Today there are hundreds of devices that require a connection via Bluetooth. It may be that right now you have a computer that does not have Bluetooth support and you do not have the possibility of connecting the new wireless headphones you just bought. If this is your case, there are several ways to solve it. We will tell you the simplest and cheapest, regardless of the version of Windows you have installed.
Most laptops and desktop computers come with numerous features that are already installed on their motherboard as standard, such as WiFi or NFC connection. However, there are devices that do not have these functions and other more popular ones, such as Bluetooth support, to be able to connect your wireless devices. Therefore, if you have a computer at home that does not have built-in Bluetooth, other resources must be used if we want to use this type of technology, but you will not have to spend a lot of money for it.
Check if your PC has Bluetooth
First of all, a series of checks must be carried out to make sure that our computer does not have Bluetooth in the system hardware. Whether you have a laptop or a desktop PC, you can see if you have this technology integrated. To do this, open the Bluetooth devices menu from the Windows Settings menu by right-clicking on the Start icon and selecting “Bluetooth and other devices settings”. In this section you can see if Bluetooth devices can be added. In that case, your equipment is ready to connect any accessory that incorporates this technology.
Another way to check if you have Bluetooth on your PC is through "Network Connections". To do this, you must go to Control Panel, Network and Internet and Network Connections. Thus, if you see an icon of two computers with the Bluetooth symbol next to the Ethernet and WiFi connections, it means that you have it installed.
Finally, verify in Windows Device Manager that you have the Bluetooth chip integrated into your computer. To carry out this procedure, simply right-click on the Start menu icon and select Device Manager. There you will be able to see if the Bluetooth symbol appears in blue, along with all your connected devices. If you have any problems managing your Bluetooth connection, go to this link.
Add Bluetooth to your PC
If you have carried out the previous reviews and you have seen that you do not have Bluetooth assigned to your computer, you will need to add it if you want to connect all your wireless accessories through these options:
First of all, you could add a mini PCI card in one of the slots of your computer, that is, a module that combines Bluetooth and WiFi, but the installation is much more tedious and the expense is larger.
The second option, and the most viable, is to purchase a Bluetooth USB. The good news is that there are many very cheap skewers of this type and for less than 10 euros you can get one. And what features should that USB Bluetooth adapter have? It is best to buy a dongle that integrates Bluetooth versions 4.0 and 5.0, since most require these updates to work correctly.
How to install the USB Bluetooth adapter
The installation process of the Bluetooth USB dongle is very simple. You just have to connect it to a USB port on your computer. It doesn't matter if it is to a USB 2.0 or 3.0 port, but if you want you can leave the latter free for more practical functions. Therefore, Windows contains the basic drivers to automatically install the small device, so you will not have to make any adjustments in this regard.
However, it may happen that you are using an older version of Windows and it does not detect the USB automatically, so you will probably have to do this process manually. In this case, you must visit the manufacturer's website and download the necessary drivers to make the USB Bluetooth adapter work.
Finally, if you already had Bluetooth installed on your computer but want to update the version of this technology by purchasing a USB Bluetooth, you must deactivate the chip that comes standard on your PC. To do this, you have to go to Device Manager and right-click on the Bluetooth controller and select "Disable device."
From now on, you can pair your Bluetooth devices without any problem. You just have to click on the Bluetooth icon located at the bottom right of the taskbar and select "Add device." Immediately, it will search for all the devices that are in pairing mode and when you locate them, click on Connect.
