To begin with, almost every laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. Not even on the newest models. And this means that Bluetooth on a laptop should work without installing additional devices. I have the USB adapters that are needed for desktop computers. Since there is simply no built-in module. Although, on some motherboards It already has built-in Bluetooth.
In this article, I will try to show in detail how to enable Bluetooth on a laptop. How to do this in the Windows 10, Windows 8 (8.1) and Windows 7 operating systems. I will also show you how to set up the wireless module and connect it to a laptop different devices. I have a mouse connected to my laptop via Bluetooth. wireless headphones. Very comfortably. You can also connect, for example, wireless speaker, keyboard, mobile phone, etc.
All you need to get Bluetooth working on a laptop is installed driver. The driver must be downloaded and installed from the official website of the laptop manufacturer. for your model and installed system Windows. But do not rush to go to the manufacturer's website and download drivers. It is possible that you already have everything installed and working. Especially if you have Windows 10 installed. As a rule, it installs itself required drivers. Then you just need to turn on Bluetooth in the laptop settings and you can use it.
Where to find Bluetooth on a laptop and how to turn it on?
Most likely, you already have everything turned on and everything works. Regardless installed Windows, if the driver for Bluetooth is installed, then there will be a blue icon "Bluetooth devices" on the notification panel. This means that it is on and ready to go. Check on your laptop. In rare cases, this icon can be disabled in the settings.
By clicking on this icon, you can perform various operations: add a device, show connected devices, receive / send a file, configure the adapter itself, etc.
If you do not have such an icon, then there are three options:
- Bluetooth on the laptop is disabled and needs to be enabled.
- Removed the BT icon itself from the notification bar.
- Or the required driver is not installed.
Let's try to turn it on.
BT in Windows 10
The easiest way is to open the notification center and click on the corresponding button.
Or go to the settings, then to the "Devices" section, and on the "Bluetooth and other devices" tab, turn on the module with the slider.
For Windows 10, I wrote a separate article:. After that, an icon should appear on the notification bar, as I showed above.
How to connect the device?
Press " Adding Bluetooth or other device" and select the appropriate item in the next window.
Turn on Bluetooth on a laptop with Windows 8 and 8.1
We open sidebar (can be combined Win keys dows+c) and select "Settings". Then click on "Change PC settings". Go to the "Bluetooth" section and turn on the module with the switch.
Windows will start looking for available devices to connect to.
An icon should appear on the notification bar through which you can manage connections.
How to activate Bluetooth in Windows 7?
If there is no blue icon on the notification panel, then go to the Network and Control Center public access" - "Change adapter settings" and see if there is an adapter "Network Bluetooth connection". If not, then install the driver for your laptop model, or check for an adapter in the device manager (more on this later in the article). And if there is, then see if it is enabled. It may need to be enabled on the laptop.
How to connect the device?
Click on the "Bluetooth" icon and select "Adding a device..."
A new window will open in which connect your device following the instructions.
Or go to the "Control Panel", in the "Devices and Printers" section. And click on the "Add device" button. You can also open the "Bluetooth Adapter" properties and enable the icon in the notification area. This will make it easier to connect and manage devices.
How to check and enable bluetooth in device manager on a laptop?
If you cannot find Bluetooth on a laptop, there are no settings, an adapter, buttons, icons, etc., then most likely the necessary drivers are not installed. You need to go to device manager and check it. Or maybe you just need to use the BT adapter.
Open device manager. Can be pressed right click Click on "My Computer" and select "Properties". In the new window, go to "Device Manager". Or press the keyboard shortcut Win+R and run the command devmgmt.msc.
There you should see a "Bluetooth" section. (may be called differently in Windows 7), which will contain the module itself (name may also be different). This is what I have on my laptop:
If it is, but with an "arrow" (icon next to adapter), then just right-click on it and select "Enable".
Perhaps you don't have anything in your device manager that looks like Bluetooth. In this case, you need to download and install the driver.
Go to the official website of your laptop manufacturer. Through the search (or menu), find your model, and in the section "Support", "Downloads", etc., download the driver for the Bluetooth module. Install it, restart your laptop and after that everything should work.
Manufacturers of modern laptops, without exception, equip their devices with a Bluetooth module, and users have a natural question - how to turn it on. It is important to understand the differences between WiFi and Bluetooth, although they are both protocols for wireless transmission data.
- WiFi is built for wireless connection to the Internet and is not intended for data transfer between devices. We are talking specifically about the modules built into laptops;
- The Bluetooth protocol, or as it is called "blue tooth", is used to connect devices to each other and exchange information between them. For example, your laptop and wireless speakers.
We figured out the differences and purpose, let's move on to the practical part.
Determine the presence of a Bluetooth module
Before you turn on bluetooth on a laptop, it would be nice to check the adapter in your gadget and its correct operation.
For the most part, manufacturers combine both of the mentioned modules into one chipset, which, in the event of a physical breakdown, often leads to their joint shutdown.
Availability Information wireless adapter may be on the service label, on the bottom cover of the laptop, or located in the device manager.
We made sure that the module is available, we can proceed to its inclusion.
Turn on Bluetooth with hotkeys
Most fast way activate the "blue tooth" () - use a combination of hot keys, carefully pre-installed by the manufacturer. The keyboard shortcut may differ not only depending on the manufacturer, but also on the model. Below is a table with popular combinations.
Before pressing, make sure that the "F" button has an icon wireless connection.
Found? Now check if the icon appears on the right side of the taskbar and add the necessary device to connect.
If there is no indicated icon on the keyboard, Bluetooth is enabled in the Windows settings.
Enable on computers running Windows 10
There are several ways to enable bluetooth in Windows 10, we will consider the fastest one, through the computer settings.
1. From the Start menu, select Settings and click the Devices tab.
2. The first section will be "Bluetooth and other devices". Move the slider to the On position. The search for available accessories will start.
3. From the proposed list, select the necessary one to start synchronization.
Nothing found? Check if the adapter is activated on the second device. If you are sure that everything should work, pay attention to the end of the article, where we will analyze typical problems and ways to solve them.
Connection on Windows 8/8.1
1. Move the mouse to the far right of the screen to pop up new panel, go to PC Settings - Computer and Devices.
2. Open the "Bluetooth" section.
3. Move the slider to the "On" position, and then it will search for devices to pair. Among the results, find the one you need and click connect.
The fastest way to get to the wireless settings is to use the Windows search tool.
Instructions for Windows 7
Enabling "blue tooth" on Windows 7 can be called universal– the method is 100% suitable for older versions operating system, although very problematic.
1. Open "Control Panel" - "Network and Internet".
2. Go to "Network and Sharing Center".
3. Select "Change adapter settings".
4. Among others, find the label " Network connection Bluetooth". Right click on it and click "Enable". You have enabled the wireless adapter.
5. To synchronize with other devices, return to the "Control Panel" and select "Add a Device".
6. Windows will start searching for gadgets available for pairing, they will appear in the specified window. To connect, select the found equipment and click "Next".
7. Depending on the type of gadget, additional confirmation may be required.
Once again, this is a universal method suitable for operating system versions 7 and higher.
Solving possible problems
It is possible that you have done all the steps described, but you could not turn on the bluetooth. The cause may be a software failure in the hardware or the OS itself. One way to fix this is to remove and re-add the module and then update the drivers.
1. Go to Device Manager ( fast access by pressing the Win + R key combination) and find your wireless adapter in the list.
2. Select it by clicking the right mouse button and in context menu delete.
3. On the "Action" tab, click "Update hardware configuration", the bluetooth module will appear in the list again.
4. Finally, search for new drivers through the context menu.
Same way, correct work the installed antivirus software may interfere, or vice versa, a virus - this is treated by reinstalling the system, or temporarily disabling the antivirus. In other cases, I advise you to contact service center to solve the problem.
Despite the emergence of new methods of data transmission, Bluetooth technology is still in demand. Almost all laptops are equipped with a module wireless communication, so the question of how to enable Bluetooth on a laptop periodically arises from different users.
Hardware enable
On some laptop models, the Bluetooth module is controlled using a hardware switch located on the device case. Sometimes the switch is responsible immediately for turn on wifi and Bluetooth, so be careful.
Another way to enable the module is to use hotkeys. For example, for a number of Acer laptop models, you can turn on bluetooth with the Fn + F3 combination. The module is enabled in a similar way on ASUS (Fn + F2) and HP (Fn + F12) laptops. To find the desired button, carefully study the row F1-F12. Look for the key with the Bluetooth icon and press it in combination with the Fn button. 
Pay attention to the indicator lights. When you turn on the wireless modules, the corresponding icon should light up. If it is enabled, then you can proceed to configure the adapter in the system.
Driver installation
After enabling the adapter hardware, you need to check that the wireless module drivers are installed correctly in the system:
- Open device manager.
- Find equipment that provides Bluetooth functionality.
- Make sure the device is working properly.
Update device drivers if necessary. Choose automatic search. If this installation method did not help, go to the laptop manufacturer's website and download the software for your laptop model.
Establishing a connection
Some manufacturers (Samsung, Lenovo, ASUS) pre-install utilities on laptops to Bluetooth control adapter. If you have such a program on your laptop, then it is better to use it to add / remove devices and transfer files. If there is no proprietary utility, or you cannot use it, then you can establish a connection via bluetooth using the built-in system tools.
Windows 7
If you set the hardware switch to the "On" position or used hotkeys to launch the adapter, and then made sure that the wireless module software is working correctly, look for the Bluetooth icon in the notification area. With it, you can quickly add a new device.
If there is no tray icon, use the following instruction:
Another way to establish pairing with Bluetooth equipment:
The system will start searching for available devices. If the adapter drivers are working properly, and Bluetooth is enabled on the device that you want to connect to the laptop, then in a special window you will see the equipment available for connection. If you connect a phone, a code will appear on the screen that you need to enter on the mobile device to establish pairing.
If built-in windows tools does not help to solve the problem with adding a new Bluetooth device, try using third-party programs to establish pairing, such as BlueSoleil or WIDCOMM. These utilities are suitable for different models laptops and wireless adapters by establishing a connection with peripheral devices and giving the ability to send and receive files.
Windows 8
On Windows 8 Bluetooth setting is carried out through the Charms panel, which can be called up by moving the cursor to the upper right corner of the screen (or using the Win + C combination). Further:
The adapter is enabled and configured - now you can add a new device. Turn on Bluetooth on the phone or other device you want to connect to your laptop. Return to the "Change PC settings" section and open the "Devices" section. Click Add Device to pair the equipment wirelessly.
On Windows 8.1, the order in which the adapter is enabled has changed slightly:
- Call the Charms panel, open "Options".
- Go to the "Change PC settings" section.
- Open the Computer and Devices tab.
- Find and open the Bluetooth submenu.
The laptop will automatically start searching for devices available for connection. At this point, Bluetooth should already be running on the device you want to pair with the laptop.
Windows 10
With the release new version systems from Microsoft order turning on Bluetooth and adding a new device has changed a bit more. Since the Charms bar is no longer in Windows 10, you will have to go the other way:
- Expand "Start" and launch "Settings".
- Go to the "Bluetooth" tab.
The computer will start searching for Bluetooth devices. There is also a "More Options" button - click on it to make sure that your laptop is detected by other devices. 
In the "Discovery" field, set the permission for Bluetooth devices to see your computer's name. Additionally, you can turn on alerts and display the wireless connection icon in the notification area. With this icon, you can later quickly add new devices, view connected equipment, transfer and receive files.
First, let's define what is Bluetooth? People call this device bluetooth, it serves to exchange information between different digital devices, such as phones and headsets for them, laptops, PDAs, cameras, tablets, the list can be very long, since a bluetooth device can be implemented anywhere, most importantly, it is very convenient and affordable for everyone. With the Bluetooth function, these devices can connect with each other at a distance of up to 10 meters, while walls are not an obstacle for this. To get acquainted, and possibly a detailed acquaintance with the principle of its operation, you must first enable and configure bluetooth (bluetooth) on a laptop.
Instructions on how to enable and configure bluetooth on a laptop:
1. First you need to make sure that your laptop bluetooth. Because at the present time, many laptops are produced with the same cases, but in terms of capabilities they are different. For example, if in ASUS laptop or Acer, a burning light informs us about the included bluetooth, then in Samsung or HP this may mean a completely different function. You can also find out about its presence by a sticker glued to the case, it should have a characteristic icon in the form of the letter “B” or simply the inscription Bluetooth.
2. In the event that it still has it, then the matter remains only for the small - turn it on . To do this, press the button located on the left upper corner, above the keyboard, you can also press F6 or Fn+6, or right-click on the "Bluetooth" shortcut and select "Enable". For full-fledged work, special drivers must be installed on the laptop. If you have any questions related to the operation of the device "B", you can use the manufacturer's website.
3. To check if it works, activate bluetooth on some other device (you probably also have it in your mobile phone). All detected devices with enabled and available bluetooth should appear in the program window. Establish a connection between devices by searching for a name, if necessary, enter a code.
4. For lenovo laptop, you need to do the following: go to Start -> All Programs -> Accessories -> File Transfer. In some Samsung models, you just need to activate it automatically.
5. If all of the above actions were performed correctly, then you can safely exchange any information with any devices. As you can see, turning on bluetooth on a laptop is not as difficult as it seemed at first.
Bluetooth allows you to connect two devices wirelessly. Due to it, you can transfer various information from mobile phone, smart phone and other pocket computers on laptop.
The presence of Wi-Fi replaces some of the functions of bluetooth, however, the latter is still in demand. This is due to the fact that there are various wireless headsets, speakers, mice, headphones, etc., which are connected in this way. In addition, it is better to have several ways to connect two devices, so that if one fails, it will be possible to transfer information or connect using another option. Many are interested in the question of how to turn on bluetooth on a laptop? This is due to the fact that this device is the most effective way exchange of information between two entities.
Signs of built-in bluetooth
Newer laptops tend to have built-in Bluetooth, while older laptops require a dedicated USB device.
You must first enable this option. Before deciding, you need to make sure it is available. On models with this feature, there is a button to turn on the device, an indicator of its operation. Confirmation of the presence of bluetooth is also a sticker with a special marking. However, it does not happen on all models. Such a sticker is a characteristic element if bluetooth is present on an Asus laptop.
You can fully verify the presence or absence of built-in bluetooth using the information in the instructions supplied with the product, or information on the manufacturer's website. In addition, on the keyboard of a laptop equipped with this option, there may be a special key with a characteristic icon.
Setting up built-in bluetooth on a laptop
Initially, you need to find the bluetooth power button on the laptop. Often it is combined with Wi-Fi and is indicated by an antenna-shaped icon. If the buttons are spaced, then you need to look for an image in the form of two triangles. Next to it will be the desired switch on.
Another way to activate bluetooth is through the Fn c F3 or F5 key combination. There is also a software option, which consists in clicking on the corresponding tray icon and selecting the “enable” item. For convenience, some manufacturers have provided this element with a color change from gray to blue when the work is activated. In addition, some laptop models are characterized by the presence of a special indicator that lights up when the bluetooth is turned on.
Bluetooth on popular brands Lenovo and Acer
If there is a built-in bluetooth on a Lenovo laptop, then the process of turning it on is quite simple. It is enough to press the key combination Fn with F5, which will lead to the appearance of a special window that allows you to turn the connection on and off.
Bluetooth on Acer laptop eg Aspire models is activated using F3. On such laptops, the confirmation of the inclusion of the device is the appearance of a special icon on the taskbar on the right. By pressing it, you can control the operation of the bluetooth.
Installing drivers and checking operation
None of the devices will work without drivers. For achievement positive result you need to know how to enable bluetooth on a laptop using these special programs. There are two options: use the disk supplied in the kit or, if you encounter any problems, download the drivers from the manufacturer's website. During installation, the application may ask you to turn on Bluetooth.
To test the operation of this connection method, you must use a phone or other computer device with bluetooth. To connect, you need to select an object by network name, enter special code to communicate and try to convey information. How are devices searched? You need to click the desired tray icon, where you will be able to find and connect to the mobile phone port.
Sometimes a situation arises that when bluetooth is activated on a laptop, only the owner can connect to other devices. To ensure the possibility of connecting from the devices of friends and colleagues, you need to select the wording “Visible to everyone” in the settings.
Reinstalling drivers on an HP laptop example
The normal functioning of the bluetooth may be disrupted if the drivers fail. This event sometimes occurs when reinstalling windows. For example, how to set up bluetooth in this case on an HP laptop. Initially, the system is scanned by a special program AIDA64/EVEREST. At the end, a report is issued on the type of bluetooth installed, which will help you find the right driver on the manufacturer's website. After downloading and installing software you need to restart your computer. On the manufacturer's website you can additionally download special program connection manager.
How to set up bluetooth on a laptop that does not have this function
How to turn on bluetooth on a laptop with no such function. The only option is to connect a special module via the USB port. They are sold in many computer stores. The kit with such devices includes a disk with a set of drivers and a software distribution kit.
The details of how to turn on bluetooth on a laptop using an adapter come down only to understanding that the installation process is normal. Any additional USB elements are configured in a similar way. After that, the system will write a message that new devices have been detected. When installing a disk, the wizard starts work in automatic mode. If you encounter problems, you can start it manually through the Start menu. There you need to find the “run” option and enter “Disk name” in the empty line: \ setup. Drivers from the bluetooth adapter can be downloaded on the Internet in the absence of a disk.
After installing the software, a shortcut will appear, by clicking on which you can control the operation of the bluetooth. After clicking on it, a window will open where you should enter a special name that other users will see when connecting. The next step is to specify the type of computer. In this case, it will be a laptop. As with using the built-in bluetooth, and for connecting via a USB adapter, you must pass authentication, that is, enter a special code.