Solved Bluetooth problem

[radorn]

I have a small cheap bluetooth usb adapter. It works under Linux and it used to work under my main Windows 7 intallation, but not anymore.
The "Generic Bluetooth Radio" device shows up in the device manager, but it used to have sub-devices and there was a BT logo somewhere before.
Of course the BlueTooth functionality doesn't show up anywhere.

Other than a clean reinstall (or upgrade), any suggestions on how to fix this?

 

[torchwood]

Hi

is there anything at the top of device manager??

 

[MisterEd]

This is what I see in the Device Manager. I can access Bluetooth from the system tray. If I click on it, it shows already paired devices and allows me to add new ones.

How to Turn On Bluetooth in Windows 7
How to Turn On Bluetooth in Windows 7

 

[radorn]

Yes, I used to see something similar to what you two are showing. But, as I said, it just doesn't work anymore. Something is clearly broken. I just don't know what and how to fix it.

The picture I showed is from the device manager in with the "View > Devices by connection" option.
In the normal "Devices by type" mode, as you showed, I have the same "Generic Bluetooth Radio" with an USB plug icon but under the group "Universal Serial Bus Devices" group.

The point is: The device is somehow detected and somehow recognized as bluetooth, but that's where it all stops, and won't go any further. I don't get any bluetooth services like you show in your screenshots and which is also what I used to see.
Something went wrong at some point and it has stayed broken.

I tried a couple of linux distros in live mode, and they did detect the adapter and I could connect stuff through it, but not anymore under my W7 install.

I guess it's an unusual problem, but that's how things are.

- - - Updated - - -

OK this is absolutely idiotic.
I just used the "uninstall" function on the "generic bluetooth radio", with the "uninstall driver" checkbox checked, exactly as I must have done a hundred times before, and, then, unplugged and replugged the usb dongle, and suddenly everything works again...
I guess the thing that was missing was bothering someone else on the internet about it, THEN it decides to work again!
What in the world!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to answer.