Bluetooth Radio Driver Error: Fix It in Order on Windows 10 and Windows 11

Short answer

• A Bluetooth radio driver error means Windows cannot start or load the driver for the Bluetooth adapter in your PC. The adapter is the hardware that sends and receives Bluetooth signals, and in Device Manager its name often includes the word "radio", for example "Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R)".
• Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter, and open Properties to read the exact error code in the Device status box. The code decides the fix: Code 10, 31, 37, and 39 usually need a driver update or reinstall, Code 32 means the driver service is disabled, and Code 43 means the device reported a fault to Windows.
• Work in this order: run the Bluetooth troubleshooter, update the driver automatically, roll back the driver if the error started after an update, uninstall the adapter and let Windows reinstall it, then install the driver from your PC manufacturer's website. Microsoft says an outdated or incompatible driver is one of the most common causes of Bluetooth connection problems.
• If the error started right after a Windows update on an Intel system, check the driver versions first. Microsoft documents a known mismatch where an Intel Wi-Fi driver newer than 19.80 but older than 20.50, paired with a Bluetooth driver newer than 19.0 but older than 19.50, breaks Bluetooth. The documented fix is to install Wi-Fi driver version 20.50 or newer and then do a full cold reboot.
• If every driver fix fails and the adapter still shows an error, the fault is probably hardware. A low cost USB Bluetooth adapter is a practical workaround, and your PC manufacturer's support team can confirm whether the built-in adapter needs repair or replacement.

What a Bluetooth Radio Driver Error Is

A Bluetooth radio driver error is a message from Windows that the software controlling your PC’s Bluetooth adapter is missing, outdated, damaged, disabled, or unable to start. The “radio” in the name is the Bluetooth adapter itself: the small piece of hardware, usually built into the same chip as Wi-Fi, that sends and receives Bluetooth signals. Windows talks to that hardware through a driver, which is a small program supplied by the adapter maker, such as Intel, Realtek, or Qualcomm, or by your PC manufacturer. When that driver cannot load, Windows marks the adapter with a yellow warning triangle in Device Manager and Bluetooth stops working. Headphones will not connect, a mouse will not pair, and the Bluetooth toggle may vanish from Settings altogether.

The error is specific to the driver and the adapter, which is what makes it different from general Bluetooth trouble. A device that will not pair, a connection that keeps dropping, or a missing Bluetooth toggle can all have other causes, from a dead battery in the headphones to a setting in the wrong position. This guide covers the case where Device Manager itself reports a problem with the Bluetooth radio driver. If your Bluetooth adapter shows no error in Device Manager but devices still will not connect, the general troubleshooting guide for a PC whose Bluetooth is not working covers that separate problem instead. That guide is PC Bluetooth Not Working, a Wave 113 companion article, so confirm it is live before relying on the link at build time.

The steps below follow Microsoft’s own support documentation, checked on 12 November 2026. Menu names and Settings paths are given as they appear in Windows 11, with Windows 10 differences noted where they matter. If a menu has moved since that date, look for the same words under Settings rather than assuming the step no longer applies. Nothing here asks you to download a driver from an unfamiliar website or to run a third-party “driver updater” tool. Those tools are a common source of the wrong driver, and Microsoft’s guidance is to get drivers from Windows Update or from your PC manufacturer’s own website.

1. Find the Exact Error in Device Manager

Spend two minutes on diagnosis before changing anything. The error code tells you which fix to try first, and it stops you from reinstalling a driver that only needs to be re-enabled.

Open Device Manager. Select Search on the taskbar, type “device manager”, and select Device Manager from the results. You can also press the Windows key and X together and choose Device Manager from the menu. Expand the Bluetooth category by selecting the arrow next to it. The adapter name usually includes the maker and the word “radio” or “Bluetooth”, for example “Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R)”, “Realtek Bluetooth Adapter”, or “Qualcomm(R) Bluetooth Radio Driver”. If the adapter has a yellow warning triangle, that is the device with the error.

Right-click the adapter and select Properties. The error code appears in the Device status box on the General tab. Write down the full message word for word, including the code number. The same dialog has a Driver tab, which shows the driver version and date. Write those down too. They matter for the Intel version check in section 9, and for deciding whether a rollback is possible in section 5. If the adapter is not listed under Bluetooth at all, look under Other devices, where Windows lists hardware it cannot identify. If it is not there either, skip to section 11, which covers the case where the adapter itself may not be detected.

One more check before you start fixing: note when the error began. Did it appear after a Windows update, after a driver update, after a new piece of software was installed, or after the laptop was dropped or opened for repair? An error that started right after an update points at the new driver, and a rollback is the fastest fix. An error that started after a physical knock points at the hardware, and no driver step will help. An error that has been there since the PC was new points at a missing or wrong driver, and a manufacturer download is the likely fix.

2. What the Common Error Codes Mean

Microsoft’s error code reference lists the message and the recommended fix for each Device Manager code. The codes below are the ones that appear most often on a Bluetooth radio, with Microsoft’s own wording for each message. The wording is quoted from Microsoft Support, read 12 November 2026.

• Code 1, “This device is not configured correctly.” No driver is installed, or the driver is configured incorrectly. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to update the driver.
• Code 10, “This device cannot start. Try upgrading the device drivers for this device.” Windows cannot start the device. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to update the driver, and the hardware maker may add a more specific reason in the device’s own details.
• Code 28, “The drivers for this device are not installed.” Windows has no driver for the adapter. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver manually.
• Code 31, “This device is not working properly because Windows cannot load the drivers required for this device.” Windows cannot load the driver it has. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver.
• Code 32, “A driver (service) for this device has been disabled. An alternate driver may be providing this functionality.” The start type for the driver is set to disabled in the registry. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver manually. Section 8 covers the service check that belongs with this code.
• Code 37, “Windows cannot initialize the device driver for this hardware.” The driver returned a failure when Windows tried to start it. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver manually.
• Code 39, “Windows cannot load the device driver for this hardware. The driver may be corrupted or missing.” The driver file is damaged or absent. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver manually.
• Code 43, “Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems.” One of the drivers controlling the device told Windows that the device failed. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver manually, and if that does not work, to check the hardware documentation or contact the manufacturer.
• Code 45, “Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer.” This appears for USB Bluetooth adapters that have been unplugged, or for an adapter Windows can no longer see. Reconnect the device and the code clears on its own. No driver fix is needed.

Two patterns are worth noticing. First, most of these codes end at the same fix: reinstall the driver. That is why the order in this guide matters less than the code itself for Codes 28, 31, 37, and 39, where a reinstall is the first real step. Second, Code 43 is the one that most often means hardware trouble, because it is the device itself reporting a fault rather than Windows failing to load a file. If you see Code 43 and a reinstall does not clear it, read section 11 before repeating the same steps.

3. Quick Checks Before Driver Surgery

Before touching any driver, run the two checks that cost nothing and fix a surprising number of Bluetooth errors.

Restart the PC properly. Select Start, then Power, then Restart. A restart reloads every driver from scratch, which clears temporary states where a driver is stuck halfway loaded. Microsoft’s own guidance lists a restart as the fix for several error codes, including Code 38, where a previous copy of a driver is still in memory. Do not use Shut down and then press the power button as a substitute here, because on many PCs a fast startup setting means Shut down does not fully reload drivers. A Restart always does. If the error is gone after the restart, you are done, and the cause was a temporary state rather than a broken driver.

Check Windows Update. Select Start, then Settings, then Windows Update, and select Check for updates. Driver updates for most hardware arrive through Windows Update, and Microsoft’s driver guidance says that drivers delivered this way are normally recent and up to date. If Windows Update offers a driver update for your Bluetooth adapter, install it and restart. On Windows 11, also look under Advanced options and then Optional updates, where driver updates sometimes wait for you to select them. If no driver update is offered, move on: it only means Windows Update has nothing newer for this adapter, not that the driver is correct.

Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter. On Windows 11, select Start, then Settings, then System, then Troubleshoot, then Other troubleshooters. Next to Bluetooth, select Run and follow the instructions. The troubleshooter runs diagnostics and attempts to fix common Bluetooth problems automatically. Microsoft’s Bluetooth support pages put this step first for Windows 11, and it can fix common problems automatically. If the troubleshooter reports that it fixed something, test Bluetooth before continuing. If it reports nothing wrong, the problem is in the driver itself, and the sections below apply.

4. Fix 1: Update the Driver Automatically

Updating is the first driver step because it is the least disruptive. It replaces the driver files while keeping the device and its settings in place.

Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, and right-click the Bluetooth adapter. Select Update driver, then select Search automatically for drivers. Windows searches its own driver store and Windows Update for a newer compatible driver and installs it if one is available. Follow the prompts, select Close when it finishes, and restart if you are prompted to. Then check whether the error is gone.

If Windows reports “The best drivers for your device are already installed”, that only means Windows could not find a newer driver in the places it searched. It does not prove the installed driver is correct. A driver that is corrupted, or one designed for an earlier version of Windows, can still be reported as the best available. Microsoft’s Bluetooth guidance makes this point directly: if you recently upgraded to Windows 11 or installed Windows 11 updates, the current driver may have been designed for an earlier version of Windows. In that case, move on to the reinstall in section 6 rather than accepting the message at face value.

5. Fix 2: Roll Back the Driver

Roll back only when the error started after a driver or Windows update. It restores the previous driver version, which is the fastest fix when the new version is the problem, and it is narrower than any system-wide recovery.

Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter, and select Properties. Open the Driver tab and select Roll Back Driver. Windows asks why you are rolling back; pick the reason that fits and confirm. Restart the PC when prompted, then check Device Manager again.

If Roll Back Driver is grayed out, Windows has no previous driver version stored for this device, so there is nothing to roll back to. That happens when the driver was installed fresh rather than updated, or when the previous version was removed. In that case, skip to the reinstall in section 6, and if the error began after a Windows update, consider the manufacturer download in section 7, which may carry an older version than the one Windows Update installed.

A note on timing: a rollback undoes a driver update, not a Windows update. If the error began after a Windows feature update and the driver itself was not updated, rolling back may change nothing, because the driver is the same one that worked before. In that case the cause is more likely a mismatch between the old driver and the new Windows version, and the fix is a newer driver from the manufacturer, covered in section 7.

6. Fix 3: Uninstall the Adapter and Let Windows Reinstall It

Uninstalling and reinstalling is Microsoft’s recommended fix for most Bluetooth driver error codes, including Code 28, 31, 32, 37, 39, and 43. It removes the damaged driver files and the device entry, and Windows then installs a fresh copy. This is the step to try when updating changed nothing.

Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the Bluetooth adapter, and select Uninstall device, then select Uninstall to confirm. Microsoft’s Bluetooth guidance gives a specific sequence after this point, and it matters. Select Start, then Power, then Shut down. After the device shuts down, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on. Windows will try to reinstall the driver as it starts. A full shut down is used here rather than a restart because it forces the hardware to be detected again from a powered-off state.

If Windows does not reinstall the driver automatically, open Device Manager and select Action, then Scan for hardware changes. Windows scans for the adapter and installs the driver it has. If the adapter still does not appear, or appears with the same error, the driver files Windows has are the problem, and you need a fresh copy from the manufacturer, covered in the next section.

When the uninstall dialog offers a checkbox to delete the driver software for the device, leave it unchecked for a standard reinstall, unless you are deliberately removing a damaged driver package on the advice of your PC manufacturer’s support team. Checking it removes the driver package from the PC, which means Windows cannot reinstall the adapter until a driver is supplied, for example from Windows Update or the manufacturer. That is sometimes the right move for a corrupted package, but it is not the default, and it leaves you with no Bluetooth until the manual install is done.

7. Fix 4: Install the Driver from the PC Manufacturer

If Windows cannot find a working driver on its own, download one from your PC manufacturer’s support website. This is the step Microsoft’s Bluetooth guidance gives when Windows cannot find a new driver, and it is the step to take when the installed driver is outdated, wrong for your Windows version, or corrupted beyond what a reinstall can repair.

First, find your exact PC model. The model name is usually printed on a label on the bottom of a laptop or the back of a desktop, and you can also find it in System Information: press the Windows key and R together, type “msinfo32”, press Enter, and read the System Model line. How to check specs on PC explains the built-in tools for finding your model and hardware details, and it is a useful companion step here because downloading the wrong model’s driver wastes time and can make the error worse.

Go to your PC manufacturer’s support website, search for your exact model, and open its driver downloads page. Download the latest Bluetooth driver listed for your version of Windows. Do not download a driver from a driver download site, a forum link, or a third-party updater tool. Those sources can supply the wrong version or a modified file, and they are the most common way a driver error gets worse instead of better. If the manufacturer lists several Bluetooth drivers, match the adapter maker shown in Device Manager: an Intel adapter needs the Intel driver, a Realtek adapter needs the Realtek driver, and a Qualcomm adapter needs the Qualcomm driver.

Installing the download depends on what you received. If you downloaded an executable file, double-click it and follow the installer. If you downloaded individual files and at least one has an .inf file name extension and another has a .sys extension, install them through Device Manager. Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the adapter, and select Update driver, then Browse my computer for drivers. Select Browse, choose the folder where the driver files are stored, select OK, then Next, and follow the steps. Restart if prompted, and check whether the error is gone. This is the manual install path Microsoft documents in its Bluetooth support pages, and it is the same path Microsoft’s support staff give for installing a driver downloaded from a chip maker such as Intel or Realtek.

8. Fix 5: Check the Bluetooth Support Service

A driver can be correct and still fail if the Windows service it depends on is stopped or disabled. This is the check that belongs with Code 32, where the driver service is disabled, and it is worth trying whenever a reinstall does not clear the error.

Press the Windows key and R together, type “services.msc”, and press Enter. Scroll down to Bluetooth Support Service, right-click it, and select Properties. Set Startup type to Automatic, select Start if the service is not running, then select Apply and OK. Restart the PC and check Device Manager again. Microsoft’s own disconnect troubleshooting page gives the same service restart as one of its standard steps, and a Microsoft support answer for Code 32 gives the same service check as its first step.

There is one more step for a stubborn Code 32, and it is an advanced one. A Microsoft support answer for the code describes editing the registry so the Bluetooth driver services start normally again: open the registry editor, go to the BTHPORT and BTHUSB service keys, and set their Start values to 3, which means enabled, where a value of 4 means disabled. Only take this step if the service check above did not work, only after backing up the registry from the File menu in the registry editor, and only if you are comfortable editing the registry. Incorrect changes to the registry can cause system problems, which is why Microsoft’s support answer carries the same warning. If that sentence gives you pause, stop here and contact your PC manufacturer’s support team instead. The reinstall in section 6 is Microsoft’s documented fix for Code 32, and it resolves the code in most cases without any registry change.

9. Fix 6: The Intel Wi-Fi and Bluetooth Version Mismatch

This section covers one specific, documented cause. It applies only if your PC has an Intel wireless adapter, and only if the error started after a Windows update. If neither is true, skip it.

Microsoft documents a known issue in which an Intel Wi-Fi driver update can cause a Bluetooth driver error because the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth driver versions are incompatible. In most Bluetooth-capable Windows devices, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi live on the same chip and share the same antennas, so a mismatch between the two drivers can break Bluetooth even though the Bluetooth driver itself was never changed. The affected combination is an Intel Wi-Fi driver newer than 19.80 but older than 20.50, paired with a Bluetooth driver newer than 19.0 but older than 19.50. The fix Microsoft documents is to install the latest Intel Wi-Fi driver, version 20.50 or newer, and then perform a cold reboot. All Intel Wi-Fi driver versions of 20.50 or later include the resolution. These version numbers are date-stamped to Microsoft’s published guidance, read 12 November 2026, and newer driver versions may have superseded them since.

Check your versions first. Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the Intel Bluetooth adapter, select Properties, and open the Driver tab to read the Bluetooth driver version. Then expand Network adapters, right-click your Wi-Fi controller, select Properties, and read its driver version on the same tab. If your Bluetooth driver version is 19.50 or greater, this issue does not apply to you. If your Wi-Fi driver is 20.50 or newer, it does not apply either. If both versions fall inside the affected ranges, update the Wi-Fi driver: right-click the Wi-Fi controller, select Update driver, and choose Search automatically for drivers. If Windows does not find version 20.50 or newer, download the latest driver from the Intel Download Center or your PC manufacturer’s support site.

Then do a cold reboot, which is different from a normal restart. Save all open documents and close all applications. Press and hold the power button until the device powers down. Disconnect all power supplies for 10 to 20 seconds: unplug a laptop charger, or unplug a desktop from its wall socket. Reconnect the power and turn the device on. Microsoft states that the cold reboot is mandatory to completely resolve this issue after the driver update. Open Device Manager and check that Bluetooth no longer shows an error. If it still does, update the Bluetooth driver to the latest available version as well, using the steps in section 4 or section 7, and then repeat the cold reboot.

10. Fix 7: Repair Corrupted System Files

If the driver is correct, the service is running, and the error still appears, the fault may be in Windows itself rather than in the driver. Corrupted system files can stop a driver from loading even when the driver files are intact, and Microsoft’s support staff include a system file check in their published answers for Bluetooth driver errors.

Open Command Prompt as an administrator: select Search, type “cmd”, right-click Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator. Type “sfc /scannow” and press Enter. The System File Checker scans protected system files and replaces damaged ones with correct copies. Wait for the scan to finish, which can take several minutes, then restart the PC and check Device Manager. This step is qualified in the ledger because it comes from Microsoft’s question and answer pages rather than from a Microsoft Support article, and because it repairs Windows files rather than the Bluetooth driver directly. Treat it as a supporting step, not as a substitute for the driver steps above. If the scan reports that it found and repaired corrupt files, that was likely the cause. If it reports no problems, the fault lies elsewhere, and section 11 applies.

11. Hardware or Software: How to Tell

By this point you have tried the driver fixes in order. The pattern of what happened next tells you whether the fault is software or hardware, and that distinction decides what to do next.

It is probably software if the error appeared after an update, if the adapter sometimes works after a restart and then fails again, if the error code changed between attempts, or if a different driver version cleared the error even briefly. Software faults are inconsistent, because they depend on which files load and in what order. If the error is in this group and the steps above have not fixed it, the remaining software options are a manual driver install from the manufacturer, covered in section 7, and your PC manufacturer’s own diagnostic tool, which many makers supply for their models.

It is probably hardware if the adapter is missing from Device Manager entirely, including under Other devices and hidden devices, if the error is Code 43 and survives a clean reinstall from the manufacturer, if Bluetooth failed suddenly after the laptop was dropped or opened, or if the error survives a full Windows reinstall. Hardware faults are consistent, because the device itself cannot start. One more test helps: open Device Manager, select View, then select Show hidden devices. If the Bluetooth adapter appears grayed out, Windows remembers it but cannot see it now, which points at a loose connection or a failed adapter rather than a driver problem. A laptop whose Bluetooth and Wi-Fi both fail at the same time also points at hardware, because the two usually share one chip and one antenna connection.

Two practical notes follow from this. First, a desktop PC with a USB Bluetooth adapter can be tested by moving the adapter to a different USB port, or to a different PC. If it works elsewhere, the adapter is fine and the fault is in the first PC’s drivers or USB ports. If it fails everywhere, the adapter itself is faulty and costs little to replace. Second, a laptop’s built-in adapter is not a user-serviceable part on most models, so a confirmed hardware fault means a repair or a workaround, covered in the next section.

12. When to Stop and Get Help

Stop repeating driver steps when the same fix has failed twice. Reinstalling the same driver a third time will not produce a different result, and it wastes the time you could spend on the two options that remain: a workaround, or manufacturer support.

The workaround is a USB Bluetooth adapter. These are small dongles that plug into a USB port and provide their own Bluetooth radio, with their own driver. They cost little, they work on most Windows 10 and Windows 11 PCs, and they sidestep a failed built-in adapter completely. Install the dongle’s driver from the maker’s own website, disable the built-in adapter in Device Manager so the two do not conflict, and pair your devices to the new adapter. This is also the practical answer for an older PC whose maker no longer supplies a Bluetooth driver for the current version of Windows. For background on what the Bluetooth radio does and how the technology fits together, our guide to when Bluetooth came out covers the history of the standard, and our guide to Bluetooth Low Energy beacons explains how the low energy variant works in beacons and sensors.

Contact your PC manufacturer’s support team when the adapter is missing from Device Manager, when Code 43 survives a manufacturer driver install, when the error survives a Windows reinstall, or when the PC is still under warranty. Gather the facts before you call: the exact error code and message, the adapter name, the driver version and date from the Driver tab, the PC model, and which steps you have already tried. Support will ask for all of them, and having them ready saves a round of questions. Do not pay a third-party service that offers to fix the driver remotely. Microsoft’s troubleshooting and your manufacturer’s driver downloads are free, and no remote service can do more than the steps in this guide plus the hardware checks only the manufacturer can run.

FAQ

What does “Bluetooth radio driver error” mean?

It means Windows cannot start or load the driver for the Bluetooth adapter in your PC. The adapter is the hardware that sends and receives Bluetooth signals, and its name in Device Manager often includes the word “radio”. The usual causes are a missing, outdated, corrupted, or disabled driver, and the fix is to update, roll back, or reinstall that driver in the order given in this guide.

Where do I find the Bluetooth radio driver error?

Open Device Manager, expand Bluetooth, right-click the Bluetooth adapter, and select Properties. The error code appears in the Device status box on the General tab. The adapter name usually includes the maker and the word “radio” or “Bluetooth”, for example “Intel(R) Wireless Bluetooth(R)” or “Realtek Bluetooth Adapter”. If the adapter is not listed under Bluetooth, check under Other devices.

What is Code 43 on a Bluetooth driver?

Code 43 means “Windows has stopped this device because it has reported problems.” One of the drivers controlling the device told Windows that the device failed. Microsoft’s recommended fix is to reinstall the driver manually, and if that does not work, to check the hardware documentation or contact the manufacturer. Code 43 is the code most likely to mean a hardware fault, so if a clean reinstall from the manufacturer does not clear it, read the hardware checks in section 11.

Why did the Bluetooth driver error appear after a Windows update?

The most common reason is a driver mismatch introduced by the update. Either the update installed a new Bluetooth driver that does not work with your adapter, or it updated the Wi-Fi driver to a version that conflicts with the Bluetooth driver. Microsoft documents one such mismatch for Intel adapters, where a Wi-Fi driver between versions 19.80 and 20.50 paired with a Bluetooth driver between versions 19.0 and 19.50 breaks Bluetooth. The fix is to update the Wi-Fi driver to version 20.50 or newer and do a cold reboot, as described in section 9. If the error started after an update and the driver is Intel, try rolling back the driver first, as described in section 5.

Should I download a Bluetooth driver from a driver updater tool?

No. Download drivers only from Windows Update or from your PC manufacturer’s support website, or from the chip maker’s own download center when the manufacturer points you there. Third-party driver updater tools and driver download sites can supply the wrong version or a modified file, and they are a common cause of driver errors getting worse. Match the driver to your exact PC model and to the adapter maker shown in Device Manager.

My Bluetooth adapter is missing from Device Manager. What do I do?

First check under Other devices, where Windows lists hardware it cannot identify, and select View and then Show hidden devices to see adapters Windows remembers but cannot currently see. If the adapter appears grayed out, it may be a loose connection or a failed adapter. If it appears under Other devices, install the driver from your PC manufacturer’s website using the manual steps in section 7. If it appears nowhere, the adapter may have failed or been disabled in the PC’s firmware settings, and your PC manufacturer’s support team is the next step. A USB Bluetooth adapter is a practical workaround while you decide on a repair.

Sources & references

• Microsoft Support, "Fix Bluetooth problems in Windows", support.microsoft.com/en-au/windows/hardware/bluetooth/fix-bluetooth-problems-in-windows. Bluetooth troubleshooter path, driver update and manual install steps, uninstall and reinstall sequence with shut down, and the statement that an outdated or incompatible driver is one of the most common causes of Bluetooth connection problems. Read 12 November 2026.
• Microsoft Support, "Error codes in Device Manager in Windows", support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/drivers/error-codes-in-device-manager-in-windows. Error code meanings and recommended fixes for Codes 1, 10, 28, 31, 32, 37, 39, 43, and 45, and the instruction that the error code appears in the Device status area of the Properties dialog. Read 12 November 2026.
• Microsoft Support, "Bluetooth keeps disconnecting in Windows", support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/hardware/bluetooth/bluetooth-keeps-disconnecting-in-windows. Bluetooth Support Service restart through services.msc, and the power management setting for the Bluetooth adapter. Read 12 November 2026.
• Microsoft Q&A, "Intel Wireless Bluetooth driver stopped working after installing a recent Windows Update", learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/2828285/intel-wireless-bluetooth-driver-stopped-working-af. Affected Intel Wi-Fi driver versions newer than 19.80 but older than 20.50 with Bluetooth driver versions newer than 19.0 but older than 19.50, the fix of installing Wi-Fi driver version 20.50 or newer, the mandatory cold reboot procedure, and the shared chip and antenna explanation. Read 12 November 2026.
• Microsoft Q&A, "How to resolve the issue with bluetooth driver. A driver (service) for this device has been disabled. An alternate driver may be providing this functionality. (Code 32)", learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3850319/how-to-resolve-the-issue-with-bluetooth-driver-a-d. Bluetooth Support Service check and startup type setting, the registry Start value guidance for BTHPORT and BTHUSB with the backup warning, the sfc /scannow step, and the manual .inf install path. Read 12 November 2026.