Bluetooth Missing from Device Manager in windows 10? Lets fix it

Can't turn on Bluetooth on windows 10? Bluetooth missing from device manager or the Option to Turn Bluetooth on or off is Missing on settings Lets fix the problem

Bluetooth technology allows connecting your Bluetooth enabled devices (like smartphones, speakers, headphones, printers) wirelessly to each other to send & receive files.  Also, We use it for connecting earphones, mice, keyboards, and more daily. You can easily enable the Bluetooth option from windows 10 settings, or from the Action center, or using Devices Manager. But sometimes you may come to a situation Bluetooth is turned off and there is no toggle to turn Bluetooth on or Bluetooth missing from the device manager. If you cannot find the Bluetooth option in the Action Center menu or the Device Manager here, how to fix the problem.

How to Turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10

Let’s first understand How to Turn on Bluetooth on Windows 10.

You can always use a Bluetooth adapter If your desktop computer doesn’t have built-in Bluetooth.

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Using windows 10 settings

  • Press Windows + X select settings,
  • Click devices than Bluetooth and other devices.
  • Here toggle on the Bluetooth (refer image below)

Using the Action center

Also, you can turn on Bluetooth by clicking on the Action Center icon at the right-side end of the Taskbar.

  • Click on the action center located right-side end of the Taskbar.
  • Here click on it to turn on or off Bluetooth on your device. (refer image below)

Using the device manager

Again you can use the Device Manager to enable or disable the Bluetooth function on your device as well.

  • Right-click on the Windows 10 start menu, select device manager,
  • Expand Bluetooth, select your Bluetooth connection, right-click on it and click on Enable or Disable.

Bluetooth missing from device manager

But if you are unable to find the Bluetooth option in the Action Center menu, Toggle to turn Bluetooth On or Off is missing or Bluetooth missing from the device manager in Windows 10, apply the solutions listed below.

Update windows 10 PC

Installing the latest windows updates not only bring security improvements and the latest bugfixes but also download install the latest driver updates include Bluetooth driver on your device as well.

  • Press Windows key + I to open settings,
  • Click Update & security than windows update,
  • hit the check for updates button to allow download and install the latest windows updates from the Microsoft server. (if available any)
  • Once done reboot your PC to apply them (Even if there is no update available) and check Bluetooth missing problem resolved.

Show hidden devices

Maybe the Bluetooth option is hidden for some reason, lets show the hidden devices and scan for hardware changes.

  • Open device manager using devmgmt.msc
  • Click on view then show hidden devices,
  • Again click on the action then scan for hardware changes.

Update the Bluetooth driver

Apply this if the Bluetooth driver started shown after checkmark on show hidden devices. If still Bluetooth missing on the device manager manually install the Bluetooth driver following the next step.

Update Bluetooth driver on device manager

  • To update the current Bluetooth driver open device manager,
  • look for the “Bluetooth” option and expand it.
  • Here right-click on the “Generic Bluetooth Radio“*, then click on “Update driver. “
  • When the device manager asked ‘How do you want to search for drivers?‘, click on “Search automatically for drivers“ to allow windows update to download the latest Bluetooth driver from the Microsoft server for your PC.

Install Generic Bluetooth driver

  • Again open device manager and expand Bluetooth,
  • right-click on the “Generic Bluetooth Radio“*, then click on “Update driver. “
  • When the device manager asks ‘How do you want to search for drivers?‘, click on “Browse my computer for driver software. “
  • Next, click on “Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer. “
  • Choose the Bluetooth driver on your computer and click on “Next” to install the Generic Bluetooth driver on your PC.

Install Bluetooth driver from the manufacturer’s website

A number of windows 10 users solved Bluetooth missing problem simply by downloading and installing the latest version of Bluetooth drivers from the manufacturer’s website.

Visit the device manufacturer site example you have dell laptop then visit dell support here. Download the latest Bluetooth driver for your device model and install it. Once done, reboot your PC and check if the problem is resolved.

Check Bluetooth services

Press Windows key + R, type services.msc, and click ok. This will open the windows service console, Locate the following services, right-click and select properties, check the Startup Type is set to Automatic:

  • Bluetooth Handsfree Service.
  • Bluetooth Audio Gateway Service.
  • Bluetooth Support Service.
  • Bluetooth User Support Service.

If the above services are not running, right-click on the service and click on Start.

Run the Bluetooth Troubleshooter

Also, run the build-in Bluetooth troubleshooter that helps automatically detect and fix problems with Bluetooth devices.

  • On the start menu, Search for troubleshoot settings and select the first result,
  • Click on the additional troubleshooter link (refer image below)

  • Next, locate and select Bluetooth, then click Run the troubleshooter,
  • This will automatically detect fix problems, prevent Bluetooth to function properly, and also check outdated Bluetooth drivers if a corrupted driver causing the issue.
  • Once the diagnose process completes, reboot your PC and check if the problem is solved.

Disable Fast Startup

In some cases disabling fast startup helps to fix this problem successfully. Disable fast startup on Windows 10 following the steps below.

  • Open Control Panel, Go to Hardware and Sound then Power Options.
  • Click Choose what the power buttons do in the left pane.
  • Click Change settings that are currently unavailable to edit the settings.
  • Uncheck Turn on the fast startup option and click Save changes.

In addition, run the system file checker utility that helps detect and restore if the files that are connected with the Bluetooth corrupted or missing.

Also read:

Steve Ballmer
With over 7 years of experience in the IT industry, I have experience in IT support, helpdesk, sysadmin, network admin, and cloud computing. Certified in Microsoft Technologies (MCTS and MCSA) and also Cisco Certified Professional in Routing and Switching.

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