Some Windows 11/10 users have experienced that their Bluetooth devices have stopped working suddenly. When they tried to fix the problem via a driver update method, they did not find the Bluetooth driver in the Device Manager. In computing, a driver is a piece of software that establishes a communication link between an Operating System and a device. If the driver gets corrupted, the respective device does not work properly. If the Bluetooth is missing or not showing in the Device Manager in your system, the suggestions provided in this post may help you fix it.
Bluetooth is missing or not showing in Device Manager
First of all, we suggest you restart your computer and then if the problem disappears. If not, you can proceed ahead with the troubleshooting methods described below.
- Run Bluetooth and Hardware & Devices Troubleshooter
- Restart Bluetooth Support Service
- Enable hidden devices in the Device Manager
- Download the Bluetooth driver from the manufacturer’s website
- Turn off Fast Startup
- Uninstall the latest Windows Update
- Perform a System Restore
- Perform an In-place Upgrade
Below, we have described all these solutions in detail.
1] Run Bluetooth and Hardware & Devices Troubleshooter
Microsoft has developed automated troubleshooter tools for the devices running on Windows operating systems so that the users can run appropriate troubleshooter tools if a problem occurs on their systems. Run Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter and see if it fixes the problem.
In addition to the Hardware and Devices Troubleshooter, you can also try running the Bluetooth Troubleshooter. The Bluetooth Troubleshooter is available in Windows 11/10 Settings.
If you are a Windows 11 user, open Windows 11 Settings app and then go to “System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.” Now, click on the Run button next to Bluetooth.
If your system is running on Windows 10, open the Windows 10 Settings app, then go to “Update & Security > Troubleshoot > Additional troubleshooters.” After that, select Bluetooth and then click on the Run the troubleshooter button.
2] Restart Bluetooth Support Service
The Bluetooth Support Service is responsible for the proper functionality of the Bluetooth devices connected to a PC. If this service has been stopped or not working properly, your Bluetooth devices will not work. In your case, restarting the Bluetooth Support Service can fix the issue. The steps to do that are as follows:
- Press Win + R keys.
- When the Run command box appears, type services.msc and click OK.
- When the Services app opens, look for Bluetooth Support Service.
- Right-click on it and select Restart.
- After restarting the Bluetooth Support Service, double-click on it to open its properties.
- Select Automatic in its Startup type.
- Click Apply and then OK.
3] Enable hidden devices in the Device Manager
It might be possible that the Bluetooth driver is hidden in the Device Manager. You can check this by enabling the hidden devices in the Device Manager. If the Bluetooth driver appears, update or uninstall it and restart your computer. The steps to do this are given below:
- Press Win + X keys and select Device Manager.
- In the Device Manager, go to “View > Show hidden devices.”
- Now, check if the Bluetooth driver appears in the Device Manager. If not, select the Bluetooth node and then go to “Action > Scan for hardware changes.” If this brings the Bluetooth driver, right-click on it and select Update driver.
- Select the “Search automatically for drivers” option.
- Let Windows update your Bluetooth driver. After the update process gets completed, check if the problem is fixed.
If the problem still persists, right-click on your Bluetooth driver and select Uninstall device. After uninstalling the Bluetooth driver, restart your computer. After restarting your computer, Windows will try to install the latest version of the Bluetooth driver automatically.
This should fix your problem. If not, try the other solutions.
4] Download the Bluetooth driver from the manufacturer’s website
Visit the official website of your Bluetooth device manufacturer and download the latest version of your Bluetooth driver. If the driver is downloaded in a zip file, extract it by right-clicking on it. Now, open the extracted folder and double-click on the installer file to install the Bluetooth driver.
5] Turn off Fast Startup
Fast Startup puts your computer in a hibernation state so that it will start quickly the next time. In some cases, you may experience some issues with Fast Startup. For example, some of the Windows Updates may not install if the Fast Startup is enabled because Fast Startup does not shut down your system completely. The problem that you are currently facing might be occurring due to the Fast Startup. If you have enabled Fast Startup, disable it and check if it brings any changes.
6] Uninstall the latest Windows Update
Some users have confirmed that the issue started occurring on their systems after installing the Windows Update. If this is the case with you, uninstalling the latest Windows Update will fix your problem.
7] Perform a System Restore
System Restore is a useful tool in Windows 11/10 operating systems by using which you can take your system to a previous state. If you have created a system restore point before the issue occurred on your system, you can take your system back to that state.
Restoring your computer by using System Restore should fix the problem.
8] Perform an In-place Upgrade
An In-place Upgrade installs your operating system without removing the previous version. This method repairs the operating system and fixes the problems that a user is facing. Performing an In-place Upgrade should fix the problem that you are currently facing.
Read: Bluetooth is not working on Windows PC
Why Bluetooth is not showing in the Device Manager
If your Bluetooth driver is not showing in the Device Manager, it might be hidden. Go to “View > Show hidden devices” and see if it brings Bluetooth in the Device Manager. If this does not help, you can download the latest version of the Bluetooth driver from the manufacturer’s website and install it manually on your system. Some users have also confirmed that the latest Windows Update caused the Bluetooth driver to disappear from the Device Manager. In such a case, uninstalling the latest Windows Update fixes the problem.
Read: Bluetooth devices not showing, pairing or connecting
How do I reinstall Bluetooth in Device Manager?
To reinstall the Bluetooth driver, open the Device Manager, then expand the Bluetooth node. After that, right-click on your Bluetooth device driver and select Uninstall device. After uninstalling the device driver, restart your system. After restart, Windows will detect the hardware changes and reinstall the Bluetooth driver.