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View Full Version : 8204 Bluethooth Problems


markagain1
03-04-2006, 04:09 PM
I am having problems installing/pairing Bluethooth devices with my laptop. Some devices pair with no problem, some won't complete the pairing process at all.

First, I have updated my BIOS to the latest version 3309.

I bought Microsoft Optical Desktop Elite, keyboard and mouse. The mouse paired with no problems. The keyboard won't pair. It shows up in the Bluetooth Neighborhood. I double-click, it asks me if I want to connect the Human Interface Device. I say yes, it opens another window that says pair now, it tells me to key the security code that is displays, I type it in on the new wireless keyboard, it works and types *'s over the existing numbers (this is all good so far), then I press enter like it says. This is where it goes down hill. Nothing happens. I just wait and eventually it times out and I get an error message, Error in pairing with the device, "Microsoft Keyboard".

I have tried this multiple times and always the same thing. I know the keyboard works wirelessly, because it allows me to key in the security code, but it seems like something is failing in the final stages.

I had kind of the same problem the other day trying to pair my Motorola Sliver phone with Motorola Phone Tools. I could get the phone to pair manually but when I tried to pair the phone though the software, it hung right after I keyed in the passcode. Almost the same as the keyboard. Something is going wrong??

I played around and searched the internet, but cannot find anything.

Something I found in my playing around, which if someone could test out and see if they are getting the same error would be great.

Go into Control Panel, Bluetooth Devices. Click the Options tab. Click the checkbox, “Turn Discovery on”. Click Apply. When I do this I get the following error:

An error occurred while windows was saving your settings. The following settings were not saved:
Discoverability settings
Connection settings

Does anybody else get this? I am thinking maybe a registry problem? Maybe it can’t keep the settings it is trying to store? I am logged in as Admin. Seems to relate to the first problem, where it can’t complete the pairing.

Also, on the Devices tab, if I click Add, it will open the Device Wizard. If I check the "my device is set up and ready to be found" box, then press next, it never finds my device?? This is actually how the instructions of the keyboard told me to do it. But since it never found it (and yes, I pressed the button on the keyboard to put it in find mode) I tried the Bluetooth Neighborhood method. It at least finds it there but it will not complete the pairing process.

Sorry for all the rambling, but this is very frustrating. I also checked for any drivers on FTP site, but didn’t see any Bluetooth drivers that were relevant.

Anybody have any ideas, and can you also try and see if you get the same error as I do, as stated above?

Thanks

tallan
03-04-2006, 06:30 PM
Whenever Bluetooth issues come up a good first step is to try installing via a wired device - in your case a keyboard. You say it's writing XXs - who knows what they are? Plug in a wired keyboard and repeat the process, perhaps it will help.

BT technology is some funky considering how long it's been out. I bought a MS BT mouse yesterday for the 8204 and everything worked fine except is disabled the Synaptics driver and I could not get the BT mouse wheel button to send a double click. Everything else was fine, just no double click... and I know it was transmitting okay because I could program that button to do other things, just not double click.

Now I'm using a Kensington BT Pilotmouse Mini with the latest Synaptics driver and every once in a while the mouse just freezes: the LED comes on and stays on, the mouse goes brain dead for a minute or so, then the LED shuts off and if I click a mouse button it wakes up again! Go figure.

The fact is Bluetooth seems to be a technology that will "just work" Real Soon Now...

Anyway good luck with your keyboard, post back what happens.

markagain1
03-05-2006, 09:22 AM
Well, I figured out part of it. Stupid me....

When I first got the laptop, I didn’t have any Bluetooth devices. So, to speed up the boot-up process, I went into msconfig and removed from the startup some things that I thought I didn’t need. One of the things I removed was Bluetooth (bttray.exe). I thought it was only used for displaying the tray icon. Obviously I was wrong. As soon as I put it back in, the keyboard installed. And, by the way, the keyboard and mouse work great! Love being wireless. Just why did they move the insert/delete/home/end keys around. It is going to take forever to adjust!

I still have problems with the “Turn Discovery on” though. Still get the same error. Also, still having problems with the phone tools but it now seems to be a different one.

tallan
03-05-2006, 09:45 AM
That's good news!

Did you install the MS drivers? If so did they disable the Synaptics driver (not the trackpad itself but the extra features of the driver)?

markagain1
03-05-2006, 09:49 AM
I don't use the touch at all, not sure what special features you mean? If you tell me I can test it out. The basic features seem to sill work.

Yes, I installed the latest Intellipoint and IntellType software.

tallan
03-05-2006, 10:00 AM
Well, edge scrolling is one: if you run your fingertip along the right edge of the TP when you have a scrollable page active it should scroll the page up and down. Also the center button's scroll features are enabled via the Synaptics driver...

markagain1
03-05-2006, 10:30 AM
Yep, edge scroolling, and the middle button still work. Also, if I leave my USB mouse connected that works too. The only problem I have know is that I can't seem to reprogram my wireless mouse buttons. They stay with their defaults even though I change the options in the mouse control panel. They changes work with the USB version, not the wireless. I think it is a driver problem. Found some possible reasons on Ms knowledge base, but need to play with them....

tallan
03-05-2006, 10:33 AM
Very cool - when I tried MS's BT Mouse (the one sold with a BT dongle) it trashed the Synaptic driver and I lost all those functions. Thanks for checking, and good luck running down the programming issue.

markagain1
03-05-2006, 10:40 AM
Yeah, this one came with a dongle, but I didn't use it. Stuck with the internal, can't imagine what problems I would have had if I used the dongle with the internal one. Thanks!

tallan
03-05-2006, 12:50 PM
Actually I didn't use the dongle either, but the driver still stepped all over the Synaptics driver. I wish I could remember what model it was... sold for $39 at Office Depot, something like MS Professional Intellimouse for Bluetooth or something like that...

Anyway I only used it for about an hour & back it went; it was huge & heavy anyway, so I was just as glad it didn't work with my system!