Bluetooth is a common feature that many people like to take advantage of when trying to connect their devices to each other. Unfortunately, like all things, sometimes Bluetooth can break or seem to not even be there.
If you are experiencing this issue on your computer, then it most likely has something to do with your system’s Bluetooth drivers. These are very important when using the Bluetooth feature on your computer.
Below is a list of ways to fix any errors you might be having with Bluetooth and its drivers. But first, let’s take a look at what the Bluetooth drivers are and why they could go missing in the first place.
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What Are Bluetooth Drivers?
Bluetooth drivers are a very important part of your system. They allow the connection between your computer and other devices, such as your phone, to be possible.
However, Bluetooth Drivers are not always included with your set-up. You may have to find and install them on your own.
You need these Bluetooth drivers if you want to use Bluetooth to connect to other Bluetooth compatible devices.
Why Is My Bluetooth Driver Missing?
If you go to connect a Bluetooth device to your computer, sometimes you might end up discovering that your Bluetooth driver is not there. You might not be able to find it within your computer’s settings at all.
There are many reasons that a Bluetooth Driver can appear missing. Some of these are the drivers getting corrupted, malware in your system, operating on a Windows system that is outdated, and missing certain files within your system.
Download & Install Bluetooth Drivers For Windows 10 & 11
If you realize your Bluetooth driver is indeed missing, you can easily get them online. Here are three steps to take to ensure you download and install the proper Bluetooth driver for your Windows 10 or Windows 11 system.
Check Your System’s Information
Before you go to download a Bluetooth driver for your system, you will need to make sure you know certain information about your system to ensure that you are downloading the appropriate Bluetooth driver. If you download a Bluetooth driver that does not match your system, you will have issues running and using it.
You can start by pressing Windows key + R to open the Run application. Type in Control and then click OK. This will open the Control Panel application.
You want to set the view mode in the application to Category and then click on System and Security. Click on System, and you will be able to see general information about your device here.
You will want to note down the brand of the processor, with the most common brands being Intel and AMD. You will also want to write down the System Type, which will either be 64-bit or 32-bit. If you don’t want to write it down, just take a screenshot and save it.
Once that is finished, you can continue to the next step.
Download The Bluetooth Driver That Matches Your System
To start, you will want to open up your preferred web browser. Go to any search engine, like Google, and type in “your processor type and Bluetooth driver download”. Then click search.
You will want to look for an official website that offers safe download links. This is to make sure that you will not get any viruses or malware along with your download.
Once you find a trusted website, you will want to choose the latest version of the Bluetooth driver. Make sure you pay special attention to the architecture version.
After you have found the latest version, you will want to download the Bluetooth driver that matches your system’s information. Then, you can head to the next step.
Install The Bluetooth Driver
Once you have downloaded a Bluetooth driver, open the file. There will be instructions, and all you will need to do is follow them. These instructions are different for each manufacturer.
You might need to have access to your local administrative account, so keep that in mind before you begin your installation. This is to make sure that no wrong or infected drivers are being installed to your computer.
After the Bluetooth driver has been installed, you will most likely need to restart your computer. Then, you are all set to go.
Check The Bluetooth Version In Windows 10 & 11
If you do have an existing Bluetooth driver that is not functioning properly, you will want to check the version of it to determine if your system’s Bluetooth driver is outdated or if it is known to have a lot of bugs, lacks in features, or produces frequent errors.
To start, click on the Windows key + X and choose the Device Manager option from the list that appears in the menu. Then, you can open the Bluetooth menu by clicking the arrow beside it.
Right-click on the Bluetooth Radio listing and choose Properties. From here, you will want to select the Advanced tab, where you are able to find the LMP, or Link Manager Protocol, in the Firmware area.
The number listed here is the version of the Bluetooth driver. Now that you know the version, you can go online and check if it is outdated or known to have issues.
How To Fix The Bluetooth Driver in Windows 10
It can be extremely frustrating when your Bluetooth stops working on you, and it may seem like there is not anything you can do about it. Some people even go to the extent of upgrading their windows from home to pro[2] or reinstalling it as a whole.
However, there are several easy things you can try to get your computer’s Bluetooth back up and running.
Enable Or Restart The Bluetooth On Your Computer
Head to the Windows icon at the bottom left of your computer screen and click it. This opens the Start Menu, where you will need to choose Settings. You can also press Windows key + I, which is the keyboard shortcut to open Settings.
Select the Devices tile, and, on the left side, you will see the Bluetooth & Other Devices tab.
Go to this tab and make sure your Bluetooth is switched On. If it is not, switch it to On.
If your Bluetooth is already switched to On, click it Off, then wait about 30 seconds. After waiting, you can switch it back to On. This will restart the Bluetooth feature.
Run A System File Checker (SFC Scan)
This is a well-known troubleshooting tool that is included in your system. It can detect corrupted files on your computer and repair them if needed. On top of any Bluetooth driver errors, it can also take care of errors like the Unexpected Kernel Mode Trap[3] and other issues alike.
To do the SFC scan, you will want to open your search bar by selecting it through the taskbar or pressing Windows key + S for a keyboard shortcut. Type Command Prompt into the search box and right-click the result. Then choose Run as Administrator.
You will receive a prompt from Use Account Control (UAC), and you need to click Yes. The Command Prompt window will open, and, in it, you can type sfcscannow and press Enter.
After this, just wait for it to finish scanning. Your computer should automatically fix any issues it had, including those related to the Bluetooth Driver, when using the SFC Command.
Reinstall Bluetooth Driver Windows 10
To begin, you will want to press Windows key + X to open a context menu. From this menu, you will choose Device Manager, where you can expand the Bluetooth option by clicking the arrow next to it.
Then, right-click the Bluetooth adapter that is listed and choose Update Driver. Pick a method of updating your Bluetooth Driver, which will either be Search Automatically or Find New Driver File Manually.
Select Search Automatically and wait for the process to finish. If needed, repeat this for all Bluetooth adapter devices that are listed.
Run The Windows 10 Bluetooth Troubleshooter
Another way to address and then fix your Bluetooth problems is with the Bluetooth Troubleshooter. Click on the Windows icon in the bottom left corner of your screen and open the Start Menu.
From here, you will want to select the Settings option. Then you can click the Update & Security tile, which will be where most of your built-in troubleshooters are kept. Head to the Troubleshooters tab on the left side and look for the option titled Bluetooth.
If you do not share your computer’s full diagnostic data with Microsoft you will need to click Additional Troubleshooters and then select the Bluetooth Troubleshooter found there.
Click on Run the Troubleshooter and wait. It will scan your system and identify any issues there are.
Make Sure To Have The Latest Windows 10 Installed
Just like the previous few methods, you will want to start by clicking the Windows icon to open the Start Menu. Select Settings from the options and click the Updates & Security tile.
Most of the updates will give you the option to choose when you will be getting those updates. Click on Check for Updates. If updates are already displayed, then you can click on View All Optional Updates.
After this, click on Install and wait for the installation to finish.
How To Fix The Bluetooth Driver In Windows 11
If you are operating on Windows 11 instead of Windows 10, here are some options for you when attempting to fix your broken Bluetooth Driver. Many of them are similar but have slightly different steps.
Restart Your Bluetooth Services
To begin, you will want to press Windows key + R to open the Run application. Type in services.miscellaneous and press Enter. This will open the Services Window on your computer.
Here, you will find three Bluetooth Services, which are Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service, Bluetooth Support Service, and Bluetooth User Support Service. Start with the first Service and double-click it to open it up.
From here, you can adjust the Startup Type to Automatic and tap Start to initiate the service. Next, tap OK and follow these steps again for every Bluetooth Service.
When you are finished, you can restart your computer and see if the Bluetooth is fixed.
Update Your Bluetooth Driver
Begin by pressing Windows key + X to open the Quick Links menu. Choose Device Manager from the options. Go to the Bluetooth section and expand it.
From here, you will want to find the Bluetooth Adapter, such as Realtek, Broadcom, or Intel. Right-click on it and choose the option to Update Driver.
Select Search Automatically for Drivers. This will allow your system to look for the latest drivers and install them right away without needing to do anything.
When the search is finished, restart your computer and see if the issue has been resolved.
Re-Install the Bluetooth Driver
Again, you will want to press Windows key + X to open the Quick Links menu, so that you can choose Device Manager. From here, you can click on the Bluetooth Adapter and select Uninstall Device.
There will be a pop-up prompt, you want to click Uninstall. Once that is done, simply restart your computer. When your system starts back up, the Bluetooth Driver will be installed automatically.
Change the Power Management Settings
Once you have pressed Windows key + X to open the Quick Links menu and navigated to the Device Manager, you can, again, right-click on the Bluetooth Adapter. This time, however, you will want to choose to open Properties.
Move over to the Power Management tab and uncheck Allow the Computer to Turn Off This Device to Save Power. After that, click OK and restart your computer.
Run Fsquirt.exe
There is a specific program meant for handling the Bluetooth user interface known as fsquirt.exe. You can start by opening your C Drive and go to Windows. Then, head to the System32 folder.
Scroll down until you find the fsquirt.exe program. Double-click on it to open the Bluetooth File Transfer window. From here you can try to send or receive files using Bluetooth.
Run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter
To run this troubleshooter, you will begin by pressing the Windows key. Then, you will type in troubleshoot and open the Troubleshoot Settings.
Click on the option Other Troubleshooters. Once you have done that, click Run next to the Bluetooth option in the section labeled Other.
The Troubleshooter will then run and detect any issues. If it does detect issues, it will also fix them.
Other Common Bluetooth Issues
If you are running into a problem with your Bluetooth, it may not be the Driver at all. It may just be an easily fixed error within your computer’s settings.
Airplane Mode
This may sound obvious, but a lot of people forget that Airplane Mode is on or accidentally turn it on and do not know how to turn it back off.
If Airplane Mode is currently turned On on your device, then Bluetooth simply will not be able to work. It is a bit different depending on if you are using Windows 10 or 11, but we will cover both.
Airplane Mode In Windows 10
Click on the Windows icon to open your Start Menu and head to Settings. From here, you will want to select Network & Internet.
This is where you can find the Airplane Mode option. Click on Airplane Mode and check if you have it turned On. If it is On you will see that it automatically turns things like Wifi and Bluetooth off.
If you notice it is On, simply turn Airplane Mode off, and your Bluetooth should work normally.
Airplane Mode In Windows 11
Press Windows key + A to open up the Action Center and see if your Airplane Mode, also called Flight Mode, is blue or selected. If it is, this means Airplane mode is on, and Bluetooth is disabled.
To turn it off, simply click on it, and you should see a change. It is a toggle switch, so you are able to turn Airplane Mode on and off by simply clicking on it. After you have turned Airplane Mode off, your Bluetooth should work normally again.
Add The Bluetooth Icon To The Action Center
Sometimes, even if the Bluetooth is actually working fine, it may seem like it is not, because the Bluetooth Icon has disappeared from the Action Center. However, try not to worry, because adding it back is quite simple.
Begin by pressing Windows key + A to open the Action Center. If you see that your Bluetooth Icon is indeed missing, click on the pencil icon in the bottom right of the window.
After you have done that, click on Add. From here, you can choose to add the Bluetooth Icon to the Action Center, as well as any other icons you might like.
Once you have added the Bluetooth Icon to your Action Center, you can use it as you normally would, and it should work just fine.
Conclusion
If your Bluetooth seems to not be working, try not to panic right away. There are many ways to fix and update Bluetooth Driver on your computer if you are using either Windows 10 or Windows 11.
All you need to do is follow along with the methods and steps given to fix your Bluetooth Driver with ease.
