bluetooth disappeared - Aspire Z24-890

System

This discussion was created from comments split from: Bluetooth suddenly stopped working.

JWB

This same thing is occurring on my Acer Aspire Z24-890.  A few days ago, bluetooth disappeared when I was in the middle of a document.  The computer says no bluetooth is installed.  I had to switch to a wired mouse and keyboard. Then 2 days later, bluetooth was back and working.  Then today, another 2 days later, it disappeared again while I was browsing the web.  I've downloaded and applied the bluetooth drives, with no impact. I just did a system restore, and it didn't make a difference.  Does anyone have any further ideas for this problem?

billsey

Bluetooth sits behind an internal USB port in the chipset. It could be an issue with the drivers for that port. They are either corrupting data going through them or just not passing anything through at all. Do you have any other flags in Device Manager?

JWB

There is one flag in Device Manager for "Unknown USB Device (Device Descriptor Request Failed).

billsey

That's the issue then. Either that internal USB port is garbling data or the Bluetooth chipset is garbling it before it gets to the internal port. Try removing that device and let it reinstall.

William_mk2

@JWB

Try windows x 
go to device manager 
expand Bluetooth
right click on items below bluetooth - uninstall 
Restart the computer 

It should work fine.. 

If it is still not working 
Uninstall the Bluetooth adapter driver from device manager 
Dont restart the computer. 
Go to support.acer.com 
chose your country 
type snid or chose your model 
go to drivers 
Install the Bluetooth driver 

Note: Since you are having a ! mark on device manager, also try to install the chipset, card reader drivers...

JWB

Here is an update.  

First, regarding the latest advice about uninstalling bluetooth adapter driver - bluetooth was not visible in Device Manager on my Aspire Z 24. It was also not visible in the system tray. And in Bluetooth system settings, the switch to turn Bluetooth on and off was missing.

However, I read advice elsewhere from someone else who had the same issue. They were advised to completely unplug their computer for 5 minutes. Then plug it in and restart and it resolved their issue.

So I did that yesterday. When the computer restarted, bluetooth was back and working - mouse/keyboard works. Bluetooth displays again in system tray and Device Manager. And the switch to turn Bluetooth on has reappeared in the Bluetooth system settings.

This makes no sense to me, but likely does to those of you who are more technical. 

Thank you for your advice and for trying to help me figure it out. I really appreciate that you took the time to do that.

UDEE

I do believe the PullThePlug5mins trick probably reset your laptop's RF (radio frequency) back to original status. Bluetooth basically works on a dedicated frequency, just like listening to a radio station on a radio.

I had the same disappearing act problem and researched it in-depth. Found two main causes:
1. When Microsoft sneakily download their monthly update package it sometimes disrupts settings. They are notorious for breaking more than they fix sometimes, just like car transmission mechanics!   
2. I live near a busy highway and a lot of vehicles that go by have disruptive radio frequencies that can jam your bluetooth transmission. For example, ambulances, police cars, truckers...

The old pulltheplug trick seems to work on a lot of hardware, modems in particular for network problems. I wonder if they are factory engineered to be that way for practical utility.

StevenGen

System said:

This discussion was created from comments split from: Bluetooth suddenly stopped working.

This is a common and a usual problem(s) with either the WiFi or BT connections and there are specific keys for this and that is either pressing the F3 key or the Fn+F3 keys together or as you have done to reboot and/or uninstall and reinstall both WiFi and BT drivers. Also and on very rare occasions the arial wires get lose and don't make full connection or on even rarer occasions the card goes faulty. The Aspire Z24-890 has OEM WiFi/BT cards of either the Lite-On that uses the Atheros drivers or the Intel that uses the Intel drives and these are the cards and where they are placed on the motherboard:

billsey

I believe the root of the matter is that in some circumstances when the machine goes to sleep sometimes one or more of the internal USB ports don't wake up. Microsoft has been quietly trying to fix it over the last year or so, with varying success. They tweak to fix it on some hardware, and it breaks on others. That is why the onset is often tied to Windows updates. Since the USB port sitting between the chipset and the WiFi/Bluetooth adapter disappears (or corrupts data) the device 'behind' that port just disappears. That's why driver updates don't help. Eventually they'll get things tweaked enough to work everywhere again... In the mean time the full power cycle, including bleeding the residual power in the motherboard, seem to get you back. We've seen similar behaviors from the Bluetooth, WiFi, Touch Screen, Touch Pad, Fingerprint reader, etc..