No Bluetooth on my 1647???

I just got my 1647 in yesterday and it's been a struggle of immense proportions. I have a MSDN subscription, so I ordered it with Win7 Home and reformatted it when it got here to install Win7 Pro. I have finally got all of the yellow exclamation marks gone from the Device Manager, but I don't have any Bluetooth connectivity.

I could have sworn I checked that box during the build, but I can't find it in any of my documentation. What's worse, when I go back to the Dell EPP site, I don't even see the Bluetooth module listed as an option when trying to build another one. Could this mean that it isn't available on XPS's configured on the EPP system?

I do see the Bluetooth radio listed in the BIOS to be turned on by the wireless switch, but the light never comes on, on the front of the machine when turning wireless on and off. I'm taking that as a bad sign.

Does anybody have any clue as to where my Bluetooth is?

P.S. - No, I didn't try it before reformatting, my mistake.

 

If you have bluetooth it will be labeled in your build specs. Go to the Dell website and check your system configuration. Alternatively you can pull of the back panel and see if there's a bluetooth module installed. If there isn't you'll have an empty space marked UBS or UWB or some 3 letter marking with U and B in it.

 

The 1647 usually comes standard with Bluetooth. Try installing the latest Bluetooth stack which you can find in this topic: http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=471419

Most (all except BIOS update?) software updates in that topic are compatible with the 1647.

 

I can tell you from experience that my 1640 would act like there was no Bluetooth module even installed until I downloaded and installed the *dell* bluetooth driver.

I tried the Broadcom first, and it wouldn't detect it. For some reason only the dell driver would identify, activate, and install the Bluetooth.

Hope that helps

 

It is not listed in my specs, but is also not available as an option on the EPP site, so I was hoping it was just bundled with some other component and not listed in the build sheet or on the site.

I have tried every driver/BTT stack I can think of, but it doesn't look like the radio is installed even though it is listed in the BIOS as being controlled by the wireless switch. I keep getting messages requesting me to turn on the radio (ex. "Activate Bluetooth using Wireless Switch"), but nothing I do (ie. wireless switch or fn+2) seems to turn on the radio.

I will call Dell tomorrow and see if I can get to the bottom of it.

Thanks for your suggestions.

 

I had this happen with my 1647. Did you install the Ricoh Driver & I think I even reinstalled the Chipset. (I had an error on that, also in Device Manager) to get it all to work.

Cin...

 

Yes, I installed all of the necessary drivers based on the errors in Device Manager. I'm going to talk with Dell today to see if it was installed. I would rather not dig into the machine just yet.

 

my 1645 doesnt have bluetooth either i used to think xps was standard but i guess not.

 

Looking at the machines that have popped up in the Outlet, it isn't standard. I've seen many that didn't have BT, but the vast majority did.

I've even seen them pop up with 1066 memory.

As mentioned, first thing I'd do is run the service tag / log in to view order (or check email which usually has it too) and verify the BT module was on the build order.

If it was, pop off the back. The card is right there in plain sight.

 

Just noticed on Dell.com that it's not standard anymore. There's an option to have it included, but not by default.

 

Shouldn't be that big of a deal to just pop off the bottom cover to confirm you have the WPAN card installed like in pic linked below...

http://files.fredfx.com/Dell%20Studio%20XPS%201645/Difference.jpg





AFAIK, latest WIDCOMM bluetooth driver for Dell Wireless 370/375 is v6.3.0.3800...

 

No bluetooth in mine and it's not an option on EPP site. The rep said it was due to an incompatibility with the EPP machines. What a moron.

 

Thanks for the info, but this machine is going back. I've wasted enough time dealing with it and customer service.