Bluetooth problem - Inspiron with Vista

Question

I just bought a Dell Inspiron E1705 with integrated Bluetooth controller and Vista Home Premium. The Bluetooth controller is listed as a Dell Truemobile 355 Bluetooth + EDR in Device Manger.
I have been trying to add a Logitech MX100 Laser mouse but Bluetooth keeps lapsing into a state when it can't detect Bluetooth devices through the add device wizard ion the Bluetooth control applet. I can get it to work briefly by following the following sequence of events.
1) Using Programs and Features I remove the Dell installed Bluetooth software listed as WIDCOMM Bluetooth Software 6.0.1.3100 and restart the system.
2) After the reboot, Bluetooth is active but the add device wizard still doesn't see Bluetooth devices in discover mode (the mouse, a Jabra headset or my XP system with a Bluetooth USB dongle.
3) I reinstall the Bluetooth software (from Dell) and then Bluetooth works great (no restart is required after installation). Add device wizard sees everything and I can add the mouse. All features work such as the scroll wheel, forward/back page buttons, etc. Great.
4) The next time I restart the system, Bluetooth goes back to the same behavior. Interestingly, the mouse works, but only as a two button mouse and if I interpret the info I see in the Mouse Control applet correctly, the system thinks it is USB connects. The Bluetooth control panel lists the mouse, but says it is not connected. Also, if I go to the Bluetooth Options tab and change the option to allow Bluetooth Devices to find this computer and hit Apply, an error pops up that states:
An error occurred while Windows was saving your settings. The Bluetooth device might be unplugged. The following settings were not saved:
Discoverability settings
Connection Settings
5) If I remove WIDCOMM, reboot, reinstall WIDCOMM - mouse starts working with full functionality again until the next restart.
Dell support hasn't been able to resolve this so far and is shipping me a replacement Bluetooth internal controller. I don't think this is a hardware issue. The next step will be to reinstall all software which is not too big a deal as the system is only 3 days old, but I have to do all the work and am not confident this will change anything either.
Any insights on cause and resolution for this? System log does show errors from BTHUSB with Event ID of 5. Message is "The Bluetooth driver expected an HCI event with a certain size but did not receive it." Also, device drivers are the most recent available from Dell:
Dell Truemobile 355 Bluetooth + EDR driver version is 6.0.6000.16398
Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator is 6.0.6000.16398

Last point. Even if I don't pair the mouse the same sequence of events happens. So, I remove/reinstall WIDCOMM and run the Add device wizard. Bluetooth sees the various devices. I just cancel out, reboot and rerun the add device wizard and it fails to see anything.
TIA.

y2jdmbfan · Answer

I've got the same problem. It only happens with the Dell 355. I have tried my old Dell 350 and that seems to work OK. It has something to do with the fact that the 355 is installing a Bluetooth HID-Keyboard and HID Mouse even when nothing is paired. No other Bluetooth dongles do this. It is definitely something on Dell's end. I have tried an Anycom USB-250 Bluetooth module and it works fine with my Laser MX1000...Hopefully this will help us get something resolved. Let me know if the new adapter helps.   Y2J

ChazInCT · Answer

Thanks for the info.  I've gone back to my sales rep to see if we can swap the 355 for the 350.  I wish he had informed me that there were more than one Bluetooth internal controller available.  I probably would have spent the extra $40 for the 350 in the first place.   Did you have to do anything to logically remove the HID mouse references from the system?  I noticed that when I remove WIDCOMM and put it back that they show up (2 HID-compliant mouse references) in the Control Panel info for the mouse under hardware even before I try to pair with the Loitech mouse.   Thanks again and hopefully Dell will get this added to their knowledge base.

dhrumil121 · Answer

Try to install the widcomm drivers. Google it and u would get the drivers. All say that they are better then the toshiba ones.

y2jdmbfan · Answer

I think I fixed the problem! Or at least I found the cause. It seems that the latest NVIDIA 100 Series Drivers cause an issue with the Bluetooth module. Once I dropped down to the Dell released 97.46 for Vista the problem went away. Of course, these drivers are a little glitchy when opening and minimizing and maximizing windows, but at least the Bluetooth works!!! Who do I let know about this?   Thanks,   Y2J

ChazInCT · Answer

My thanks to y2jdmbfan for identifying the correct resolution to the problem.  And to my sales rep who not only got me the Truemobile 350 but also dispatched a tech to install it.  It's good to have folks that go the extra mile.  It's also a shame that the tech support group is so inneffective that customers have to driver their own problem resolution process.

JTrue5 · Answer

The solution posted by ChazinCt is correct. I too recently purchased an Inspiron with the 355 Bluetooth card and could not initiate the discovery on the unit. I uninstalled the WIDCOMM software, rebooted, downloaded the software from the DELL website, reinstalled, it and my Palm PDA and Bluetooth enabled phone both work fine. Thanks a bunch!

Message Edited by JTrue5 on 02-24-2007 10:58 AM

eusmwl · Answer

I have exactly the same problem, but I'm not sure what steps ChazinCt or y2jdmbfan  are suggesting. Do I have to change out the Bluetooth 355 to a Bluetooth 350? Do  I also have to reload the NVidia Driver from Dell's website? 97.46 NVidia driver is the latest Dell's website has. I have reinstalled the WIDCOMM but it didn't really help anything.

ChazInCT · Answer

I was able to get a 350 card from my salesperson since the system was new.  Then I just downloaded and installed the appropriate driver from the Dell site an everything has worked since.  The mouse freezes up for a few secoinds here and there (mostly when applications launch) but there have been no serious issues.   I didn't to do anything with the video controller. But, I have the ATI Mobility Radeon X1400 not the Nvidia controller.  So, I can't speak to any potential issues there.   Hope this helps you.

jrbast · Answer

I had my 355 changed out for a 350 to fix a problem in that my mouse wheel was not working, nor any of the multimedia bittons or volume knob on the bluetooth keyboard.   The 350 corrected those problems, but now everytime Windows Vista prompts for UAC, the keyboard and mouse loose conductivity for about 15 seconds or more, then reconnect for me to click accept.  Dell still has no resolution to this problem.

kalyfrans · Answer

I have an almost identical situation.  I have spent probably 100 hours trying to figure out a solution.  Just when I think I have it, BINGO, something goes wrong.  I have a Inspiron E1705 with Bluetooth built in.,  I was trying to add a MS wireless keyboard and mouse.  Originally, at the instructions of those smarter than me, I used the USB transceiver.  I plugged and unplugged it so many times it broke, but that may have been for the best,  Now I can run both the mouse and keyboard off the internal radio.    The problem is I have to reload every boot to get all functions to work.  The mouse works fine until I get on the WEB, then the scroll feature quits.  It does not do that on Yahoo mail, but everywhere else.  That makes no logical sense to me.  When this happens, here is what I have to do to get it working: 1) Go to show Bluetooth devices and delete the mouse. 2) Go to bluetooth drivers and delete the enumerator driver.  3)  Whatever driver is left, I click on it and click reinstall.  4) It piddles around a minute and then most of the time (but not ALL of the time) I have to reboot.  At that time a window pops up and a list of about 10 bluetooth  items install.  After that, I go to add bluetooth, and add the mouse according to standard instructions.   ANY deviation from all of that, and it doesn't work.    I have worked with Dell and MS, and as dumb as I am, I swear I know more than they do!  Any suggestions?  Would love to send the mouse and keyboard back for a refund, but my wife chunked the box, sales slip, etc.   This must be a common problem.. I cannot understand why there is not more 'heck' being raised than is.

dhrumil121 · Answer

whats u OS?

jrbast · Answer

I run Windows Vista Home Premium I have corrected the bluetooth problem by having Dell replace the internal radio with the model 350, originally model 355. I uninstalled and reinstalled the 350 driver and everything is working great. I even took my computer on vacation and when I got back home and powered up, it recognized the keyboard and mouse. I'm using a Dell bluetooth keyboard and mouse. I also updated Java runtime which was also causing problems when on certain web sites ( ie Weather channel, intellicast etc. This is the second replacement of the bluetooth radio, last one also caused the multi-media fuctions on the keyboard adn the wheel on the mouse to not function.

kalyfrans · Answer

Vista Home Premium 32

kalyfrans · Answer

That's good to know.  Did you install the radio yourself?  If so, what does it look like?  I ordered a Bluetooth remote with my PC, but it was missing.  They said they would send it.  Twice they sent the wrong thing.  It's a tiny little gizmo about the size of a squashed medicine capsule.  Have no idea what it is except it is Bluetooth.  Thought it might be the radio,

jrbast · Answer

Yes, Dell sent it to me, I installed it myself. Located under the left side of the E7105. Shutdown your system, You remove 1 small screw, unplug it, attach the new one and power up. Then send the defective one back to dell. Good luck...

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Bluetooth problem - Inspiron with Vista

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