Do I have bluetooth?

[iviv]

Got a new Aspire 5542 laptop for Christmas, and I'm very happy with it, though after a conflict between MSN and a program the laptop had been bundled with, and had been quickly removed, it was still crashing on bootup. So I wiped it with a Win7 HP DVD, and everything is perfect, except one thing. I noticed while downloading the drivers for it from the Acer website that there was a bluetooth driver to download as well. I tried downloading it, but when I tried to run it, it failed saying that it couldn't find any bluetooth devices.

After poking around on the internet, several websites that sell this laptop say there is no bluetooth, it is only the Acer website that actually says it has it. I emailed Acer support regarding the problem, and in a very long winded reply in which they told me to format the laptop using the reovery DVD I should have made (Which I didn't because I don't want to spend 3 DVDs for a recovery since I can fit windows on one). They did however confirm:

Regarding your enquiry, I am so sorry that you have faced so many issue , but don't worry , i am here to help you out ..

As i saw from my tools and i came to know that this unit of yours has Blue tooth , but if it is not finding the devices , need not worry , You need to perform a recovery , Please have a back up of the data before you run a recovery ,

Ignoring the broken english from Mr/Mrs Thota Vamsi Viren, I replied telling them I'd already formatted with my own clean Win7 DVD, and tried their own drivers. Just got a reply from someone else (kamal kiran Yerramilli) saying:

Thank you for contacting Acer UK. I’ll be happy to assist you…

Regarding the issue you have informed about blue tooth device not being detected on the device .Further having gathered information from previous mails you have found that the there are foxconn drivers available on our web site . I really understand the situation you are in .

Further more having checked with the part number of the unit for component list the WLAN card installed on the unit is Foxconn Wireless LAN Atheros HB93 1x2 BGN (HM).
As you have already informed that you installed Foxconn blue tooth device drivers . Recommend to download and the Foxconn Wireless LAN driver HB93 ,for the Wireless LAN to be activated to detect the blue tooth drivers up be updated in device manager .

For further support please e-mail or call our Acer Technical Support Line on 0871 760 1000.

We appreciate your interest for sending us e-mail and will be glad to assist you further to the extent possible.

Respectfully,
Acer UK
Online Technical Support

Does this make any sense? I shouldn't need to install any wireless drivers to make the bluetooth work, should I? Especially since I'm connected to my wireless network fine at the moment, Win7 found and installed drivers for it all on its own. I'm going to try it anyway, I don't care hugely about having bluetooth as I've got a dongle I use, but getting the internal bluetooth would be handy, if indeed it even exists.

 

[m4cc45]

Sometimes you need to - I know on my laptop the Bluetooth / Wireless LAN button is the same and turns them both on - but it needs the drivers for it to turn on.



M.

 

[iviv]

Ugh, uninstalled the drivers through the device manager, installed the ones from the acer website and...

DRIVER_IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL

NDIS.SYS

And it did this every time I rebooted and got to the login screen. Had to boot into safe mode, disable the wireless card, then boot into 7 normally, uninstall the driver then rebooted to make 7 install its own wireless drivers again. GG acer >_>

 

[ShakenNstirred]

it depends on the spec the shop\website decides on as to whether you have bluetooth or not
my acer 8930g has a bluetooth button , but my version didn't come with bluetooth
having checked a few sites selling the 5542 there versions dont have bluetooth

as you have tried to install the driver and it said no device found your more than likely got a 5542 spec without the bluetooth module
you can buy them for about £15 and add it yourself

 

[iviv]

it depends on the spec the shop\website decides on as to whether you have bluetooth or not
my acer 8930g has a bluetooth button , but my version didn't come with bluetooth
having checked a few sites selling the 5542 there versions dont have bluetooth

That's what I thought, but to speak with Acer support I was required to put in my laptop's serial number thingy, and their support confirmed:

As i saw from my tools and i came to know that this unit of yours has Blue tooth , but if it is not finding the devices

So, either their tools are rubbish, they don't know what they're talking about, or... I'm not sure what other options there are.

I do have a bluetooth adaptor which I'm using, but if I do indeed have in-built bluetooth, it would be a whole lot easier.

 

[ShakenNstirred]

if you had bluetooth built in windows would find anyway even if the acer driver didnt.

i`d say you dont have it
i have just brought the module for mine for £14 off ebay, just need to fit it now

 

[IAmATeaf]

Have you checked within the BIOS, on some of my Fujitsu laptops there's a separate option to enable/disable it.

 

[Philyaris]

Thanks to this thread I found out that you can fit the module providing the connection is already there on the motherboard,quick trip to ebay and I now have bluetooth working on my Acer Aspire without needing a bluetooth dongle.
Details can be provided if wanted on who I used if not breaking any rules as not on sale through OC's site.

Phil

 

[Hoodlum]

May have nothing to do with it but Win 7 has had some serious issues with a lot of bluetooth hardware (just google) simply not working with the new stack (bluetooth is pretty buggy on win 7 atm). Dunno if this could be part of the problem but might be worth a look.