How To Solve Bluetooth Connection Failure After Upgrading To Windows 8.1

Bluetooth Problem Solved After Upgrading From Windows 8 to Windows 8.1

Recently I upgraded my Dell Inspiron One 20" All-in-One Desktop 2020 from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1.  It is quite a lengthy process, however I got tired of being prompted to upgrade quite often, so I went ahead with the Windows 8.1 upgrade.

Prior to the upgrade to Windows 8.1, I used my Bluetooth connection between my LG Optimus smartphone and my Dell computer to transfer photos, videos and music.  This was always quick and worked each and every time.

Immediately after upgrading to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8, I was not able to use the Bluetooth feature to transfer files between my phone and my computer.

I would get a pairing and connection for 2 to 5 seconds then everything would disconnect.  I tried uninstalling and re-installing the phone to the computer and also the other way around, dropping the computer from the phone.  On both devices I would then search again and go through the pairing process.  This was to no avail with the same disconnection results after being connected for just a few seconds.

I searched the forums and topics for quite a few hours and never found a good solution.  I started my own research and finally found the solution to my problem.

Even though, in my device manager, none of my Bluetooth drivers appeared with a yellow exclamation mark after them denoting they need to be updated, and the Microsoft search tool stated they were the most up to day, I found that this was not correct.

My research came up with the below link on the Dell site that did fix this problem with my Bluetooth connection.  It is indeed a needed and recommended Bluetooth driver update for Windows 8.1 specifically.

I did the download, the install and the reboot, and the Bluetooth is working just fine now.

The link for the Dell Wireless 1703 802.11b/g/n, BT4.0+HS Driver is: http://www.dell.com/support/drivers/us/en/19/driverdetails?driverid=YX1X0

This appears to be a well known problem with many devices upon upgrading to Windows 8.1.  My suggestion would be that you go the Bluetooth radio manufacturer's website for the Bluetooth radio that your device is using and search for driver updates for Windows 8.1 specifically.

Good luck and feel free to leave a comment and let us know your results!