How to enable bluetooth on a windows 8.1 laptop. How to enable Bluetooth on a laptop. Possible problems and the simplest methods for eliminating them
In this article I will tell you how and where to find Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop. Bluetooth is a fairly convenient wireless communication option between a computer and another similar device or additional device such as a mouse or keyboard. This connection works at a distance of approximately 100 meters. Literally all computers and modern smartphones are equipped with this function. Bluetooth can be installed on absolutely any operating system.
Windows 8 is inherently simple and very easy to use, although it is significantly different from previous versions. Additional features of this OS make it much easier for the user to interact with the computer; the main thing is to know where on the computer to look for these features. The same with Bluetooth, there were some changes.
How to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop?
Before turning on Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop, you should make sure it is available and working correctly. Usually the manufacturer immediately preinstalls its own proprietary utilities, but there are also universal ones that work on any PC model.
IMPORTANT! For bluetooth to work correctly, you need official drivers. They must be on the computer manufacturer’s website or included with it on a disk. And if an additional Bluetooth adapter is used, it must have an installation disk.
So, how to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop:
This is the easiest and most accurate way to find where Bluetooth is located in a Windows 8 laptop.
Pairing devices
For the first time, the computer and another device will need to be connected to each other, and after that the contact will occur automatically. How to enable Bluetooth device connection on a Windows 8 laptop:
- Bluetooth must be turned on on the device.
- On a PC, in the search bar of the Start menu, enter the query “Bluetooth” and select "Bluetooth Settings".
- Turn on Bluetooth, detect the device and select the menu item “Pair”.
- Follow all the instructions that appear; if they are not there, then the connection is activated.
After this procedure, you will no longer have to think about how to install Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop, because the connection will always occur automatically as soon as the laptop and device come within range of each other. For more correct operation, it is recommended to set the “Allow” marker, this will allow other Bluetooth devices to quickly find the computer, and enabling the “Notify” function makes it possible to receive notifications about attempts to connect.
Why does not it work?
Despite the simplicity of manipulating the connection via Bluetooth with other devices, quite often a situation may arise when Bluetooth does not work on a laptop running Windows 8. This happens for several reasons:
- Bluetooth does not work on the new PC;
- The external module does not work;
- The internal module does not work;
- Bluetooth just disappeared on my Windows 8 laptop.
In the case of a new laptop, it is possible that it is simply not equipped with Bluetooth initially and will need to be installed independently or through a specialized service center. If internal connection is not possible, then simply purchase and install an additional external module. You can check the correct operation of the external module by connecting it to another laptop or computer. And if the operating system was reinstalled, then you need to reinstall or update the Bluetooth drivers.
Bluetooth, as a medium for transmitting large amounts of data, is practically not used due to the widespread use of Wi-Fi.
However, this technology is still widely used to connect wireless mice and headsets.
In today's review we will talk about turning on Bluetooth on a laptop.
At the very beginning, we should mention the fact that for the normal functioning of the Bluetooth wireless adapter, you should take care of installing the correct drivers .
The fact is that after reinstallation, the operating system installs the drivers automatically and often after installing such drivers, the device may not work correctly.
Therefore, you should take care of this and download them from the official website of the equipment manufacturer.
Setting up Bluetooth in Windows 7
Setting up Bluetooth in Windows 8
To enable Bluetooth in Windows 8, you must:
- Move the mouse cursor to one of the corners of the display and open the Charms panel, then click “Options”.
- Select “Change computer settings”, and then select “Wireless network”.
- In the wireless modules management menu, you can enable wireless adapters, including Bluetooth.
In order for devices to be able to connect via Bluetooth, go to the “Devices” menu and click “Add device”.
If the above method did not help, try going to the device manager.
To do this, press the Win + R key combination and enter the command “devmgmt.msc” without quotes and click “OK”.
In the menu that opens, go to the properties of the adapter and look at the warnings for errors.
Go to the “Driver” tab and pay attention to the driver developer (supplier) and development date.
As shown in the example, the driver is 9 years old and it is advisable to install a newer version from the manufacturer.
Setting up Bluetooth in Windows 8.1
To enable Bluetooth in Windows 8.1, you must:
- Move the mouse cursor to one of the corners of the display and open the Charms panel, then click “Settings” and “Change computer settings.”
- Next, go to the “Computer and Devices” menu, and then go to the “Bluetooth” submenu.
After selecting this menu, the wireless module will automatically start searching for available Bluetooth devices, also automatically making the laptop visible to other devices.
Hardware enable Bluetooth on a laptop
At the moment, most laptop manufacturers do not make a separate button to turn on Bluetooh and Wi-Fi, but combine the activation of both wireless modules with one button, or rather with the combination of the Fn keys + one of the function keys from F1 to A12.
By paying attention to the function (F1 to F12) keys of your laptop, you can find a wireless connection icon on one of them.
Almost all laptops have light indicators for the operation of wireless modules, and a lit indicator indicates that the adapter is turned on, otherwise there is no backlight.
Operating indicators are placed by laptop manufacturers, usually on one of the sides or front of the laptop.
Quite rarely, indicators are located directly next to the touchpad or on the laptop display case.
Some HP laptop models have an indicator light built into the keyboard button (F12).
Below is a list of keyboard shortcuts that enable/disable the Bluetooth module for some laptops.
Acer: Fn+F3
Asus, Dell, Gigabyte: Fn + F2
Fujitsu: Fn+F5
How to easily enable and configure Bluetooth on a laptop
How to enable Bluetooth on an Asus, HP, Dell, Acer laptop
After reinstalling Windows 10, 8 or Windows 7, or simply deciding one day to use this function to transfer files, connect a wireless mouse, keyboard or speakers, the user may find that Bluetooth does not work on the laptop.
The topic has already been partially touched upon in a separate instruction - but in this material there is more detail about what to do if the function does not work at all and Bluetooth does not turn on, errors occur in the device manager or when trying to install the driver, or does not function as expected.
The first possible reason for the situation is a disabled Bluetooth module, especially if you often use Bluetooth; just recently everything was working and suddenly, without reinstalling drivers or Windows, it stopped working.
Function keys
The reason that Bluetooth does not work may be turning it off using the function key (the keys in the top row can operate while holding the Fn key, and sometimes without it) on the laptop. However, this can happen as a result of accidental keystrokes (or when a child or cat takes possession of the laptop).
If in the top row of the laptop keyboard there is a key with an image of an airplane (airplane mode) or the Bluetooth logo, try pressing it, as well as Fn + this key, this may already turn on the Bluetooth module.
If the airplane mode and Bluetooth keys are missing, check if the same thing works, but with a key with a Wi-Fi icon (this is present on almost any laptop). Also, on some laptops there may be a hardware switch for wireless networks that also disables Bluetooth.
Bluetooth disabled on Windows
In Windows 10, 8, and Windows 7, Bluetooth can be disabled through settings and third-party software, which may look like "not working" to a novice user.
Laptop manufacturer's utilities for turning Bluetooth on and off
Another option available for all versions of Windows is to enable airplane mode or disable Bluetooth using programs from the laptop manufacturer. These are different utilities for different brands and models of laptops, but all of them can, among other things, switch the state of the Bluetooth module:
If you do not have the manufacturer’s built-in utilities for your laptop (for example, you reinstalled Windows) and decided not to install proprietary software, I recommend trying to install it (by going to the official support page for your particular laptop model) - it happens that you can only switch the state of the Bluetooth module in them (with original drivers, of course).
Enabling and disabling Bluetooth in the BIOS (UEFI) of a laptop
Some laptops have an option to enable or disable the Bluetooth module in the BIOS. Among these are some Lenovo, Dell, HP and more.
You can usually find an item to enable or disable Bluetooth, if available, on the “Advanced” or System Configuration tab in the BIOS in the items “Onboard Device Configuration”, “Wireless”, “Built-in Device Options” with the value Enabled = “Enabled”.
If there are no items with the words “Bluetooth”, look for the presence of WLAN, Wireless items and, if they are “Disabled”, try also switching to “Enabled”; it happens that the only item is responsible for enabling and disabling all wireless interfaces of the laptop.
Installing Bluetooth drivers on a laptop
One of the most common reasons why Bluetooth does not work or does not turn on is the lack of necessary drivers or inappropriate drivers. The main signs of this:
Note: if you have already tried to update the Bluetooth driver using the device manager (the “Update driver” item), then you should understand that the system message that the driver does not need updating does not mean that this is really the case, but only reports that Windows cannot offer you another driver.
Our task is to install the necessary Bluetooth driver on the laptop and check if this solves the problem:
Often, on official websites for one laptop model there may be several different Bluetooth drivers or none at all. How to be in this case:
In the list at the bottom of the devid.info search results page you will see which drivers are suitable for this device (you do not need to download them from there - download them from the official website). More information about this method of installing drivers: .
When there is no driver: this usually means that there is a single set of drivers for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for installation, usually located under a name containing the word “Wireless”.
With a high probability, if the problem was in the drivers, Bluetooth will work after their successful installation.
Additional Information
It happens that no manipulation helps to turn on Bluetooth and it still does not work; in such a scenario, the following points may be useful:
Perhaps this is all I can offer on the topic of restoring Bluetooth functionality on a laptop. If none of the above helped, I don’t even know if I can add something, but in any case, write comments, just try to describe the problem in as much detail as possible, indicating the exact laptop model and your operating system.
Let me start with the fact that almost every laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. Not even on the newest models. This means that Bluetooth on a laptop should work without installing additional devices. I will introduce USB adapters that are necessary for desktop computers. Since there simply is no built-in module. Although, some motherboards already have built-in Bluetooth.
In this article I will try to show in detail how to enable Bluetooth on a laptop. How to do this in the operating system Windows 10, Windows 8 (8.1) and Windows 7. I will also show you how to set up a wireless module and connect different devices to your laptop. I have a mouse and wireless headphones connected to my laptop via Bluetooth. Very comfortably. You can also connect, for example, a wireless speaker, keyboard, mobile phone, etc.
All that is needed for Bluetooth to work on a laptop is the installed driver. The driver must be downloaded and installed from the official website of the laptop manufacturer. For your model and installed Windows system. But don’t rush to go to the manufacturer’s website and download drivers. It is quite possible that you already have everything installed and working. Especially if you have Windows 10 installed. As a rule, it installs the necessary drivers itself. Then you just need to turn on Bluetooth in the laptop settings and you can use it.
Where to find Bluetooth on a laptop and how to turn it on?
Most likely, you already have everything turned on and everything is working. Regardless of Windows installed, if the Bluetooth driver is installed, there will be a blue “Bluetooth Devices” icon in the notification panel. This means it is turned on and ready to go. Check on your laptop. In rare cases, this icon may be disabled in Settings.
By clicking on this icon, you can perform various operations: add a device, show connected devices, receive/send a file, configure the adapter itself, etc.
If you don’t have such an icon, then there are three options:
- Bluetooth is disabled on the laptop and needs to be turned on.
- Removed the BT icon itself from the notification panel.
- Or the required driver is not installed.
Let's try to turn it on.
BT on Windows 10
The easiest way is to open the notification center and click on the appropriate button.
Or go to the settings, then to the "Devices" section, and on the "Bluetooth and other devices" tab, turn on the module with the slider.
I wrote a separate article on Windows 10: . After this, an icon should appear in the notification panel, as I showed above.
How to connect the device?
Click on "Add Bluetooth or other device" and select the appropriate item in the next window.
Turn on Bluetooth on a laptop with Windows 8 and 8.1
Opening the side panel (you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows + C) and select "Options". Next, click on “Change computer settings.” Go to the "Bluetooth" section and turn on the module with the switch.
Windows will begin searching for available devices to connect to.
An icon should appear on the notification panel through which you can manage connections.
How to activate Bluetooth in Windows 7?
If there is no blue icon in the notification panel, then go to “Network and Sharing Center” – “Change adapter settings” and see if the “Bluetooth Network Connection” adapter is there. If not, then install the driver for your laptop model, or check for the presence of an adapter in the device manager (more on this later in the article). And if there is, then see if it is turned on. It may need to be enabled on the laptop.
How to connect the device?
Click on the "Bluetooth" icon and select "Add a device..."
A new window will open, in which connect your device following the instructions.
Or go to the "Control Panel", in the "Devices and Printers" section. And click on the "Add device" button. You can also open the properties of "Bluetooth Adapter" and enable the display of the icon in the notification area. This will make it easier to connect and manage devices.
How to check and enable Bluetooth in Device Manager on a laptop?
If you cannot find Bluetooth on your laptop, there are no settings, adapter, buttons, icons, etc., then most likely the necessary drivers are not installed. You need to go to device manager and check this. Or maybe you just need to use a BT adapter.
Open Device Manager. You can right-click on My Computer and select Properties. In the new window, go to "Device Manager". Or press the keyboard shortcut Win+R and run the command devmgmt.msc.
There you should see a "Bluetooth" section (may be called differently in Windows 7), which will contain the module itself (the name may also be different). This is what I have on my laptop:
If it exists, but with an "arrow" (icon next to the adapter), then just right-click on it and select “Engage”.
Perhaps you don’t have anything similar to Blues in your device manager. In this case, you need to download and install the driver.
Go to the official website of your laptop manufacturer. Using the search (or menu), find your model, and in the “Support”, “Downloads”, etc. sections, download the driver for the Bluetooth module. Install it, restart your laptop and after that everything should work.
Today we decided to talk about how to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop. If you have recently switched to this operating system, then you probably have this question.
Inclusion
Currently, there is a special Bluetooth program for laptops, but we will talk about it a little later. The instructions given are suitable not only for the operating system “8”, but also for earlier versions, for example, the article will be useful for users who use Windows 7. By the way, I would immediately like to note that each laptop model turns on Bluetooth differently . Some devices may even have special buttons for this action. Of course, you can also connect Bluetooth through specialized utilities from manufacturers, but for some reason most of them do not even provide a driver for this equipment. Still, operating systems must provide comfort to users.
Accordingly, if you plan to use Bluetooth on your computer, then you will definitely need to install drivers for this device, as well as configure it correctly. Right now we’ll talk about how to use free Bluetooth for a laptop, because this can be done with all portable PCs that have similar capabilities.
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Before you start connecting a new wireless device, you should definitely make sure that Bluetooth drivers are installed from an official source and that they are working properly. You definitely need to know that if such software is not installed, then merging devices may not be correct. It is not so difficult to install Bluetooth for a laptop, but its connection is only possible if all the necessary drivers have previously been installed on the device. If you just recently bought a laptop and have not used the wireless pairing feature before, check the functionality of all devices
Automatic setup
It is, of course, recommended to download drivers from the official website, since this is where you can choose the best options. As you probably already understood, there is also a program for Bluetooth on a laptop, with which you can make a wireless connection with other available devices. In some cases, the system can automatically install drivers for this device, but here, first of all, everything will depend on the OS, as well as its build. If the setup did not happen, and you still have not resolved the issue of how to establish a Bluetooth connection for your laptop, then you will have to download and install the necessary software manually.
How to find?
Remember that you will not have access to the Bluetooth activation service automatically, and in order to turn on this device, you will need to perform a number of steps. At the same time, for some they may seem extremely inconvenient. Not many users know where Bluetooth is on a laptop, so it is recommended to refer to the documentation and check its location on a special diagram of the laptop.
Control Panel
The question of how to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop is a basic one, but if you have already installed drivers for this device, then you should not have any difficulties connecting it. After hardware recognition is completed, you will be able to notice an additional utility in the control panel. It is intended to control the device, as well as possible connections. Of course, such a function will only appear if you did everything correctly. You already know how to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop; for this you need to use a special program that is included in the package. This way, you can independently choose the devices to which you need to connect or transfer files. If you don’t yet know where Bluetooth is on a laptop, then remember that it is most often illuminated in blue and has a characteristic logo.
Briefly about the main thing
In fact, the question of how to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop is very simple, and you should not have any problems with it. And if any have appeared, we will describe in more detail some of the nuances discussed above. Let's start by searching for Bluetooth. Study carefully Most modern models have a separate button designed to directly activate this function. The designation we need resembles the angular letter “B”, which is distinguished by the rear antennae enclosed in a dark oval. Most often the button is located on one of the keyboards. Just click on it to activate Bluetooth. The indicator will light up. In Windows 8, a small icon with a designation already familiar to us will appear in the lower right corner. You will also see “Bluetooth enabled”.
An important point is that the special switch discussed above may not be available in some laptop models, in which case you will most likely have to use the Fn key and the corresponding function button on the keyboard. Now about working in Windows 8. Try calling up the settings menu on your personal computer. Move your cursor to the edge (right) of the screen. Select Options, then Edit. Here are the buttons for controlling the wireless interfaces we need. If we talk about the Bluetooth wireless communication protocol in general, it has become very widespread today.
