Bluetooth audio with Windows 7 64 bit on T61

[Davidhs]

I posted this first on the T6x series area, but no one has replied, so I am going to ask if any Win 7 people can help.

I have installed Windows 7 64 bit on my T61 6460-8ng.
I am trying to persuade bluetooth to talk to a device that is like a headphone but there seem to be driver problems.
The device is an "iCom" sold by the hearing aid company Phonak (Despite the "i" it is nothing to do with Apple.). It can receive sound via bluetooth and transmit the sound wirelessly to my very new Phonak hearing aids. It works fine with my mobile phone and it immediately paired and worked fine with an XP laptop.
It has the potential to be a neat solution for hearing aid users and better than headphones - if I can get it working with my TP T61.

When I try to pair it, Windows 7 64 bit recognises there is a device which it thinks is a headphone set; it recognises it is called an iCom and it is listed in Devices and Printers / Bluetooth devices. But, there is a yellow warning triangle against it. If I invoke Troubleshooter, it goes in search of a driver and fails to find anything.

I was a bit surprised to see Windows go looking for a driver. Is that necessary with what should be just an audio device?

In Device Mgr I see two items under Bluetooth Radios:
- Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator 6.1.7600.16385 dated 21/06/06 , that is 21 June of course.
- Thinkpad Bluetooth with Enhanced Data Rate Properties 6.2.0.2600 dated 09 May 08.
Both of those are described as "working correctly" in Device Mgr.
For completeness, i give the SoundMAX Integrated Digital HD Audio driver version 6.10.2.7255 dated 18 May 09.

My system pairs also with a Nokia E71 phone, and while some functions work, there is also a yellow triangle visible.
Pairing with my old but still useful Palm Tx works fine and I have run a synch backup via bluetooth.

I don't see any relevant driver updates on the Lenovo site and System Update has nothing to propose.

Do I have the correct setup?
What is Windows looking for and where do I find it?

Any ideas welcome.

I don't think it is relevant that this pseudo headset is called an iCom. Surely Windows should just treat it as an ordinary headset?

[TJMacGyver]

I had the same problem, but with a BT speaker, but it recognized as a headset.
I think the problem is that the windows BT-stack doesn't support the way BT transfers audio.

I solved it by installing the Broadcom stack (driver) from here. (I was also running W7 64bit)
http://www.broadcom.com/support/bluetooth/update.php

If that doesn't work you can try the BlueSoleil software, but thats just way more chunky.

[Davidhs]

Thanks,
But the Broadcom package declined to update my system saying: "This program cannot upgrade your software. Please contact the manufacturer of your device for support."
So I am now looking into the Bluesoleil option.....

[bill bolton]

Thinkpad Bluetooth with Enhanced Data Rate Properties 6.2.0.2600 dated 09 May 08.

That's NOT the Lenovo recommended driver for Win 7 on a T61. Others have reported generally better results overall with BT when using the Lenovo driver..... http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... #bluetooth

Cheers,

Bill B.

[Davidhs]

Thank you, Bill,
That looks like an earlier version of the Lenovo driver.
However, I am going to hold that suggestion in reserve for the present, even though it comes from a city where I spent 5 happy years 40 years ago, working for a certain company long before they got around to making the first Thinkpads. Yes, as you say, one of the two "best addresses on earth", but God's own county of snow covered North Yorkshire is also in the top two.

Back to Bluetooth: Last night I installed the Blue Soleil driver, as suggested by people in other threads on BT behaviour.
It has, after a bit of fiddling, enabled me to listen to audio soundtracks via my BT to the iCom and my hearing aids. It is not ideal, as every time i walk away out of range of the PC and then return, I have to go through a re-pairing and re-enabling of the audio settings. Alright until SWMBO has some urgent requirement.

But thanks for the suggestion. I may yet have to try it.

[TJMacGyver]

I also had some trouble installing the broadcom stack the first time I tried, but I can't remember what the exact problem was or how I solved it It may have been with som restarts and disabling/enabling of the radio

[GrandMasterKhan]

Guys BT works, I cant recall exactly how I got it to work but its flawless. It did entail deleting the MSFT suggested driver completely from the machine and forcing the Broadcom solution. If have time will seach for notes. Much better than in Vista as the headset picks up and connects as soon as one turns it on. Am using a Motorola devie with the same Broadcom chip.