The topic of this article is how to turn on Bluetooth on Windows 8. The fact is that quite rarely laptops have a special button to turn on the specified wireless communication. As a rule, it is combined with a button turning on WiFi. In addition, Windows 8 has a built-in wireless module management system.

How to turn on the Bluetooth module

First of all, the wireless adapter is turned on using the keyboard. As mentioned above, in the vast majority of cases, the power button is combined with the WiFi activation key. This means that you need to press the Fn + wireless module power button combination.

But unlike WiFi communication, there is no automatic search for devices. In other words, nothing happens when you turn on the adapter. To connect, for example, to a phone, you need to follow a few simple steps. But more on that later. Before moving on to the search, let's look at one more inclusion method.

To do this, we need to move the mouse cursor to the upper right corner and select “Settings” in the menu that appears. Next, click “Change computer settings.” Thus, we opened the PC management console. Here we need to find wireless network(Wireless).

In the window that appears, look for “Wireless devices”. Then it’s just a matter of finding the required slider and switching it to “On” mode. So we have included the required adapter. Now you can move on to searching for available connections.

How to enable Bluetooth in Windows 8: Video

Search for available Bluetooth devices

In order to find any connections, for example, a phone or mouse that supports this connection technology, we will need to return to the “Change computer settings” menu. Only this time we are interested in the “Computer and Devices” item. In the window that appears, you can turn the module on and off. In addition, the system automatically searches for available connections.

After this, the computer will offer you a list from which you simply select the desired device. Then follow the prompts on the screen. It is worth noting that the connected device must also have Bluetooth enabled. If we are talking about a smartphone, then in addition to the module itself, you also need to enable “Detection”.

What should you do if you have completed all the above steps and the adapter does not work? This indicates that the appropriate drivers are not installed on the computer.

How to enable Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop: Video

Driver check

Like any other hardware, Bluetooth in Windows 8 requires driver installation. You can check their presence in Device Manager. Open this service can be done in several ways, but we will do this using the most simple method. Press the Win+R key combination, in the window that appears, write the following command - mmc devmgmt.msc and press “Enter”.

The service will automatically open the service we need. In the window that appears, find the item “ Network adapters" Let's open them. If your Bluetooth module is not here, then the driver is missing. You can install it from the disk that comes with your laptop. If there is no such disk, then the necessary software must be downloaded from the official website of the computer manufacturer.

It is also recommended to install a special utility (program) that will help manage wireless adapters. After installing the driver, we perform all the above steps to turn on the wireless module and connect new devices.

Now you know not only how to enable Bluetooth in Windows 8, but also how to check the drivers. As you can see, everything is extremely simple.

How to install driver in Windows 8: Video

Despite the emergence of newer wireless technologies, Bluetooth is still in widespread demand. He firmly occupied his niche. Moreover, this technology has certain and undeniable advantages. But, despite the fact that this connection is already quite old, not everyone knows how to use Bluetooth on Windows laptop 8.

Bluetooth opens up certain possibilities for users. For example, you can play music from your laptop to speaker system without using wires. In addition, you can use a wireless headset and group together several computers or mobile phones to transfer data.

However, before doing this, you need to know how to set up Bluetooth on Windows 8.

How to set up Bluetooth on a Windows 8 computer

First you need to install the drivers. This is software that allows you to control the wireless module and configure the connection. As a rule, the laptop comes with a disk containing all the necessary programs and drivers. If there is no such disk, then you can always go to the manufacturer’s official website and download the necessary software.

Installing drivers for Bluetooth: Video

After all drivers are installed, new hardware will appear in Device Manager. In this case, the full name of the Bluetooth module will be displayed here.

In addition, a corresponding icon will appear in the system tray. When you click on it right click mouse, a menu will open. Here you can enter the settings. This is where the Bluetooth setup in Windows 8 comes in.

So, right-click on the Bluetooth icon in the tray and select “Open Settings”.

First of all, you should check the box “Allow Bluetooth devices to find this computer.” In this way, you activate the discovery function so that, for example, a smartphone or tablet can find a PC to connect to. It is also recommended to set a checkbox in the “Notify me when new equipment is connected” line. Thanks to this, no one will be able to connect to the laptop without your confirmation.

In addition, you will find other settings in the parameters. However, by default everything is already configured and you don’t need to change anything. As you can see, setting up Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop is quite simple and should not cause any difficulties. So, now you can move on to adding new Bluetooth equipment.

How to set up Bluetooth on a Windows 8 laptop: Video

How to connect a device to a laptop via Bluetooth

In order to add new equipment, you should right-click on the Bluetooth icon in the tray again. Select the appropriate item from the menu that appears. After this, a menu will open in which the system will begin searching for available connections and give you a list. You can enter this menu in another way.

To do this, move your mouse cursor to the upper right corner. From the menu that appears, select Options. Next, open the “Change computer settings” item.

Thus, we got into the system parameters. Here you can configure your PC, network, manage accounts and so on. We are interested in the “Computer and devices” item. Now go to the "Bluetooth" section. Here you will see a list of available connections. Select the hardware you want to connect to your PC. Since the settings Bluetooth adapter In Windows 8 everything is already installed, you don't need to do anything. Just follow the prompts on the screen.

To pair, you will need to confirm the code that appears on the screen.

Finding available Bluetooth equipment to connect to: Video

The Bluetooth adapter and all paired devices in Windows 8 are controlled through built-in utilities. To transfer files, simply right-click on the corresponding icon. Choose to send or receive the file, depending on your needs. If you need to send any document, then select “Send file”. This will open a menu displaying a list of available devices. All you have to do is choose the one to which the transfer will take place. Next, follow the prompts on the screen.

Let me start with the fact that almost every laptop has a built-in Bluetooth module. Not even on the newest models. This means that Bluetooth on the laptop should work without installation additional devices. I will introduce USB adapters that are necessary for desktop computers. Since there simply is no built-in module. Although, on some motherboards There is already 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 operating system Windows 10, Windows 8 (8.1) and Windows 7. I will also show you how to set up a wireless module and connect different devices to your laptop. I have a mouse connected to my laptop via Bluetooth and wireless headphones. Very comfortably. You can also connect, for example, a wireless speaker, keyboard, mobile phone etc.

All you need for Bluetooth to work 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 Windows systems. But don’t rush to go to the manufacturer’s website and download drivers. It is quite possible that you already have everything installed and working. Especially if you have Windows 10 installed. As a rule, it installs the necessary drivers itself. 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 is working. Regardless installed Windows, if the Bluetooth driver is installed, then the notification panel will show blue icon"Bluetooth devices". This means it is turned on and ready to go. Check on your laptop. In rare cases, this icon may be disabled in 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 don’t have such an icon, then there are three options:

1. Bluetooth is disabled on the laptop and needs to be turned on.
2. Removed the BT icon itself from the notification panel.
3. Or the required driver is not installed.

Let's try to turn it on.

BT on Windows 10

The easiest way is to open the notification center and click on the appropriate 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.

I wrote a separate article on Windows 10: . After this, an icon should appear in the notification panel, as I showed above.

How to connect the device?

Click on "Add 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

Opening the side panel (you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows + C) and select "Options". Next, click on “Change computer settings.” Go to the "Bluetooth" section and turn on the module with the switch.

Windows will begin searching for available devices to connect to.

An icon should appear on the notification panel 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 Network and Sharing Center shared access" – "Change adapter settings" and see if the adapter is there " Network connection Bluetooth". If not, then install the driver for your laptop model, or check for the adapter in the device manager (more on this later in the article). And if there is, then see if it is turned on. It may need to be enabled on the laptop.

How to connect the device?

Click on the "Bluetooth" icon and select "Add 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 properties of "Bluetooth Adapter" and enable the display of 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 your laptop, there are no settings, adapter, buttons, icons, etc., then most likely the necessary drivers are not installed. You need to go to device manager and check this. Or maybe you just need to use a BT adapter.

Open Device Manager. You can right-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 (the name may also be different). This is what I have on my laptop:

If it exists, but with an "arrow" (icon next to the adapter), then just right-click on it and select “Engage”.

Perhaps you don’t have anything similar to Blues in your device manager. In this case, you need to download and install the driver.

Go to the official website of your laptop manufacturer. Using the search (or menu), find your model, and in the “Support”, “Downloads”, etc. sections, download the driver for the Bluetooth module. Install it, restart your laptop and after that everything should work.

The most important detail to remember is that in order for this wireless module to work properly, you should install the official drivers from your laptop manufacturer's website. The fact is that many people reinstall Windows and then rely on the drivers that the system installs automatically or those present in the driver pack. I wouldn't recommend this as this could be the reason why you can't turn on the Bluetooth feature. .

On some laptops, for the Bluetooth module to work, you need to move the Wireless hardware switch to the On position (for example, on SonyVaio) and if this is not done, then you simply will not see the Bluetooth settings in the system, even if the drivers are installed. I haven’t seen turning on using the Fn keys + Bluetooth icon lately, but just in case, take a look at your keyboard, this option is possible (for example, on old Asus).

Windows 8.1

This is one of the ways to turn on Bluetooth, which is only suitable for Windows 8.1, if you just have eight or are interested in other methods - see below. So, here is the simplest, but not the only way:

1. Open the Charms panel (the one on the right), click Settings, and then Change PC settings.
2. Select “Computer and devices”, and then select Bluetooth (if there is no option, go to additional methods in this manual).

After selecting the specified menu item, the Bluetooth module will automatically go into the device search state and, at the same time, the laptop or computer itself will also become available for search.

Windows 8

If you have Windows 8 (not 8.1) installed, you can enable Bluetooth as follows:

In order to then connect devices via Bluetooth, in the same place, in “Changing computer settings”, go to “Devices” and click “Add device”.

If these methods did not help, go to the device manager and see if Bluetooth is enabled there, and also if the original drivers are installed for it. You can go to the device manager by clicking Windows keys+ R on the keyboard and entering the command devmgmt.msc.

Open the properties of the Bluetooth adapter and see if there are any errors in its operation, and also pay attention to the driver supplier: if it is Microsoft, and the driver release date is several years away from today, look for the original one.

It may be that you installed Windows 8 on your computer, but the driver on the laptop website is only available in the version for Windows 7, in this case you can try to run the driver installation in compatibility mode with the previous version of the OS, this often works.

On a laptop with Windows 7, the easiest way to enable Bluetooth is to use proprietary utilities from the manufacturer or an icon in the Windows notification area, which, depending on the adapter model and driver, right-clicks to display different menus for managing BT functions. Don't forget also about the Wireless switch; if your laptop has one, it should be in the "On" position.

If there is no Bluetooth icon in the notification area, but you are sure that you have the correct drivers installed, you can do the following:

Option 1

1. Go to Control Panel, open “Devices and Printers”
2. Right-click on Bluetooth Adapter (it may have a different name, or it may not exist at all, even if the drivers are installed)
3. If there is such an item, you can select “Bluetooth Settings” in the menu - there you can configure the display of the icon in the notification area, visibility for other devices, and other parameters.
4. If there is no such item, then you can still connect a Bluetooth device by simply clicking “Add device”. If detection is enabled and the drivers are in place, it should be found.

Option 2

1. Right-click on the network icon in the notification area and select “Network and Sharing Center.”
2. In the menu on the left, click "Change adapter settings."
3. Right-click on “Network bluetooth connection" and click "Properties". If there is no such connection, then there is something wrong with your drivers, and perhaps something else.
4. In properties, open the “Bluetooth” tab, and then open the settings.

If none of the methods can turn on Bluetooth or connect the device, but you have absolute confidence in the drivers, then I don’t know how to help: check that the necessary ones are enabled Windows services and make sure again that you are doing everything correctly.

Of course, new technologies like bluetooth and Wi-Fi have many advantages, for example, they allow you to access the global network and use a headset without interfering wires, but these functions can harm the laptop user while traveling. The battery runs out very quickly and its service life is significantly reduced.

Therefore, it is imperative to have the skills to quickly turn on and off wireless functions at times when it is necessary.

Sometimes on some laptops the manufacturer does not provide a manual Bluetooth switch, but it happens that the WiFi switch has additional function turn on Bluetooth. If the laptop does not have such a physical switch, Windows 8 provides a program for using the Bluetooth and WiFi functions. Let's look at ways to enable them in Windows 8.

How to turn on bluetooth?

There are several following ways to turn on Bluetooth:

1. It is possible to turn on the keys. Often on laptops, one key enables both Bluetooth and WiFi functions. It is necessary to simultaneously press the “Fn” and “WiFi” buttons. Bluetooth does not have an independent search function for the computer, so below we will consider the necessary steps to perform a search for gadgets with a wireless module.
2. You need to place the cursor in the upper right part of the desktop and in the window that appears, click on “Options”.

Then select “Change computer settings.”

This will open the PC management console, where you need to enter the “wireless network” tab.

In the menu that opens, select “Wireless devices”. Then set the Bluetooth switch to the “On” position.

How to find bluetooth devices?

You must first open “Change PC settings” and select “Computer and devices”. Next, the PC itself will find available devices. From the recommended list you need to select the device you need, for example, a mouse. Then comes a simple step-by-step instruction, which is not difficult for the user to perform. It is imperative to check whether Bluetooth is activated on the device you want to connect.

If the above steps are unsuccessful, you need to check whether the Bluetooth drivers are installed correctly.

How to check drivers?

All Bluetooth devices must have drivers installed. You need to analyze them in Windows 8 using Device Manager. To do this, press the buttons and “R” simultaneously. In the line that appears, type “mmc devmgmt.msc” and press the “Enter” key.

In the menu that opens, select “Network adapters”. Check if they have your Bluetooth module.

If it is missing, this means that the drivers are not installed. They need to be installed with boot disk Windows 8 of your PC. If the disk is missing, the drivers must be taken from the website of the company that produced the laptop. It is also possible to install an application on your laptop that allows you to configure wireless systems. Equipping the computer necessary programs, you need to repeat the steps described above again to connect Bluetooth.

If Windows 8 was recently installed on a laptop, and programs on the official page of the PC manufacturer are only available for Windows 7, then you need to install the programs in 8-7 compatibility mode operating system, in most cases this method works well.