A while back I ran into some issues with my system getting BSOD’d… The dell online chat representative (after remote assisting me) suggested that I re-install windows. After I did that I could no longer properly use my bluetooth headset devices.
Today, I spent about 30 minutes with another dell online chat representative trying to fix this issue (watching them remote assist my computer)… In the end, they told me they could not figure it out and could only suggest that speak with an On-Call representative (which costs money, of course). They told me that everything was fine with my system and that the problem must be with my bluetooth headset, which was not supported by them because it was not Dell.
In the end I told them I would figure it out on my own ad did not want to pay them to fix it because it was their suggestion that caused this problem in the first place. Prior to re-installing windows this was not an issue. I wouldn.t have re-installed windows if they hadn.t suggested it. Makes sense to ME.
After investigating a bit more I crossed a few websites, one which indicated that without the right software (of course) Bluetooth headsets would not work on Vista (http://kurtsh.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!DA410C7F7E038D!2754.entry). The website didn.t solve my problem but it reassured me that I was correct in my thoughts that my vista installation is missing something.
I knew for a fact that I had gone through and installed all suggested drivers from Dell.s website:
It was fairly easy, there was only 14. I re-installed everything from that 14-large list that had .bluetooth. in it.s name. However, I realized I was missing an entire section. After expanding the .All XPS/Dimension 420 (82 files). section and searching for .bluetooth. again I found several things that I hadn.t tried yet.
Notice that .Dell . Application. isn.t very specific and DEFINATELY not very helpful. However, after downloading it (the file is called .Dell_multi-device_A00_R152639.exe.) IT WORKED! It took a while to install, but all the symptoms that I was previously seeing were no longer a symptom once the application was done installing.
Before, each of the BT (bluetooth) headsets that I had paired with my machine were showing up in the Bluetooth device manager, but wasn.t showing a bluetooth recording device in the .Recording Devices. section of my Audio configuration. Also, each of the BT devices were showing up as .missing drivers. in the .Device Manager.. After the software was done installing, I saw my tray show .New devices are installed and ready to use. (or something like that) message, indicating to me that it recognized the drivers for those devices and installed them. I took a glance at my .Audio. configuration and saw that there was an additional .Bluetooth. recording device listed. Vio.la!
So, all-in-all, up until today I have never had a problem with Dell. Today is the first day that they really missed the mark on finding the solution to a problem. Oh well, they can.t win them all, and I still think they.re great regardless of this epic failure.