties.
Check if the service is running. If not, start the service and change the Startup type to Automatic.
Follow the same steps to start the Bluetooth service and change the startup type to Automatic.

Forgive me for butting in on something I know absolutely nothing about but this is reminding me of something I read recently that involved allowing or not allowing permissions. If this is something that might apply and you did not allow some permission, maybe it caused the Bluetooth to stop working?

No, I was in the middle of playing my game when my headphones stopped working and when i tried to connect my other pair I wasn't able to disconnect one set and connect the other.


It's all moot now anyway because I followed the instructions on this FAQ:


"Thank you for getting back to us, Clement. If Bluetooth is under hidden devices and is not connected, let's try to uninstall the Bluetooth device and then restart your PC. After your PC restarts, Windows will automatically install the default driver. Kindly follow the steps below:

Open Device Manager, and select View > Show hidden devices.
In Device Manager, select View > Devices by connection and find your Bluetooth hardware.
To uninstall the Bluetooth device, right-click the Bluetooth device, then select Uninstall device.

I uninstalled the device per the instruction, but when I restarted my computer Windows did not automatically install the driver. In fact, not only is the driver not re-installed, Bluetooth is now not even listed under Hidden Devices. It is not on my computer at all. Not even the ghost of Bluetooth that I had before exists any longer.

I am not near a computer right now, feeding horses . But in the Device manager isn’t there an icon at the top for check for changes or something like that. Did you click it and see what happens?

The key one in the link I provided was to restart the Bluetooth Service. But you said you tried that with no joy either.

When you uninstalled the device and rebooted, that told you everything you needed to know... Bluetooth is no long working on your motherboard. If the service is there, rebooting will reinstall everything.

Now, this is easily remedied with a $20 or less Bluetooth USB adapter such as the one I have on my desktop. Don't know what they might cost there, but this is the one I have...

USB Bluetooth Adapter

However!!! The other issue is this is the SECOND thing that doesn't work on this high end laptop you have from Razer. It certainly deserves a support ticket submitted ASAP.

Draclvr, That is the conclusion I came to, as well -- that the hardware doesn't work. \

I'm reluctant to contact Razer Support. I haven't found them easy to work with -- they seem to think everyone has technical knowledge and they don't give you very long to react. I never did get a decent response about the microphone. This is the one area in which Alienware shines. They would literally go into my computer remotely and fix anything that went wrong, and they did it immediately. I must have used that service ten times over the years.

They, Razer, needs to fix this or give you another laptop. I would be worried that more is going to go bad. You paid a lot for that machine. Give them a call. Ask them to take over your computer and try themselves or send it back.

Not a bad idea, Winfrey. Just because the fixes have been cheap so far doesn't mean there should have ever been a NEED for any fixes. That was my point too... To me, this does not bode well for this computer not having something ELSE go wrong that is not a cheap fix.

I don't "think" anyone can take this machine over and fix it. It appears to be hardware related to me.

Yes, the two things that have gone wrong do appear to be hardware. The Microphone issue was actually the same: the Device just wasn't listed at all.

The tech kid who I live chatted with today couldn't really understand the problem, either. I ran through what the problem was and the bare bones of the fixes I tried, ending up with the fact that Bluetooth isn't even listed under Devices any longer, and he replied with, "Let's start our troubleshooting steps by changing the Bluetooth running to Auto."

I should be getting an email from someone more senior, and I am thinking of asking for a new machine. I doubt I'll get anywhere with it, but it's worth a try.



It's too bad, because this is a kick-ass machine otherwise.

Make sure you don't let them get away with this. This is NOT acceptable for a high end machine like this. And good heavenly grief... "let's set it to Auto?" What did he not understand about there not being anything THERE to set to Auto? OMG!

I know. At that point I was just laughing.

I was wrong about the microphone, It is listed under Devices. It just doesn't work.

In all of my troubleshooting, I actually found a third issue, a USB device that is showing an error, Code 43. Since I don't even know what it is, there isn't much I can do about it other than to troubleshoot it and gaze in wonder at the revelation that yes, whatever it is really doesn't work! My USBs seem to all work, so who knows what it is?

I'm sure you will be girded for battle tomorrow!

Don’t let them push you around! It’s under warranty! They have to either fixit or give you a new one.

The problem is that my personal life has left me exhausted because of my husband's health situation, which is slowly but steadily getting worse, and a battle royale is not something I need. I sometimes have trouble finding a reason to get out of bed in the morning these days.

One thing I've noticed about Razer's Support is that they expect YOU to do all the work, and they aren't very helpful for someone who isn't tech savvy. I'm not used to that. When I report an issue with my new computer, I don't expect them to give me a day's worth of work with the added expectation that I'll have it all done in a day or two. I though that was what they were for. I guess I got spoiled.

That is NOT how to do technical support! I understand any company's reluctance to "take over" someone's computer. I preach it to all my older people when I work on their computers. But still, sometimes, they need to be more helpful than Razer appears to be.

With Alienware they made sure they got your permission in writing first. Then they directed you by link to a program to download. They also wanted you to be there while they tooled around in the machine, so you could watch what they were doing. It was actually pretty cool. It was never anything hugely major, but it was all stuff I couldn't deal with by phone. They also sent someone to my home once when I lived in West Vancouver but that was because I had the super-duper deluxe extra warranty package, which Razer doesn't have.

1st off hagatha sorry to hear that your husband's health situation is getting worse, I do hope and sending prayers your way that he gets better.

As for your Bluetooth problem, below is another link to look at, in this link the one that I would personally try is after Scrolling down and under the title Reinstall your Bluetooth Driver , this has worked for me and others who I have fixed computers for.

Good luck, take care and I hope your husband gets better.

Thank you, Starcom.

try redownloading the bluetooth driver

Reesa and Starcom, I can't simply download a driver because there's no Bluetooth device listed anywhere on this computer now. There's nothing to update. It's no longer a question of updating the drivers. Its a question of what's wrong with the computer itself, I think.

Nailed it, hagatha. Can't update drivers for a device that is no longer available. This is now in Razer's hands, since the laptop is still under warranty.

And Razer is pulling their usual stunt of sending me emails asking questions I've already answered in the lengthy chat session I had.

The "Senior" Support tech who emailed me yesterday asked me to take a screen shot of the Bluetooth tab, which tells me that STILL nobody is willing to understand or acknowledge that something is actually wrong and it isn't user error:

"May I know the details of our problem by answering a series of questions below:
Did you receive a Windows Update prior to the issue?
Have you updated your Synapse to your latest version?
Have you tried updating your Windows?
Can we ask for a screenshot of your Device manager showing the Audio Input and Output and the Bluetooth tab? (emphasis added).
[u][/u]

I can't seem to get through to anyone. It's as though they're speaking Spanish and I,, apparently, am speaking Klingon.

Yeah, I swear every tech support does this. You have to start over with each new support tech. I understand that probably 99% of the issues ARE user error, so they at least try the easy fixes first. However, when I've already done all their stuff, my response to these requests is that NO, I'm not going to send you any of this and YES I've already done all of the above. Ball's in your court. I usually get pretty quick service then when they realize I'm not going to jump through their hoops more than once. And in your case, this is the SECOND piece of hardware/chip that has gone belly up... what's next?

I sent a rather stiff email in response, making it clear that it is not the tech guy's fault, but that I am now unwilling to redo every step when I was very clear about what happened in the hour-long chat I had with someone yesterday.

With respect to the microphone, I did tell the last person I was in contact with that I wasn't jumping through any more hoops but I got nowhere, just more emails with lists of things to do.

My next step will be to ask to deal with someone who has the authority to make decisions about the warranty on this computer.

Again, it's too bad, because I'm otherwise happy with the machine. I runs everything smoothly.

In the end, a company that makes high end computers is only as good as it's tech support staff and policies. It is indeed time to figure that with TWO things going belly up, a third and a fourth can't be far behind.

The only solution they came up with is for me to send them my computer, but I can't be without it for weeks and weeks. It's now the only one I've got. I do al my zoom medical appointments and calls to my mother on it and since my husband's 12 year old desktop just died I keep all our financial accounts up to date on it We basically run our lives on it now.

And when you explained that to them? I have to say, I'd be letting them know you will be registering a complaint with the BBB.

We'll see what they say. I haven't had a response yet. I think the complaint has to move up the food chain.

In that case, hagatha, they deserve to suffer severe indigestion !!!!

Good luck with it all 🤞🤞🤞

I'm not getting anywhere. Nobody is hearing me at Razer Support. It's as though we're speaking two different languages.

I just got yet ANOTHER email from yet another low-ranking tech support guy suggesting that we start by running the Bluetooth troubleshooter.

I ran it again so I would have the exact wording, and this is what it said :

"Device does not have Bluetooth.

Bluetooth is not available on this device. Please try using an external adaptor to add Bluetooth to this computer."



I'm starting to think their much-lauded support is a myth.

So sad and frustrating hagatha. That is exactly the type of stuff I cannot deal with and why I end up just never fixing things.

I sincerely hope you can get it sorted out at some point.

I have to say I have come to the same conclusion. Their support is worthless.

I just found this website and it appears Razer monitors it. Might be another avenue to try to get their attention.

https://www.trustpilot.com/review/razer.com

I eagerly await the response to my confirmation -- again -- that yes, as I have been saying, there is no Bluetooth on my computer.

Wow! 79% bad reviews.

Sorry Razer hasn't been giving you decent support, hagatha! I know how frustrating it is when you're tossed from one techie to another and each one is starting over from square one.

I do have a suggestion--it's a long shot, but it's also easy because you don't have to do much.

Sometimes when bluetooth drops out completely like this, especially after a Windows update, it's really a USB issue. New chipset drivers or firmware *might* fix it, if there are any available on Razer's site. Failing that, there's something else you could try, too:

You might be able to restore your bluetooth (at least temporarily) by draining the power from your laptop. Normally this would just mean powering down the laptop and removing the battery--unfortunately with slim laptops like this one, the battery is usually hard to get to and glued in place, so you'll need to drain the battery the slow way: unplug your laptop, set your screen brightness up high, and continue using the laptop until the battery completely drains. (The more you make your laptop do during this time, the faster the battery will drain--gaming is always a good option, though I recommend exiting most programs once your battery reaches critical levels.) Once the laptop is forced to power down, hold the power button in for about ten or fifteen seconds to ensure the battery is completely drained.

Let it sit for a few minutes. Then plug your laptop back in and power it back on. Once Windows starts, check to see if your bluetooth has magically reappeared in Device Manager.

Thanks, Demosthenes. At least that's not just more canned responses from low level techs!

Demosthenes, I DO have a mysterious USB issue, and I have reported it to Razer, too! Nobody has even looked at that issue.

I expanded all my devices thinking I might as well make sure all my device drivers were up-to-date. In the list of USB devices, I found an "unknown" USB device.

The error message I get when I tried to update the drivers for it was this:


"Unknown USB Device. Windows has stopped the device because it has reported problems (Code 43). "



So, let battery drain completely -- overnight seems about right, yes? Then plug in and power it back on.

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm on it!

Hmmm... I looked up some stuff. One suggestion for that Code 43 USB error was to uninstall the device - whatever it might be - and reboot. Maybe the battery drain will help too.

I've seen that suggestion elsewhere, too, Draclvr. If the battery drain doesn't work I'll try that.


EDIT:

It's back.

I drained the battery and rebooted the computer, but that didn't work. However, after I drained the battery and rebooted, my external fan started making a grinding noise and wasn't working. I unplugged it from the USB port, rebooted again, and the mystery USB device is gone from the Device list, and Bluetooth is back and working.

I'll file this one under, "Huh?"

That's great hagatha! I hope it stays there! I don't suppose your microphone is back?

That was going to be my first question too, oldbroad! Are you going to tell the "crack support team" at Razer that a member of an adventure gaming forum helped you figure it out when THEY couldn't!

So, does that exterior fan work now?

Of course I'll tell Razer Support that an adventure gamer pointed me at the USB! If I explain it all to them very carefully, maybe they'll actually be able to help the next person who encounters this problem.

Yes, the fan is working.

The mic...not so much. I'm okay with that because I have a little external mic that I use for my online medical appointments and Zoom call, and it works very well.

I was wondering about the fan too. Would have been nice if the mic started working also but...

A big thanks to Demosthenes huh?

I know these tech support people operate from a set "script" that they must follow. Problem with this is when they should starting thinking outside the script! Then they don't seem to have a clue!

Absolutely! Saved me a huge hassle! Thanks!

Draclvr, they are reading off a script. The problem with that approach is, a) you annoy the customer, and b) you aren't really paying attention to what's being said.

EXACTLY! And c) you never actually figure out what the problem is.

Unfortunately, you still don't know what the problem is. Why it happened and if it's likely to happen again.

I'm glad it seems to have worked out! This definitely sounds like some sort of USB enumeration issue, which just means that for some reason Windows wasn't properly recognizing the Bluetooth chip as a USB device.

I do think the Bluetooth was probably the mystery USB device, and I've read on various forums that Bluetooth dropping out seems to be a fairly common recurring issue with the network card they chose for these laptops. The bad news is it's likely to recur at some point: the good news is you're not the only one who was able to fix it by disconnecting peripheral(s) and rebooting, so the same fix may work again in the future.

Also found this from a representative of the brand that makes the network card:

"First off, make sure that you do not have any USB devices disabled. The internal Wi-Fi and Bluetooth adapter is a USB device, so if there are any USB devices disabled in your Device Manager, this can cause the Bluetooth device to vanish. If you are unable to enable the USB device, then you should resolve that issue first. Once you no longer have any disabled USB devices, the Bluetooth device should show back up."

Source: https://amp.reddit.com/r/razer/comments/6za4q6/razer_blade_14_2017_killer_wireless_bluetooth/

So it's also possible the fan was the mystery device, and it took out the Bluetooth

Thanks so much for stopping in and helping out here, Demosthenes! Much appreciated.

Thank you so much, Demosthenes! I will be filing this away for future reference.

That's good to know, Demosthenes.

The thing is, at least now if it happens again I have some clue as to what's happening. The "mystery" USB device probably appeared in my Device manager after the Bluetooth vanished, but it would never have occurred to me to look in my USB device list until I decided to update all my drivers the other day.

Thanks again!

Me either, hagatha. After reading the Reddit, it appears it may be specific to the "Killer Wireless Bluetooth." A support tech from Killer posted there.

So now that I've told them how to deal with this particular Bluetooth problem next time they encounter it they have decided to help me with the mic issue. More back and forth, but at least I can live without it is it comes to that.

Oh, good grief! Methinks the much-touted Razer support is a bunch of young kids who have zero knowledge except for what is in their script. I get that 99% of issues can be solved that way, but when they can't, they don't seem to be able to think outside the box or even do a simple search on the issue on the internet. The Reddit entry posted by Demosthenes is easily found.

Oh well.

The laptop itself is so good that I have no regrets buying it, though. It runs everything on High and it just screams along.

I think when I buy myself a desktop I'll go back to Alienware. They're hideously expensive but worth it. Plus they're built like tanks. My friend has my old 18" laptop one as his only computer, which he uses for CAD and gaming. His pro-techy kid opened it up, swapped out the two drives, and installed Win 10 and it's like new. The thing just won't quit.

Yeah, but remember that Alienware was bought out by Dell. I know a couple of people who have said Alienware is no longer the machine they used to be. Other people still love them.

Dell is currently being sued over false advertising on the Alienware laptop.

Mine was a Dell Alienware. It never occurred to me that I could upgrade it. I'm really clueless about things like that.

Well, it appears that if you had an Area 51 R1, you still COULDN'T although it was advertised as such!

I have to say, I loaded a blue tooth game controller on mine a few days ago and held my breath!!!

I would have too, Winfrey!