Thinkpads Forum

Bluetooth is a standard feature on my T43 1871-FWG using XP SP3. It has always worked with no problem until just recently. Now, if I hibernate the machine or reboot, Bluetooth doesn't start automatically ... I have to use Fn+F5 to turn it on. This is nothing but an annoyance, however, I'd prefer it to remain on unless I choose to switch it off.

I had a look in Device Manager and there are no highlighted problems. In Bluetooth Devices I have Bluetooth Bus Enumerator and ThinkPad Integrated Bluetooth IV. In Human Interface Devices I have Bluetooth Virtual HID Device. In Network Places I have Bluetooth LAN Access Server Driver.

What else should I look for?

Since posting this problem yesterday I have been looking to see if anyone has experienced a similar problem and can't find anything.

Perhaps Windows Registry is missing something?

I did look at BIOS and that is set up correctly.

Thoughts anyone?

Two days after posting this I am wondering if it is specific to my T43 and maybe the question should be moved to a general area. Any thoughts?

Mods, Admin. If you think this might be answered in another forum topic then please feel free to move it.

BT had always been viewed as security threat in PCs. May be a Windows Update changed the default state to off on reboot and hibernation.

On a second thought, have you tried a BT mouse? Does it keep the BT services On after reboot?

sjthinkpader wrote:BT had always been viewed as security threat in PCs. May be a Windows Update changed the default state to off on reboot and hibernation.

On a second thought, have you tried a BT mouse? Does it keep the BT services On after reboot?

Many thanks for your thoughts, sjthinkpader. Perhaps it was a Windows update. I'll have a look through Windows knowledge database to see if anyone else has the problem.

I use a Bluetooth mouse. It neither keeps Bluetooth services on after a reboot, nor return from hibernation.

Lol, BT is British Telecom in the UK ... but I know what you mean.

killer wrote:...
Lol, BT is British Telecom in the UK ... but I know what you mean.

Yes, I know. They change CEOs all the time. Are you on their 21CN?

In this rural part of England we are happy to have ADSL. The local exchange is due to be upgraded to 21CN in 2nd quarter 2010. I'm not sure what benefits there will be for people who are 3 miles (5 kms) from the exchange but we'll wait and see.

BTW, I haven't yet found anything in Windows knowledge base to solve my problem.

Just to update you; my question has been moved from the T4x forum to this General forum to see if anyone has any advice. Thank you for making the switch, GomJabbar.

I wonder if there's a setting in Access Connections that's been changed. This kind of stuff can be maddening. I just restored to factory, and my wireless connectivity is different (better, more reliable on resume) than ever with no Windows or other updates and never even having done any in the past. I'm not complaining, but go figure!

Thank you Tõnis, I had looked at Access Connection settings and, after your response, I did check again. There is nothing in the basic nor the advanced settings.

I suspect it may be a Windows registry problem, however, without guidance it is a tricky area in which to mess about.

Bump.

Surely someone must have some idea why active bluetooth goes off when the beastie goes to sleep overnight and has to be restarted by Fn+F5 and clicking to power on Bluetooth radio?

Sorry, Killer, I still don't have the answer, but I just wanted to point out another pattern that I have noticed in the behavior of my own wireless and Bluetooth. Perhaps it will give some insight into the peculiarity.

I usually use Fn+F5 and shut off Bluetooth and the wireless radio before I power down the machine. That way, when I start up the machine, both radios are off, as expected, and I can choose to enable one, the other, or both. Then, I also got into the habit of turning off the hardware switch for the radios whenever I hibernate the machine for the purposes of changing the battery. (Reason: before I reloaded my operating system, I found that I had trouble reconnecting to my router if I didn't do it that way, though now, after the reload, I'm having no connectivity issues.) What I did notice is this: it makes no difference how the radios are set using Fn+F5 -- both could be set to off -- if I use the hardware switch and pull the battery. The wireless radio will always be on when I turn on the hardware switch after resume from standby if I have pulled/changed the battery.

Okay, sorry if this is of no help. At least it will bump your topic again.

Tõnis

Tõnis, Thank you for offering some help ... and bumping the topic.

Whale oil beef hooked, as they say, after 16 days nobody has been able to solve what I thought would be a fairly simple question. This is an amazing fact considering the brain power to be found on this forum.

Probably there aren't many people using BT with their laptops.
I have a mini-USB BT dongle, just incase the need ever arises.
I used it only once [on a T23] when I got it new, just to check that it works.
On all my laptops that have BT, it is disabled, because I have zero use for it.
So I have absolutely zilch experience with BlueTooth.

Following a question regarding Windows 7 and Bluetooth, RBS offered a clue to how to solve this.

For the record, I restarted and entered BIOS, used F9 to restore defaults, and since then Bluetooth has stayed on.

killer wrote:For the record, I restarted and entered BIOS, used F9 to restore defaults, and since then Bluetooth has stayed on.

Works like a charm. : )

It would be nice to know exactly which setting affects this.

Recently I had problems with my T60 which forced me to strip it down to pieces including unplugging of the CMOS battery. After putting it all together again I had to reconfigure the BIOS. Since then Bluetooth stays on. There must be a setting that causes this.