BSOD with Bluesoleil 8

Ronin51 · 25 May 2011

I found this posted in a 2009 post on this forum:

Broadcomm v6.2.0.9700, unlocks A2DP for Win 7 x86 and x64. http://www.kf4ytr.com/drivers/BTW_6.2.0.9700.rar

I also found something that might explain some the problems on an A2DP.info site.

Installing and Configuring Widcomm Desktop Drivers for A2DP Bluetooth Stereo Playback - A2DP, Bluetooth Stereo Headsets, Bluetooth Headphones, Wireless devices, Gadgets Review, Nokia Headsets, Plantronics, Motorola, Jabra, Sony, iTech

The information seems to be a bit dated - it doesn't discuss Windows 7 specifically. But, it does state that A2DP is not supported by Windows and needs to be added using either BlueSoleil (Ugh) or Widcomm software. It also states that Widcomm and native Windows BT drivers interfere with each other. It gives instructions how to remove the Windows BT drivers, before installing the Widcomm software. The instructions are specific to XP, but I'm wondering if this is related to what's currently preventing the Rocketfish headset from working on my computer.

One other thing. The new Targus BT dongle that I ordered (not here yet) is advertised to be compatible with Windows 7 and support A2DP. The software that comes with it is Widcomm.

Ronin51 · 25 May 2011

I did a little more reading on the A2DP.info site. They discuss the proper installation of BlueSoleil software. And again, recommend disabling the native bth.inf and bth.PNF files first to avoid interference. Could the root cause of these problems, including the BlueSoleil BSOD, be caused by incompatibility between the Windows native BT drivers and newer BT drivers from BlueSoleil and Widcomm? I looked at the properties of bth files. Both had creation dates of mid 2009.

usasma · 25 May 2011

DO NOT worry about the Windows Update referrals - that means that you can only get what Windows Update has. So if it doesn't have an update, then you don't need to update it.

The Windows Update thing only applies to Microsoft Windows built-in drivers. Any drivers that aren't Microsoft Windows drivers shouldn't be updated through Windows Update. Normally this only happens once - when you're installing Windows while connected to the web (and Windows goes out and gets the drivers that it needs from Windows Update). After that, you'll only see the non-Microsoft drivers if you choose any of the optional updates at Windows Updates.

For quite some time the 2005 version of ASACPI.sys was installed on systems when Windows was being installed. Later on, after a significant number of updates, that version caused BSOD's galore - and it took us a while to figure out where it was coming from. The fix was to update it to a later, Win7 compatible version. That's why we make the distinction between Windows drivers and non-Windows drivers.

More to follow after I feed the dogs.....

usasma · 25 May 2011

I have no idea about the Audio drivers. Let's see what they have to say with the next BSOD. FYI - we identify older drivers, NOT defective drivers (in the Older Drivers listing). So that means that the older drivers may not be causing problems - bur rather that the older drivers are more likely to cause problems.

Too many pieces of different BlueTooth stuff installed to make sense of all this.
So, leave the Windows BlueTooth drivers alone and see what the system does.

What was the purpose of adding the BlueSoleil 2 drivers? I wonder if they were the cause of the issues. Most BlueSoleil 2 drivers date from 2007 or earlier.
But regardless, in the future only add one new set of bluetooth drivers at a time - and then test to be sure that they're working properly.

Beware of trying to apply XP fixes to Vista/Win7 systems - the differences are liable to make for problems. Be sure to set System Restore points and have your Startup Repair disk handy (in case you can't boot into Windows). Also, investigate the Knowledge Base/FAQ's at each of the different BlueTooth programs' website to see if the issues that you've identified have been fixed/changed with the newer OS's (and only use versions that specifically state that they are compatible with Win7).

In particular I noticed this:

One other thing. The new Targus BT dongle that I ordered (not here yet) is advertised to be compatible with Windows 7 and support A2DP. The software that comes with it is Widcomm.

And I wonder if Widcomm has fixed those issues in the latest version that they've released?

Ronin51 · 25 May 2011

"Too many pieces of different BlueTooth stuff installed to make sense of all this.
So, leave the Windows BlueTooth drivers alone and see what the system does."

So far the system has been stable. No more BSOD. The BlueSoleil software does appear to have been the culprit. Since it was removed I have not had a crash. I've been up and down quite a few times; all normal and uneventful.

"What was the purpose of adding the BlueSoleil 2 drivers? I wonder if they were the cause of the issues. Most BlueSoleil 2 drivers date from 2007 or earlier."

I replaced an old internal SD card reader that had built in BT with a newer Ultra BT dongle. The new dongle came with BlueSoleil 2 software that I loaded from a CD. When that wouldn't connect to the Rocketfish headset, I tried the newer BlueSoleil 8 from the website. (It's kind of funny, because I replaced the original internal BT with the dongle because I couldn't connect to the headset and I assumed it was just the old BT hardware.)

"But regardless, in the future only add one new set of bluetooth drivers at a time - and then test to be sure that they're working properly."

Hopefully, I've learned a valuable lesson. I do often set restore points before I do anything significant. I just got in a hurry. I think I also couldn't imagine just adding a BT dongle and some software could turn into this kind of mess.

" Beware of trying to apply XP fixes to Vista/Windows 7 systems - the differences are liable to make for problems. Be sure to set System Restore points and have your Startup Repair disk handy (in case you can't boot into Windows). Also, investigate the Knowledge Base/FAQ's at each of the different BlueTooth programs' website to see if the issues that you've identified have been fixed/changed with the newer OS's (and only use versions that specifically state that they are compatible with Windows 7)."

For now, I'm going to give things a rest and see if any more BSOD events pop up. I'll settle for using my speakers to play music. While I wait for the Targus BT dongle, I'll do a bit more digging into the compatibility of Widcomm and BlueSoleil software with Windows 7. It looks like I'll need one or the other to get the BT headset to work.

Ronin51 · 07 Jun 2011

Happy ending.

I pulled the cheap BT dongle and replaced it with a Class 1, Azio BTD211. Using the Win 7 native drivers and the 'add device' utility, I was able to connect my Logitech MX1000 mouse, Logitech MX5000 keyboard, and my Rocketfish stereo headphones (which was the the device that started this entire saga). Everything works, I haven't had an BSOD issues as long as I stay with the native BT drivers and away from Bluesoleil.

One other thing; the new Azio dongle did come with a disk that had Bluesoleil 5 software. I thought I would try one last time. After I installed Bluesoleil and rebooted, just after Windows loaded ---- BSOD. I tried two more times - same thing. I restored the system pre-Bluesoleil -- no more BSOD. I know people use this BT software, but there is something in my system that will not tolerate any version of it from 2 to 8. It will have to remain a mystery, because I'm just happy to have a stable system and my stereo headphones working.

Thanks for the help in getting this issue resolved.