The procedure is slightly different in Windows 7 and in Windows 8.x/10, but once found, the icon is easy to restore.
Called Change Bluetooth Settings, it can be opened by searching for it in the Start menu. Restoring the IconĪ detailed Bluetooth control applet does exist. In Windows 8.x, a Bluetooth settings panel is available several levels deep from the Settings icon in the Charms menu, but like most Charms panels, its functionality is limited, and it includes no method to restore the Bluetooth icon. Despite the importance of Bluetooth these days, especially to tablet users, Windows provides no Bluetooth control applet in the Control Panel. It is difficult to understand why Microsoft included this, since icons in the System Tray can be easily hidden using the 'Customize' link on the menu.Īlthough it is extremely easy to remove the icon by accident, Windows provides no easy way to restore it. With no icon or other indication that Bluetooth is available, it is easy to assume that Bluetooth is broken or no longer exists on the computer. The next time you go to use Bluetooth, the icon is unexpectedly gone. This removes the icon and closes the menu with no notification or confirmation. At the bottom of the menu, in a location that is easy to click by mistake, there is a 'Remove Icon' entry. It will either appear on the task bar or can be accessed by clicking the upward pointing triangle.Ĭlicking the Bluetooth icon displays a menu with entries for adding and managing Bluetooth devices. When Bluetooth is activated in a Windows 7, 8.x, or 10 computer, Windows places a Bluetooth icon in the System Tray-the collection of easily accessible icons near the clock. But an accidental click in the wrong place can cause you to lose that icon, leaving no obvious way to access Bluetooth settings. Update: Hamish Blackall commented the following “ USB 3 ports are not recommended” That is worth noting.The Bluetooth icon in the Windows system tray provides an easy way to connect and manage Bluetooth devices on your Windows 7, 8.x, or 10 computer, and many Bluetooth users rely on it. The Lenovo notebook’s internal Bluetooth radio needs to be disabled to use the CSR 4 and probably any other USB Bluetooth Adapter.
Windows 10 can’t operate two Bluetooth radios at the same time.
(Solved) CSR 4.0 USB Adapter Won’t Install Once that was done, I rebooted the computer and reinstalled the CSR Bluetooth adapter. Then in Windows Device Manager, I selected “Show Hidden Devices” and removed any additional Bluetooth devices that are no longer being used. My second thought was there was another device interfering with the installation, so I removed my iPhone, Sharkk Boombox, and Amazon Tap. My initial thought was that maybe there was a driver needed after all, but my research told me that the CSR 4 USB Bluetooth adapter does not require any driver other than what is included with the Windows 10 operating system. Here we go, a simple task is now a project. A quick check-in Windows 10 device manager showed me the CSR 4.0 was installed, but there was an error message. Installing the CSR 4.0 USB Bluetooth Dongleīeing a Windows 10 computer, the Bluetooth adapter should have been plug and play, but unfortunately, that was not the case. My research on Amazon showed me that there were many USB Bluetooth 4.0 Dongles to choose from, and many seemed to be re-branded CSR 4.0, so I bought the one that was actually branded CSR 4.0 for about $12, and in two days, Amazon prime had it in my hands. Cambridge Silicon Radio CSR 4.0 USB Bluetooth Dongle I had to solve this problem once and for all.įrustrated, I headed to Amazon and set out to find a new Bluetooth 4.0 USB dongle. I recently had a renewed interest in training courses, so I bought an awesome set of Hiearcool L-1 Bluetooth Headphones. Until a few days ago, I lived with this problem because it was not a big deal.
Devices would stop working, and I would need to remove them from the system and add them again along with several other tap dances to keep things working. Unfortunately, the Bluetooth 3.0 on the Thinkpad was flaky. Life was good until about two years ago when I decided I wanted to regularly pair my Amazon Tap, Sharkk Boombox, and a pair of Jabra Bluetooth earbuds to the system. When it was new from the factory, I installed a Samsung 500Gb SSD to eliminate the weakest link, a Western Digital mechanical hard drive.
I have an older Lenovo Thinkpad W520 notebook computer running Windows 10 Professional that, for the most part, has been an ultra-reliable workhorse.