Windows 10: Bluetooth Audio Device keeps falling under Other Device

I have been using Samsung Galaxy Buds 2 for the past 6 months. I have had no connection issues whatsoever, and they have worked flawlessly up until now. In the middle of using it, the device makes a disconnect sound. However, the settings app shows its connected. When I tried to remove it and add it back, it came back under "other devices" it now does connect but always falls under other devices. The headphones will not make the sound of connection despite windows saying it is connected and is all setup and ready to go. I have tried resetting my drivers, troubleshooting, restarting my pc, inst

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Cannot connect to Bluetooth audio devices (only) under 21H1.

I had no problem connecting Bluetooth audio devices while running Windows version 20H2, and had 3 different audio devices paired and working normally. Upon upgrading to the latest Windows 10 version (21H1, 19043.1348), they can no longer connect.

There's nothing wrong with the devices. My 2nd system is running 20H2 and is connecting fine with them.

On my primary system running 21H1, I go to the Bluetooth settings screen, see my paired devices in the list. I turn on a Bluetooth audio device... and nothing happens. Previously the laptop would auto-detect the audio device and I'd be good to go. So I select the paired audio device in the list, see the option button to "CONNECT" and press it. IMMEDIATELY, I'm given this message: "That didn't work. Make sure your bluetooth device is discoverable." It's obvious it's not even trying. It's an instant response. On my 20H2 laptop, when I try to manually connect to a Bluetooth audio device that's not turned on, it takes about 20 seconds or so until the "didn't work" message to appear. It's clearly trying.

NOTE: I have a mouse device connected via Bluetooth and it's working perfectly fine. It's only audio devices that fail.

Another vexing related issue -- if I try to remove any of my Bluetooth audio devices from the paired list, I get a "Remove Failed" message and nothing happens.

Troubleshooting: Went to Devices --> Bluetooth. Did a View of hidden devices... and yes, there were duplicates of these devices listed. I deleted all of them. I rebooted and while they are absent from the Devices list, they're still showing up in the Bluetooth interface and behaving as before. I ran the Bluetooth troubleshooter that claimed to find a problem and fixed it, but rebooting showed that not to be the case.

Either something appears to be wrong with 21H1, or I have some screwy configuration conflict going on.. I've got Realtek Bluetooth hardware. I have uninstalled Bluetooth and reinstalled the Realtek drivers. No help. Upgrading to 21H1 was long and tedious--I don't want to roll back to 20H2. Is there anything I can try to fix this?

Thanks!

 

Cannot use bluetooth device

1 Pairing is done in Settings, Devices
1.1 You click on Add Bluetooth or other device
1.2 You choose Bluetooth
1.3 If there is a pairing button on the bluetooth device itself then you press that now. You need to check the instructions for your bluetooth device to see how to do this - several automatically go into pairing mode when they switch on, others have a button that needs to be pressed for, say, 5 seconds.
1.4 The computer detects all available bluetooth devices and you select yours from the list. If yours is not on the list then Windows could not detect it.
1.5 It connects - pairing includes connecting
1.6 The computer sounds a buzz in the earpiece then displays Your device is ready to go and you click on Done
1.7 The device is shown in the devices list below the subheading Audio and it shows it as connected
1.8 The device should also appear in Control panel, Sounds, Playback tab
1.9 The device should also appear in Control panel, Devices & printers
1.10 {I just paired some bluetooth earphones as I typed so I could make sure these notes were correct} You use a music player and the sound comes out of the bluetooth earphones

2 If this is not happening for you then go to Contol panel, Devices & printers
2.1 Right-click on the device & select Remove device
2.2 You can now try pairing from scratch again
2.3 Several other users have reported that only removing the device with Bluetooth command line tools - BluetoothInstaller allowed them to re-pair again [see xzion's guidance below]
2.4 Yet others reported that only the KeithM code or Bungee's guidance worked for them [see below]

3 Where is this all going wrong for you?
[I assume we are definitely talking about bluetooth headphones/earphones. I understand that WiFi ones do also exist.]


4 Additional guidance -

Unpair a Bluetooth Device - TenForumsTutorials
Connect a Bluetooth device in Windows - Windows Help

Steps to completely remove a belutooth device so pairing can be done again [post #9, xzion] - TenForums
Steps to completely remove a belutooth device so pairing can be done again [post #22, KeithM] - TenForums
Steps to completely remove a belutooth device so pairing can be done again [post #39, Bungee] - TenForums
Several people registered in TenForums just to be able to thanks xzion, KeithM & Bungee. Apparently, what worked for some people did not work for others so each solution seems worth trying.


Denis

 

bluetooth device

Please try these steps:

Go to Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices. Find your device in the list under Mouse, keyboard, & pen. Scroll further down if there is a section labeled "Audio" as Bluetooth Headphones are an audio device. You will see the battery level indicator
next to the device name.

Applies to V1809 or later.