How to fix “Bluetooth is missing after Windows 10 update” error

Some Windows 10 users have experienced that Bluetooth is missing from their system after a Windows 10 update. When they opened their system Settings to turn the Bluetooth On or Off, they found that the option was not there.

Generally, Windows Troubleshooter fixes most of the problems. But in this case, when users ran the Bluetooth Troubleshooter, the following message appeared on their screen:

Bluetooth is not available on this device. Please try using an external adapter to add Bluetooth capability to this computer.

Here, we have listed some solutions that may help you fix the issue.

Fix “Bluetooth is missing after Windows 10 update” error

If you are experiencing the same issue on your computer, the following solutions may help you get rid of it:

1. Change the Intel Wireless driver power settings in Device Manager.
2. Rollback or uninstall the Bluetooth driver.
3. Update the Bluetooth driver.
4. Restart the Bluetooth Support Service.
5. Disable Fast Startup.

1] Change the Intel Wireless driver power settings in Device Manager

Some users have reported that when they changed the power settings of the intel Wireless Adapter from high to medium, the issue was fixed. You can also try this.

The steps to do so are listed below:

1. Press Win + X keys and select Device Manager to launch it.
2. In the Device Manager, expand the Network Adapters node.
3. Check whether it has an Intel Wireless driver or not. If yes, right-click on it and select Properties.
4. Click on the Advanced tab.
5. Scroll down the list under the Properties section and select the Transmit Power option.
6. Click on the Value drop-down menu on the right side and select either Medium or Medium-high option.
7. Click OK to save the changes.
8. Restart your computer if required.

Check whether the Bluetooth option is restored or not.

2] Rollback the Bluetooth driver

If the above method does not work for you or Intel Wireless adapter is not available under the Network Adapters node in Device Manager, rolling back the Bluetooth driver can help.

Follow the steps below:

1. Launch Device Manager.
2. Expand the Bluetooth node.
3. Select your Bluetooth driver from the list and right-click on it.
4. Click Properties.
5. Click on the Drivers tab.
6. See whether the Roll Back Driver option is available or not. If it is available, click on it and follow the on-screen instructions.

3] Update the Bluetooth driver

If rolling back the Bluetooth driver does not solve your issue, try updating it. The steps to do so are listed below:

1. Launch Device Manager.
2. Expand the Bluetooth node and select your Bluetooth driver.
3. Right-click on it and select Update Driver.
4. Click on the first option (Search automatically for drivers). After this, Windows will install the latest Bluetooth driver automatically by searching on the internet. Check if the issue is fixed it not.
5. If the issue is not fixed, repeat the first three steps and click on the second option that says Browse my computer for drivers.
6. Now, click on the Let me pick from the list of available drivers on my computer option. Try to install all the previous versions of the drivers one by one and check if it helps.

If the issue still persists, consider uninstalling the Bluetooth driver. To do so, right-click on the Bluetooth driver and select the Uninstall device option. Now, visit the manufacturer’s website and download the latest version of the Bluetooth driver. Install it on your system.

4] Restart the Bluetooth Support Service

You can also try to restart the Bluetooth Support Service. Follow the below-listed instructions:

1. Launch the Run dialog box by pressing Win + R keys.
2. Type services.msc and click OK. This will open the Services app.
3. Find the Bluetooth Support Service.
4. Once you find it, right-click on it and select Restart.
5. After restarting the Bluetooth Support Service, right-click on it again and select Properties.
6. Its Startup type should be set to Automatic. If not, click on the Start up type drop-down menu and select Automatic.
7. When you are done, click Apply and then OK.

It should help.

5] Disable Fast Startup

The Fast Startup feature puts the computer in a hibernate state instead of a complete shutdown. That’s why your computer starts quickly if you enable this mode. If your computer supports hibernation, the Fast Startup is enabled by default. Sometimes, Fast Startup causes some issues in Windows 10. Hence, you can try to turn Off the Fast Startup mode and see if it fixes the issue.

The steps to disable the Fast Startup are listed below:

1] Press Win + R keys to launch the Run dialog box. Type Control Panel and hit Enter.

2] In the Control Panel, make sure that View by mode is set to Category.  If not, select Category in the View by mode. Click Hardware and Sound.

3] Click Power Options.

4] Click on the Choose what the power buttons can do option.

5] Now, click on the Change settings that are currently unavailable option.

6] Now, uncheck the box adjacent to the Turn on fast startup (recommended) option. After that, click on the Save changes button and close the Control Panel.

Hope this helps.

Read next:

• How to Set Default Printer in Windows 10.
• Extract Thumbnails of Desktop Shortcuts, EXE Files As JPG, PNG Images.