Adding Bluetooth Devices in Windows 7. Introduction. The process of adding Bluetooth devices in Windows 7 is very different from adding them in Windows Vista. In this article, I will walk you through the process of adding a Bluetooth device in Windows 7 as well as give you some “gotchas” to watch out for so that the process runs smoothly. Recently, I bought a new Sony Vaio laptop that included a rebate for a free Bluetooth mouse and Windows 7. I enjoyed using the laptop for a couple of months before Windows 7 was released and these items arrived. In that time, I had used a small laptop USB mouse that works pretty well. Honestly, I may never have bought the Bluetooth mouse if it was not free. Still, I was interested in it enough to spend some significant time making it work. Perhaps it was the challenge of something new, that the mouse looked sleek and cool, or that I just was stubborn enough to make sure I got my free mouse working. No matter as, in the end, I got it working and am thankful that I did as this Bluetooth mouse is cool in every way and I would never go back to the old USB mouse. Bluetooth devices 1. Today, everyone is familiar with Bluetooth thanks to Bluetooth headsets that are very popular on cellular phones. Bluetooth is wireless networking but it is short distance. Technically, when you use Bluetooth networking you are creating a Personal Area Network, or PAN. Other than those Bluetooth headsets that make peoples’ ears look like they are on Star Trek, there are a wide variety of Bluetooth devices. All you have to do is to look in the Bluetooth product directory and you will find that there are thousands of Bluetooth devices out there. Besides the cellular phone headset, I would think that the second most common device is the Bluetooth mouse that many people use on a laptop. Adding one should be easy, right? Well, there may be more to it than you might think. Flashback to Windows Vista Bluetooth. Back in the “old” Windows Vista (Vista must be old now as Windows 7 is out, right?), to add a Bluetooth device you would simply go to Control Panel and click on Bluetooth Devices, as you see in Figure 1. Figure 1: Windows Vista Bluetooth Devices. From there you could click on either Add Wireless Device or Bluetooth Settings. What could be easier, right? In Windows 7 that simple process has been changed in the name of progress. Let me show you how. The first time I went there to add my Bluetooth device, I was not sure what to do so I had to use the Search function and search for the word Bluetooth in order to find the option to add a Bluetooth device. Still, you should not have to do that. Instead, what you need to do is to click on View Devices and Printers under Hardware and Sound, as you see in Figure 1. Figure 2: Control Panel in Windows 7. From there, you will be taken to Devices and Printers, which (with the word printers in there), seems like a strange place to go to add a Bluetooth mouse. Figure 3: Adding a new Bluetooth device in Windows 7. Next, before you click Add a device (shown in Figure 2) you should first do a few things: Make sure that, if you have a laptop, wireless is enabled on the laptop (my Sony has a switch on the side). Bluetooth is wireless and, typically, when you disable all wireless that includes not only 8. Bluetooth. Make sure that any proprietary software you have that controls power or wireless has Bluetooth enabled (I will cover this more in the “gotchas”). Turn on the power on the mouse and press the Connect button. Now, you can click Add a Device and you should see something like the graphic in Figure 3. Figure 4: Locating the device to add. Select the device you want to add and click Next. The device drivers will be loaded and you should see the window in Figure 5. Figure 5: Bluetooth mouse has been added. At this point, your mouse should be working. You can use it to click Close and you will be taken back to the Devices and Printers window where you can see your device. Ideally, adding Bluetooth devices should be that easy but there are some “gotchas” to look out for.“Gotchas” to Watch Out For When Adding Bluetooth Devices. To make sure that it goes as easily as I demonstrated above, look out for these potential pitfalls: Make sure that your laptop or PC actually has Bluetooth. You can not assume that it has it. Make sure that your Bluetooth is ON. ![]() Lots can go wrong when you're sharing files with Windows. Use these twelve easy tips to troubleshoot file-sharing problems and get Windows networking back under control. Find and contact HP Customer Support, download drivers, manuals and troubleshooting information for HP products, including pcs, laptops, desktops, printers, tablets. Your laptop might have a switch that enables or disables wireless. Make sure that any proprietary software you have that controls power or wireless has Bluetooth enabled. ![]() On my Sony Vaio, I have a proprietary software application installed (from Sony) called Smart Wi Connection Utility that enables and disables various types of wireless connections, including Bluetooth. I ran into an issue where Bluetooth was disabled here and I had to track down this utility to enable it. Figure 6: Smart. Wi Connection Utility. Make sure that your Bluetooth device is powered on and make sure that it has some kind of LED indicating that it has power. While it may be obvious, that also means that your device has batteries that have a charge (fresh batteries are preferred). You may have to press the Connect button on the Bluetooth device to get it talking to the Bluetooth adaptor on the PC or laptop. Make sure that the drive for your Bluetooth device is successfully installed, as you see in Figure 7 and Figure 8. Figure 7: Bluetooth Device Driver being Installed. Figure 8: Bluetooth Device Driver Installed. How to install CSR Bluetooth device drivers and enable Bluetooth headset profile (HSP) on Microsoft Windows 7 / Vista / Server 2008 32- and 64-bit (x86 x64). Discover product support for your SoundLink® Mini Bluetooth speaker. Learn how to operate your product through helpful tips, technical support info and manuals. How to Connect a Wireless Mouse. This wikiHow teaches you how to connect a wireless mouse to your computer. There are two types of wireless mouse: Bluetooth, which. Get the ultimate gaming experience on your Windows PC with Windows Hardware. If you cannot navigate with either your wireless keyboard or mouse, you may need to connect a wired device to. IMouse S100 - Bluetooth Mini Optical Scroll Mouse. Model iMouse S100. Interface Bluetooth. Application Platform Windows® 10/ 8/ 7/ Vista/ XP/ 2000, Mac OS X & above. Conclusion. In summary, the process of adding Bluetooth devices in Windows 7 is very different from adding them in Windows Vista. In this article, I walked you through the process of adding a Bluetooth device in Windows 7 and provided some “gotchas” to watch out for so that the process goes smoothly. I am loving my new Bluetooth mouse and I am sure that you enjoy the flexibility of the new Bluetooth device you add, just as much! Why a Bluetooth Headset Is Unable to Connect. Improve the connection for your Bluetooth headset. Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images. A Bluetooth headset can be invaluable because the wireless connection frees your hands to do other things while you take phone calls throughout the day. It can be frustrating, however, when a Bluetooth headset won't connect reliably to your phone, and sometimes the reason may be difficult to pinpoint. Troubleshoot and optimize the connection between your phone and headset in a few easy steps. Interference With Wi- Fi. The most common reason for Bluetooth connection issues is interference with Wi- Fi signals. Phones, tablets and laptops with dual Wi- Fi and Bluetooth support have control features that allow these technologies to coexist. In some cases, Bluetooth performance may be degraded by Wi- Fi traffic; for instance, if you are downloading streaming video or music to your phone, you should pause or stop that application until your Bluetooth connection is established. If this still does not work, turn off Wi- Fi on your phone and then connect Bluetooth. Check the Bluetooth Settings. Sometimes Bluetooth might simply be turned off on your phone or device. The icons that indicate whether Bluetooth is on or off can be difficult to see, or they might be hidden. If your device has a Bluetooth settings screen that allows fine control of Bluetooth behavior, you should ensure that Bluetooth is . Some headsets do not have sophisticated battery level sensors, and as the battery level runs low, the processor that controls the headset does not have the power to operate properly. Always make sure your headset is fully charged if you are having connectivity issues. Completely Reset the Link. If all troubleshooting methods fail, you might find it necessary to delete the connection from your phone or other device and recreate the link with your Bluetooth headset. It may be difficult to tell which component is at fault – the headset or the phone – but in either case, resetting the link may help. The procedure for deleting the headset connection differs from one phone to another, but it should be simple to figure out from the Bluetooth menu. You can then follow the instructions to put your device into . He has provided in- depth coverage of the wireless industry, served as a speaker at several conferences and authored a book on Bluetooth. Granby earned a Bachelor of Science in computer engineering from Purdue University. Photo Credits. Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images.
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