Windows 10: Windows 11 Bluetooth Completely Broken – Settings Freezes & Devices Won’t Connect

Hello,I’m experiencing major Bluetooth issues on my Windows 11 laptop, and I need help troubleshooting.Issue Details:Bluetooth completely stopped working—I can’t connect or discover devices.When I open Settings > Bluetooth & Devices > Add Device, the Settings app freezes and eventually crashes.Device Manager shows my Bluetooth adapter, but Bluetooth itself doesn’t work.Running services.msc and restarting Bluetooth Support Service doesn’t fix the issue.I’ve tried updating, rolling back, and reinstalling the Bluetooth drivers, but nothing works.Troubleshooting Steps I’ve Tried:Updated

:)

 

Cannot use bluetooth device

1 Pairing is done in Settings, Devices
1.1 You click on Add Bluetooth or other device
1.2 You choose Bluetooth
1.3 If there is a pairing button on the bluetooth device itself then you press that now. You need to check the instructions for your bluetooth device to see how to do this - several automatically go into pairing mode when they switch on, others have a button that needs to be pressed for, say, 5 seconds.
1.4 The computer detects all available bluetooth devices and you select yours from the list. If yours is not on the list then Windows could not detect it.
1.5 It connects - pairing includes connecting
1.6 The computer sounds a buzz in the earpiece then displays Your device is ready to go and you click on Done
1.7 The device is shown in the devices list below the subheading Audio and it shows it as connected
1.8 The device should also appear in Control panel, Sounds, Playback tab
1.9 The device should also appear in Control panel, Devices & printers
1.10 {I just paired some bluetooth earphones as I typed so I could make sure these notes were correct} You use a music player and the sound comes out of the bluetooth earphones

2 If this is not happening for you then go to Contol panel, Devices & printers
2.1 Right-click on the device & select Remove device
2.2 You can now try pairing from scratch again
2.3 Several other users have reported that only removing the device with Bluetooth command line tools - BluetoothInstaller allowed them to re-pair again [see xzion's guidance below]
2.4 Yet others reported that only the KeithM code or Bungee's guidance worked for them [see below]

3 Where is this all going wrong for you?
[I assume we are definitely talking about bluetooth headphones/earphones. I understand that WiFi ones do also exist.]


4 Additional guidance -

Unpair a Bluetooth Device - TenForumsTutorials
Connect a Bluetooth device in Windows - Windows Help

Steps to completely remove a belutooth device so pairing can be done again [post #9, xzion] - TenForums
Steps to completely remove a belutooth device so pairing can be done again [post #22, KeithM] - TenForums
Steps to completely remove a belutooth device so pairing can be done again [post #39, Bungee] - TenForums
Several people registered in TenForums just to be able to thanks xzion, KeithM & Bungee. Apparently, what worked for some people did not work for others so each solution seems worth trying.


Denis

 

Windows 11, Bluetooth devices paired and connected but also somehow not connected?

Hi again -

Those steps usually work. Did you try every single step without missing any? We often find out later that the skipped step was the fix.

There are some additional steps here for Bluetooth devices paired and connected but still not working Windows 11:

https://helpdeskgeek.com/help-desk/bluetooth-no...

https://www.elevenforum.com/t/bluetooth-headset...

https://www.technipages.com/fix-bluetooth-audio...

https://www.technewstoday.com/bluetooth-is-pair...

https://beebom.com/fix-bluetooth-not-working-wi...



Feel free to ask back any questions. Based on the results you post back, I will have other suggestions if necessary.

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Cannot use bluetooth device

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