Laptop cannot see or pair with external Bluetooth devices

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Windows 22H2  build 19045.3208
Laptop  HP 17-BY1053DX   [purchased Nov 2019]

I want to pair my laptop with either my Android phone or an external Bluetooth speaker.  I am able to pair my Android phone with the speaker but cannot pair the laptop with either the phone or speaker.

Here is what I did:
(1) Turned Bluetooth on in Settings.
(2) Clicked on “Add Bluetooth or other device”.
(3) In the “Add a Device” window I clicked on “Bluetooth”.
(4) In the next window I can see that the laptop is searching for a Bluetooth device but finds nothing; neither the speaker or the phone.  And on the phone the Bluetooth screen does not show the laptop.

Please educate me as to what I am doing wrong.

Thank you.

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Are the phone and speakers in pairing mode?

--Joe

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You need to add a device / make visible on both the laptop and phone at the same time – I assume you have done this, but it’s not clear from your post.

cheers, Paul

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Yes, both phone & speaker are in pairing mode.

I did this ==> “You need to add a device / make visible on both the laptop and phone at the same time ”

Could the Bluetooth device on the laptop be out of date?  I tried updating drivers but all were up to date.

 

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I encountered a similar issue a while back to find that the bluetooth speaker needed unpaired from the smartphone first, before the pairing with the PC. It should show up on the laptop bluetooth search once unpaired from the smartphone..

Windows - commercial by definition and now function...

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Microfix wrote:

I encountered a similar issue a while back to find that the bluetooth speaker needed unpaired from the smartphone first, before the pairing with the PC. It should show up on the laptop bluetooth search once unpaired from the smartphone..

I made sure that neither the speaker nor the phone were paired with anything.  Still not able to pair with the laptop.

 

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Turn off bluetooth and turn it back on again.

Did it ever work?

Susan Bradley Patch Lady/Prudent patcher

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Susan Bradley wrote:

Turn off bluetooth and turn it back on again.

Did it ever work?

I wish it was that simple.  I did that several times; even rebooted.  No change.

Could this be a hardware error with the Realtek Bluetooth 4.2 Adapter?

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Try:

Use the Windows 10 Troubleshooter

If all else fails, you can also try the Windows Troubleshooter on Windows 10 and see if it can resolve your Bluetooth issues. It checks your Bluetooth radio and device settings step-by-step, and identifies any issues.

If it detects an issue, it will inform you, and either ask you whether you’d like to fix it or direct you on how you can fix the problem yourself.

To run Windows Troubleshooter, right-click the Start menu and select “Settings.”

From there, go to Update and Security > Troubleshoot > Bluetooth, and then click “Run the Troubleshooter.” Windows will automatically begin working through your Bluetooth status and configuration. If it finds a problem, it’ll direct you to fix it.

How to Troubleshoot Bluetooth Issues on Windows [10]

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b wrote:

Try:

Use the Windows 10 Troubleshooter

If all else fails, you can also try the Windows Troubleshooter on Windows 10 and see if it can resolve your Bluetooth issues. It checks your Bluetooth radio and device settings step-by-step, and identifies any issues.

If it detects an issue, it will inform you, and either ask you whether you’d like to fix it or direct you on how you can fix the problem yourself.

To run Windows Troubleshooter, right-click the Start menu and select “Settings.”

From there, go to Update and Security > Troubleshoot > Bluetooth, and then click “Run the Troubleshooter.” Windows will automatically begin working through your Bluetooth status and configuration. If it finds a problem, it’ll direct you to fix it.

How to Troubleshoot Bluetooth Issues on Windows [10]

I ran the troubleshooter which indicated that it fixed something although there were no details.  However, still CANNOT pair with any device.

I am really mystified as to what can be wrong.

I have a wireless Microsoft mouse and keyboard.  Could this be interfering with the bluetooth signal?

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Has BT ever worked on that computer?
Is there a “wireless” switch on the machine that is turned off?

cheers, Paul

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Paul T wrote:

Has BT ever worked on that computer?
Is there a “wireless” switch on the machine that is turned off?

cheers, Paul

Unfortunately I have never tested the laptop BT until now.  I should have tested this when the laptop was under warranty but I didn’t.

I checked all “wireless switches” – no problem there.

I am beginning to think that this is a hardware problem.  What else could it be???

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Delete all BT devices from device manager.
Reboot to BIOS and disable BT.
Reboot to Windows and make sure BT is gone.
Back to BIOS and enable BT.
Back to Windows and let it reinstall BT.

cheers, Paul

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