How to Check for a Broken Bluetooth Dongle
If you are having problems using your Bluetooth dongle this article will help you to check if it is in working order, has a fault or is broken.
Check the dongle's physical condition
- Is the metal USB plug sticking out of the dongle at angle, is it bent or twisted?
- Is the dongle casing cracked, split open or wet?
- Does windows make a notification sound when the dongle is plugged in?
- Does the light on the dongle flash once plugged in? If not then the dongle may be broken.
Check dongle functionality using Microsoft stack
Run through the following process, if there is an error or you cannot complete all steps, raise a support call to report this problem, make sure you state which step you got up to.
- Ensure that your dongle is plugged in.
- To open the "Bluetooth Devices" console; double click the Bluetooth icon in the Taskbar or alternatively if there is no Bluetooth icon in the Taskbar go to "Start > Control Panel > Bluetooth Devices".
- In the "Bluetooth Devices" console go to the "Hardware" tab.
- In the "Devices" list select the "Generic Bluetooth Radio" and click the [Properties] button
- (Vista users only) That opens the "Generic Bluetooth Radio Properties" form, on the "General" tab click the [Change settings] button and when the "User Account Control" dialog pops up click the [Continue] button to confirm that you wish to do this.
- On the "Generic Bluetooth Radio Properties" form, go to the "Advanced" tab.
- Make a note of the Address that you see here, you may need this if reporting a problem dongle to support.
- In the "Name" textbox type in the change the name then click the [OK] button.
- Back on the "Bluetooth Devices" console go to the "Devices" tab then click [Add...] button.
- In the "Add Bluetooth Device Wizard" follow the instructions and click the [Next >] button.
- Select a device from the list of found devices and complete the wizard steps.
- Once the wizard is complete you should be back on the "Bluetooth Devices" form in the "Devices" tab, check that the device you chose is listed.
- Close the "Bluetooth Devices" form.
- Using Windows Explorer browse to the file that you wish to send, ideally a small jpg or gif.
- Right click on the file to open the context menu, roll over Send To > then select Bluetooth Device from the sub menu.
- The "Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard" will now be open, click the [Browse...] button next to the Send To: textbox.
- This will open the "Select Bluetooth Device" dialog, once the search is complete select the test phone that you want to send the file to and click the [OK] button.
- Back on the "Bluetooth File Transfer Wizard", either enter a passkey or un-check the "Use a passkey" checkbox then click the [Next >] button.
- The file should now be sent to the phone (ensure that you press accept on the phone) check that the file has been received correctly on the phone.
If you can complete the all the above steps then your dongle is in good working order.