Bluetooth technology allows you to wirelessly connect to a computer or laptop other devices - mice, keyboards, smartphones, speakers. Unfortunately, sometimes a convenient connection is lost. Let's figure out how to quickly turn on bluetooth on a laptop or stationary PC.
Before using bluetooth on a laptop, you need to check its availability. It is impossible to download bluetooth to a computer, because to establish wireless connection you need a special bluetooth adapter. Look for the “Bluetooth” icon or inscription on your laptop, if you don’t find it, check the laptop's parameters on the Internet. If it turns out that bluetooth is not included in the package, buy an external adapter that plugs into the USB port.
We turn it on through the proprietary utility
Many manufacturers install proprietary wireless access control software on their laptops. You can start it through the menu by the manufacturer's name or by using a key combination. Most often on common Acer, Asus it is Fn + F5, if it does not work - find the button with the antenna image in the topmost row and press it together with Fn. A program will appear where you can easily enable or disable Bluetooth and Wi-Fi.
Sometimes the program does not appear, and to turn on the bluetooth, you just need to press the key combination. Observe the network icon in the system tray of the laptop, when connected, the color of the letter will change from red to white.
There are other ways how to connect bluetooth on a laptop, but this one is the main one and should start with it, because it physically launches the adapter.
We turn on by means of the OS
If the radio is running, try programmatic methods to enable bluetooth on your computer.
Windows 10
How to turn on Bluetooth on Windows computer 10: Enabled through the Settings subsection of the Start menu. Go to the "Devices" category, start the "Bluetooth" subsection and move the switch to "On". To disconnect the connection, slide the switch back.
Windows 8
On Windows laptop 8, the connection is established as follows:
- open the panel to the right of the screen;
- go to the "Settings" section, click "Change" and "Wireless network";
- in the window that appears, Bluetooth is turned on and off in the laptop.
Windows 7
How to enable bluetooth on a Windows 7 laptop: click on the connection symbol in the notification area, right-click on it to start, disable or configure BT.
If it doesn't work
When bluetooth does not work, you need to deal with the causes of the error. To get started, right-click on the wireless symbol at the bottom next to the calendar and clock:
- Open the "Network and Sharing Center ...".
- Click on "Change adapter settings" in the menu.
- If the list contains "Bluetooth network connection", go to its properties.
- Go to options on the BT tab.
If the connection is not established, how to find bluetooth? In the properties of "My Computer" start the device manager. Find the Bluetooth adapter in the list. Right-click to open a menu where you can enable and disable the device. If BT does not start, is marked with yellow exclamation marks, or there is an unknown device in the list, you need to update the module drivers. In the submenu, go to "Properties", on the "Driver" tab, start the update.
If the system does not allow you to update, Windows simply does not have a suitable driver on your computer. Then open the page of the manufacturer of your laptop, search and download the appropriate driver there.
Conclusion
We figured out how to activate and how to disable bluetooth on a laptop. Start by connecting the module through the utility, try launching it using the OS. If errors occur, update the drivers in the manager.
Many, like the author of this article, may long time not think about a particular problem until a solution becomes a necessity. Today I am faced with the almost vital need to reset a photo from a phone with built-in memory to my work computer in the absence of a USB connection cable and wireless internet... And only at that very moment I remembered the existence of the bluetooth function. I remembered - and was very happy about it.
But what about someone who has never had anything to do with bluetooth in their life? And how much work is required in order to understand how to enable bluetooth on a laptop? The following will be a description on the example of an HP laptop, but most of the tips will also work for models from other manufacturers.
Is there bluetooth?
Bluetooth (blue tooth) is the nickname of the Danish Viking king Harald I. He became famous for connecting various peoples living in Denmark into one country - exactly where the development of this digital technology was initiated by Ericsson.
As crazy as it may sound, many are trying to enable bluetooth on a laptop that is physically unable to support it without an external adapter. To avoid this embarrassing situation, you need to make sure your laptop has a built-in adapter.
How to understand if a laptop has bluetooth and where is it located? There are several options.
- You can look for information about the capabilities of your laptop on the manufacturer's official website.
- You can carefully examine the bottom of the laptop for the presence of a label with the corporate logo bluetooth, which would confirm the presence of this function. Unfortunately, my HP laptop did not have this icon.
- You can also go to the "Control Panel" through me "Start". There, select the "Hardware and Sound" tab. Next - "Device Manager" (by the way, you can run it in as many as six different ways). In the list that opens, you can easily find bluetooth, if it is on your laptop.
And finally, the fourth. The most eloquent sign of bluetooth on a laptop is a button on the keyboard with a corresponding icon. Again, there is no such button on an HP laptop. But this is the secret - in my laptop the same key is responsible for bluetooth as for Wi-Fi!
Finding an include method
Now that you are sure that you have this option, you need to understand how to turn on bluetooth on a laptop.
Let's hope you already have the necessary drivers installed. Otherwise, you will need to download and install them. It is better to do this using the official website of the manufacturer of your laptop, which will not be difficult to find in any search engine.
So, the drivers are available. We find the button on the laptop case, which is responsible for turning on bluetooth, and just press it. If it's a lever, drag it. Usually these buttons are located in the upper left corner. Some laptops are helped by the F6 key or the Fn + 6 (Fn + F3) key combination, and for some, as already mentioned about my HP, the bluetooth and Wi-Fi keys are the same.
If you can't find the button (or just for a change), you can manually turn on bluetooth on your laptop. To do this, press any mouse button on the bluetooth icon in the taskbar, which is located mainly in the lower right part of the desktop, and select "Enable adapter".
Now let's see how to set up bluetooth on a laptop.
We connect to the device
In order to fully enjoy all the delights of bluetooth on a laptop, now you only need to connect the same function on your phone / tablet. Then click on the active bluetooth icon in the taskbar and select "Add device".
If for some reason the bluetooth does not work on the laptop and it does not find a new device, it means that in the settings of this device there is invisibility for unpaired objects. In this case, you just need to turn invisibility off (or, accordingly, turn on visibility). To start pairing, you just need to click on the found device and follow the recommendations that you will see on the laptop monitor. Here's what awaits you as a result.
Do you want to know how to connect bluetooth on a laptop? There are actually several ways. This article is devoted to their study.
Why is it needed?
First, let's figure out why you need bluetooth on your computer at all. At first glance, it may seem like an unnecessary and even obsolete feature. In fact, bluetooth on a laptop will help get rid of the numerous wires through which gadgets are connected.
So, for example, if you need to synchronize a mobile phone with a computer, you do not have to "fence a garden" in order to carry out the intended business. In addition, if you know how to connect bluetooth on a laptop, you can easily control your device remotely. And that's enough useful function which will make your life much easier.
First check
The first thing to do before starting the connection is to check if the laptop has bluetooth. As a rule, such an opportunity is available on modern models. But on fairly old machines, you may not find bluetooth at all.
In order to find out if the required component is available, you can look at the specifications of your laptop. If you are just buying an "iron friend", then you can see the corresponding inscription on the price tag with characteristics.
In addition, you can see if the bluetooth program is installed on your laptop in the computer user manual. And on top of that, each "laptop" has a special indicator light that displays the presence and status of some of its functionality... As a rule, if the computer has bluetooth, then it is "drawn" in the form of a proprietary bluetooth icon. If you find one on your laptop, be sure you have it by default. Thus, you can easily and simply use it when you need it.
Beginning of work
So, now it's time to figure out how to connect bluetooth on a laptop. There are several ways to do this. We'll take a look at each of them. Let's start with the simplest thing: the laptop already has a built-in bluetooth.
In this situation, especially if you have licensed Windows, all you have to do is turn on the Bluetooth program (if it doesn't start automatically). Then you need to activate the function itself on the computer. This is done using the "Function" button on the keyboard ("fn" is its possible designation) and the corresponding key on the computer, where the bluetooth icon is displayed. Look at the indicator light. If it lights up, then everything is done correctly. Now you can safely enjoy all the features that include wireless device syncing.
If there is no built-in function
But it may also be that the computer does not have a built-in bluetooth. Then you need to install it as an additional device to the USB connector. First of all, go to your nearest computer hardware store and ask a consultant to help you find bluetooth for your laptop. Usually such a device looks like a miniature flash drive. Buy it.
When you come home, turn on your laptop. Now let's figure out if such a function is not provided by default in your computer model. Wait for the system to boot. After that, you need to connect your new purchase via the USB connector. It is equipped with a special indicator light, which should blink at the very beginning. After that, you will be able to connect.
Next, you need to install the bluetooth driver on your laptop. As a rule, it comes with the connection gadget itself. Quite popular are small cd-disks, which just fit one driver and no more "garbage". Insert the CD into your laptop, and then see what happens: the driver and bluetooth installer will start.
If you have an operating room Windows system 7, then, most likely, even when connected to usb, the system will automatically search for the required driver package on the Internet. If there are any, then everything will be installed / downloaded in automatic mode... You just have to put special program to work with new opportunity... If the driver is not found, then it is better to use the included disk.
Follow the directions given by the bluetooth driver package installer. Select the installation path and click Next. Wait until the end of the process, after which it is advisable to restart the computer. When you want to use bluetooth, just insert the "bluetooth flash drive" into the usb connector, and then run the program. Everything is now ready to go.
Malfunctions
Unfortunately, a situation can happen that bluetooth does not work on a laptop. It seems to be on your model, but for some reason refused to start. Let's see what can be done in such a situation:
- First, check if Bluetooth itself is turned on. Very often, users simply forget to launch it before starting work. This will help the indicator light on the front panel of the laptop.
- Next, you need to check the drivers. Perhaps, for some reason, they "flew" or left altogether. If you notice in the service manager that the drivers are missing, then you need to install them again. After that, everything should fall into place.
- Another reason why our current function may not work is a technical breakdown. In this case, you need to go to the store and buy an additional gadget that allows you to put Bluetooth on your computer.
If you find that you do not have drivers, and besides, you do not have a disk with them, you will need to download the necessary package on the Internet. You can find something suitable by the model of the laptop or the device itself, if it was purchased separately.
Instruction sheet
Now you know how to connect bluetooth on a laptop, as well as what to do if suddenly this function refused to work. Nevertheless, let's put together some kind of instruction that will help you in any situation:
- Check for built-in bluetooth: check the specs and light bar on the front of the laptop. If you notice the Bluetooth branded badge, then you have one.
- The built-in bluetooth is activated using the "Fn" button in combination with the button on which the bluetooth logo is depicted.
- It's better not to lose drivers. If there is no disk - download required driver and write it down somewhere.
- If bluetooth suddenly refused to work, check if it is turned on and if all the "firewood" is installed.
It is always better to have a USB flash drive at hand, which makes it possible to work with bluetooth, and drivers from it. This will help in case of unforeseen breakdowns.
Before moving on to the question of what Bluetooth is and how to turn it on, consider why you need Bluetooth. As you know, computers and laptops are constantly surrounded by various wires.
The system unit already, as they say, by definition assumes that it is necessary to connect a keyboard, mouse, monitor to it.
Laptops have a built-in keyboard and a built-in mouse (), but still, many laptop users prefer to use a familiar mouse, rather than a built-in touchpad, and therefore a wire for connecting a mouse to a laptop appears again. Also, laptops are often connected to, which bigger size and has a better resolution.
And then: we connect a printer, speakers, wired Internet, a mobile gadget (smartphone, iPod, iPhone, etc.), a laptop power supply to the computer with wires, and so on. As a result, the computer (laptop) turns into a kind of center of attraction for wires, which, among other things, like to intertwine with each other, interfere with each other, serve as a good dust collector, etc.
From the very beginning, computer designers have strived to reduce the number of wires or to eliminate them altogether. For example, the Internet can be transmitted to a computer using a radio signal - from here Wi-Fi appeared and continues to develop and improve.
Now it has become customary to connect from a computer or mobile to the Internet via Wi-Fi without any wires, and no longer depend on the wire, on its length, the availability of the socket for wired Internet, etc.
The developers of "apple technology" generally set themselves the task of completely getting rid of wires. And there are already operating options for chargers for Apple gadgets, which allow you to charge the battery without connecting the gadget using wires to charger... It is enough to put the gadget on a special platform (which, to be honest, can still be connected with a wire electrical network 220V), and without any wires and connections, the battery of the gadget will receive the necessary energy to charge the battery.
What is Bluetooth and Comparison with WiFi
Internet access, charger access, wireless mice and keyboards are only a partial solution to the problem of "extra" wires. There are many wires, and I would like to get rid of them.
In this sense, a good solution is the BlueTooth technology (Bluetooth or Bluetooth), which appeared (in theory) back in 1994, which made it possible to transmit data via a radio channel between various electronic devices, for example, between a computer (or laptop) and a mouse, keyboard, headphones, gadgets, etc. With a small radius of action (up to 10 meters), it is good, for example, to use it in an indoor or intra-office space.
Many people have a question, comparing BlueTooth with Wi-Fi, what is the difference between them, and why you need Bluetooth if you have Wi-Fi.
Wi-Fi is also a technology for transmitting information by radio, and at the same time computers and gadgets with using Wi-Fi get the ability to connect to an Internet access point.
And the BlueTooth technology allows you to connect devices with each other not only for the purpose of accessing the Internet, but also for the purpose of exchanging data with each other, in order to access “other people's” resources. For example, in this way, you can connect from a gadget to PC sound speakers so that the music sounds, as they say, in full force and with good quality.
It turns out that if we compare Wi-Fi and BlueTooth, then Wi-Fi is more powerful than Bluetooth and operates over long distances, but Bluetooth is more versatile than Wi-Fi. Although over time and with the development of both technologies, these differences are gradually disappearing.
Wi-Fi can be compared to an invisible wire that connects a computer, laptop or mobile gadget via the radio to an Internet access point.
It could be Wi-Fi router in the apartment, there may be a smartphone that distributes the Internet, there may be a laptop that distributes the Internet, etc.
And BlueTooth can be compared to an invisible wire that connects any electronic device via radio to any other electronic device.
Examples of using Bluetooth
If, for example, a laptop is connected to a mouse via BlueTooth, then the mouse moves the pointer on the laptop screen, but there is no wire between the laptop and the mouse, instead of a wire, a radio channel works.
If the headphones are connected to a smartphone via BlueTooth, then you can hear music or a conversation on the phone in the headphones, but there is no wire between the headphones and the smartphone, it is replaced by a radio signal. There are many similar examples of the application of BlueTooth technology, this technology is currently being actively developed.
So, mobile and stationary electronic equipment received the ability to wirelessly connect. Communication cables are not needed. By setting up the Bluetooth receiver and transmitter, personal computer (PC) users were the first to appreciate the convenience of the new technology.
When connecting electronic devices using BlueTooth technology, a radio communication channel operates with a variable high frequency. A mobile phone or any peripheral device of a computer exchanges any type of information.
Using a headset of a mobile phone with Bluetooth technology, you can talk on it, being with the headset at a distance of a meter or more from mobile phone... This was immediately used by motorists. Having received a call or wanting to talk, they turn on the button on the car panel, switch to speakerphone without holding the phone in their hand. This not only does not interfere with driving, but generally becomes the rule of driving a car. Free Hand technology ("free hand" or "free hands") thanks to the use of BlueTooth is becoming a rule of good manners at the wheel of a car.
From the history of Bluetooth
With Bluetooth, not everything worked out well right away. With the introduction into electronic technology BlueTooth standard 1.0 (1998) the connection turned out to be unstable and insecure. Besides different devices poorly combined with each other.
But already adopted in 2004, version 2.0 allowed data transfer from device to device at a speed of 2.1 Mbit / s. (recall that it was 1.6 at first). In addition, electronics began to consume less electricity.
In the third version of Bluetooth technology, the data transfer rate has increased to 24 Mbps. And the BlueTooth 4.0 technology, developed in 2010, had a range of up to hundreds of meters and was intended for miniature electronics. For this, the signal transmitter was turned on only during data transmission, saving battery power.
High-speed BlueTooth soon followed with Wi-Fi technology(as noted above, BlueTooth and Wi-Fi technologies are gradually converging), the transmission frequency has increased to 2.48 GHz, and the radiation power has dropped to 0.0025 W.
Already presented BlueTooth version 5.0, featuring a wider bandwidth and the ability to connect up to 8 electronic devices to one module.
Bluetooth technology was called "bluetooth" (this is how the word "bluetooth" is translated into Russian) after the nickname of the Danish king - Harald Blue-tooth, who united different tribes into one kingdom a thousand years ago.
It was created by the Swedish company Ericsson, intending to replace the RS-232 interface, created back in the days when about personal computers there was no talk, and no one then expected such a rapid development of computer technology. As you can see, we managed to do this.
Bluetooth technology has many different profiles, one of which even supports H.263 (HDTV standard) video transmission. That is, the technology has reached speeds at which it is possible to transmit video information, which already means that this technology can be used almost everywhere where electronics work, for example, for transmitting data from video cameras, etc.
Bluetooth official site
Official site of Bluetooth on English language but now in browsers Google chrome, Yandex Browser, etc. have built-in translators into Russian, so you can catch the meaning.
How to connect a laptop via Bluetooth
To establish a BlueTooth connection between two devices, you first need to enable BlueTooth technology on both devices.
As an example, we will show how this is done when establishing a connection between a Samsung laptop with Windows 8 and a Samsung smartphone.
On a laptop ( operating system Windows 8) this is done by changing the PC settings:
- the "Options" button on,
- then click on the inscription "Change computer parameters",
- open the tab “ Wireless connection"(Number 1 in Fig. 1),
- now you need to move the slider (switch) "Bluetooth" to the right (number 2 in Fig. 1).
Rice. 1. How to enable Bluetooth on Windows 8
Bluetooth on Android phone
On a laptop with Windows 8, Bluetooth was turned on. Now turn it on on your smartphone under.
You can connect Android via Bluetooth in the "Settings" window, the "Bluetooth" button.
In the window that opens, you need to move the enable engine Bluetooth technology(number 1 in Fig. 2):
Rice. 2. Enabling Bluetooth on Android Phone
You need to wait a little after turning on Bluetooth on Android, while the inscription "Turning on Bluetooth ..." is displayed (Fig. 2).
Then information about the smartphone itself will appear in the section "My device", and below devices available via Bluetooth will appear in the section of the same name " Available devices"(Fig. 3).
Rice. 3. Bluetooth on Android: turn on visibility for other devices
In fig. 3, you can see that in the "Available Devices" section there is no Samsung laptop to which you need to connect, although Bluetooth is already enabled on the laptop. To see this laptop and connect to the laptop, you need to put a check mark next to the inscription "Click to turn on visibility for other devices" (number 1 in Fig. 3).
After checking the box, in fact, the connection between the smartphone and the laptop will begin. The system takes 2 minutes for this. The time counter stands after the inscription “We see proximity to all Bluetooth devices” (number 1 in Fig. 4 - 1:57). For the allotted period of time, you need to make a connection.
Rice. 4. Start connecting the smartphone to the laptop via Bluetooth
During the connection, an access key will be generated, which will be displayed on the screens of both connected devices: on a laptop and on a smartphone.
Confirmation of the access key on the smartphone consists in pressing "YES" on the "Request for Bluetooth connection" banner (number 1 in Fig. 5).
Rice. 5. Confirmation of the Bluetooth access key on Android
The laptop will also display an access code identical to the code that will be visible on the smartphone screen. To do this, you must first select a smartphone on a laptop with Windows 8 among other devices by clicking on its shortcut (number 1 in Fig. 6):
Rice. 6. On a laptop, choose a smartphone among the devices visible using Bluetooth technology
Then you should confirm the identity of the codes visible on the screens of the smartphone and laptop (number 1 in Fig. 7 - the "Yes" button):
Rice. 7. Confirmation of the access key via Bluetooth on a laptop
Having done everything right, we will see:
- on the smartphone (phone) screen - information that the Android phone is connected to the laptop (number 1 in Fig. 8 - SAMSUNG-PC is authorized):
Rice. 8. Confirmation on the phone screen about connecting the Android phone to the laptop via Bluetooth
- and on the laptop screen we will see the connection of the laptop to the smartphone (number 1 in Fig. 9 - Nadezhda (Galaxy Grand)):
Rice. 9. Confirmation on the laptop screen that the Android smartphone is connected via Bluetooth to a laptop with Windows 8
It should be noted that when you first connect a smartphone to a laptop, there may be a delay due to the need to install the appropriate ones in the laptop (Fig. 10):
Rice. ten. Automatic installation drivers when you first connect your smartphone to a laptop via Bluetooth
After connecting a smartphone to a laptop using Bluetooth technology, it becomes visible, for example, as external drive with data from which you can, say, then download all the screenshots that were taken on it during the writing of this article.
How to download data from a smartphone to a laptop or PC via a wire, without the Internet is another story that has been described.
How to turn off Bluetooth
Bluetooth turns off in the same way as it turns on, that is, exit through the same door as the entrance.
To disable Bluetooth on an Android smartphone, uncheck the box next to the Bluetooth option (1 in Fig. 2).
To turn off Bluetooth on a laptop with Windwos 8, move the "Bluetooth" slider (switch) to the left (number 2 in Fig. 1).
About Bluetooth security
For security, you should not use BlueTooth technology unnecessarily, since unauthorized access to a PC, laptop or gadget is possible.
For example, by connecting BlueTooth somewhere in a public place where there are many people, you can see many devices that are available through Bluetooth, belonging to strangers. Another thing is that not every user can connect, for example, to someone else's mobile phone or laptop. But this applies to ordinary honest and decent people.
If an attacker interferes with the process, wishing to intercept the transmitted information, then he will do everything possible to then use it for his own purposes.
For example, having received a PIN-code, which was inadvertently recorded, say, in a stranger's smartphone, such a “hacker” gains access to listening to the conversation, to the data of the mobile phone, or even to someone else's bank cards.
Therefore, for the transmission of data via BlueTooth over long distances, a special narrow-beam antenna has been developed. But this equipment does not have ordinary users therefore their mobile devices are at risk. Accordingly, if there is no need to use Bluetooth on mobile device, you need to disable BlueTooth on this device.
This is the main rule of working with Bluetooth technologies:
you need to turn off Bluetooth if you don't need it.
Here we, perhaps, will put an end to the description of one of the examples of the use of Bluetooth technology. Although it is very strange, because there are many options for connecting devices using Bluetooth technology.
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