Bluetooth device suddenly not working with Windows 10? This might be why
And it’s not just Windows 10
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Bluetooth has become an incredibly popular tool for connecting devices, whether it’s thebest smartwatchesor thebest wireless headphones. But, not all Bluetooth devices are created equal, and a new security update fromMicrosoftmay break Bluetooth connection for some devices onWindows 10.
The new security update arrives in a number of Windows cumulative updates, including the update for June 2019. But, it goes beyond that, so it won’t just be computers getting the latest major update that are affected. The security update and Bluetooth changes will effect Machines running evenWindows 8.1 and Windows Server 12, as discovered byWindows Latest.
The security update isn’t breaking Bluetooth connections on accident, though. The change is intentional, and it aims to block potentially dangerous devices from connecting to Windows computers. What Windows is doing in this case is blocking connections from Bluetooth devices that use well-known encryption keys.
You can find more details on all the affected updates from Microsofthere.
What you can do
In most cases, this security update is not going to affect you. Popular Bluetooth devices from major manufacturers aren’t likely to have launched with well-known encryption keys. And, in cases where they have, the companies may have updates available to remedy the issue.
If a Bluetooth device you’ve attempted to connect can’t connect, you can check in the Windows Event Log for an error to see if this update is the cause. The error will show up with “BTHUSB or BTHMINI” in the Event Source field, “22” in the Event ID, and “BTHPORT_DEBUG_LINK_KEY_NOT_ALLOWED” in the Name field.
It will also include the Event Message Text: “Your Bluetooth device attempted to establish a debug connection. The Windows Bluetooth stack does not allow debug connection while it is not in the debug mode.”
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If your device is not connecting because of this error, you can either try to update the Bluetooth device or roll back the update. The the other alternative is to replace the Bluetooth device itself. Since future updates of Windows are likely to keep this change to Bluetooth security, keeping insecure Bluetooth devices is likely a fraught option.
Over the last several years, Mark has been tasked as a writer, an editor, and a manager, interacting with published content from all angles. He is intimately familiar with the editorial process from the inception of an article idea, through the iterative process, past publishing, and down the road into performance analysis.
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