CF-53 MK1 - bluetooth problems

Hello Toughbook gurus out there, I am in need of expertise please and thank you.

I have a new to me CF-53AAGZX1M that was sold as having Bluetooth, however upon receiving it bt connectivity did not appear in BIOS.

After a bunch of driver updates etc bt then showed in device manager as working (Toshiba RFCOMM) however I could not turn it on in Bluetooth Manager (Bluetooth Function Disable - Please plug in the bluetooth device) did not appear in the Wireless Switch Utility and I couldn't manage it at all.

After more reading and noticing an unused (factory taped) cable in top left while I was replacing the keyboard, I concluded that the internal module is missing and ordered one (DFUP1950YB). Installing it made no difference.

I am starting to conclude that this CF-53 was not optioned out with bt (I thought they all were) and functionality is therefore factory disabled in BIOS.

Am I on the right thought train or am I missing something here? I could always go with a bt dongle but the internal module cost me a bundle and I do like a challenge, although I am now starting to give up...

Any help is appreciated, thanks a bunch!

 

Your model is not configured with bluetooth. I have that same model but I have never tried to install internal bluetooth on it.

 

Welcome to the Panasonic Toughbook forum.
I have a 53 and will check after work to see you mine has one.

 

Is the bluetooth cable plugged in the correct direction?

Uninstall the wireless utility and reinstall it with the BT module connected.

Did you reinstall the BT driver after the module install?

Does the BT option show in the BIOS after the module is installed?

 

Hi Shawn and all, appreciate teh prompt response, here are my answers:

Yes, left it in it's natural loop direction when the module is mounted. Did flip the cable over though while troubleshooting. no change.

Did that tonight, during install was prompted to "Please plug in the bluetooth device and click OK", had to cancel to complete install. Rebooted. Now the bt Manager is installed but the application attempts to install the bt driver at startup, eventually timing out and telling me to "please plug in..." Nothing in device manager either. Not sure how the bt driver installed in the past, even had it in device manager as working properly (which it wasn't) prior to me uninstalling the stack tonight.

The bt driver uninstalled when I uninstalled the bt stack (which also uninstalled the bt manager suite.

BT does not appear in the Wireless Configuration section in BIOS, with the module installed.

It's almost like bt is purposefully disabled/hidden in BIOS itself, I don't know if updating BIOS may help, cant find it anywhere anyways for an MK1... I am running v1.00L12 and configuration 0010-0000-0007.

Thanks again, any further pointers or things to try will be appreciated!

 

Did you take off the plastic tape on the cable ribbon. I ask coz, it has a transparent tape to prevent any contact to its body or whatever when it came from factory. That is for those unit without having an optional BT.

ohlip

 

Hi ohlip, thanks for the question, yes I did remove the protective plastic, it was fairly thick and wrapped around the connector. I am wondering if cleaning the conductors may be a good idea.

I am assuming that the other end of this cable is connectorized to a subboard or mainboard, any chance it too is not connected like on the module end?

Thanks again.

 

I finally dug my CF 53 out of the truck. It is the exact same model as yours. I added a BT module from a broken CF 53 I had.
It shows up in BIOS under wireless configuration.
I am booting Win7 right now.
BT shows in Device manager
......Bluetooth RFCOMM
......Generic Bluetooth adapter
......Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator

Clicked Bluetooth assistant from start menu..
Right clicked on BT icon in right side taskbar. Then click BT enable...
ERROR..please plug in BT module...

Reinstalling BT stack...First Uninstall then reinstall...
Driver package now asks to plug in BT module...Clicked cancel
Reboot laptop per BT driver instruction.
Reinstalling Wireless switch...


NO JOY...

 

Yes! Please do it, it may have some residue. Also check the BT module connector, it may have something on it.

No! it is on one wider cable that branches out but if you do have an ability to open it up and explore, why not! and please unplug the cmos battery to reset the system.

ohlip

 

Downloaded BT driver from Panasonic

ERROR..Not for this machine
Use 7zip to extract and run Pinstall.bat to force install
Download Panasonic misc driver and reinstall
Download wireless disable util and install.

NO JOY

Downloading entire driver bundle and will install it.

 

Was just thinking. Do you need to add something in the "optional kit configuration" in the bios ??

 

Not usually for BT but who knows at this point.
I am currently installing the entire driver bundle.

Mine shows in BIOS under wireless config...

 

Driver bundle

NO JOY

 

Enabled wireless switch in BIOS. No difference.
It does say the BT is powered ON.

My BT module was from a mk2. Could that make a difference? Let me check on something................

mk2 Bluetooth is version 4.0
mk1 Bluetooth is version 2.1

Maybe a force install of the BT driver for a mk2 will work.

 

Success!
I force installed the mk2 BT driver stack.
It installed properly and my Samsung G3 found the CF 53 BT.

 

Thanks a million for spending your time on this Shawn, so the bt module for an MK1 with the driver stack for an MK2 did the trick?

 

My BT module was from a mk2
I put the mk2 BT module in the mk1
I used the BT stack for a mk2 (to match the module) in the mk1 and it worked.

I would say try the mk2 BT stack in yours.

Where did you get the BT module?
Can you post a photo of it? With the ID numbers showing?

 

Hi Shawn, tried the mk2 bt stack, installed fine with force install, bt now appears in device manager as working fine but no luck in bt manager, test fails and when turning on BT get the "please plug in the bt.." message. BT does not and has not yet appeared in BIOS, I am starting to wonder if I have a defective module, since your mk1 appeared in BIOS right away. I got mine on ebay, pics there:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Panasonic-C...937468?hash=item51d70766bc:g:LuEAAOSwE3BXFVOf

I will remove it tomorrow, check connector and clean and check cable going to it.

Thanks a lot.

 

Make sure the cable is fully inserted.

I have purchased from that seller. They are a reputable outfit. Most of the stuff seems to be new take offs.

If I get ambitious tomorrow, I will take photos of my BT module.

 

Hi Shawn, I checked the cable again, was fully inserted, cleaned and reinserted it, checked module for damage/bad solder joints (the few there are). Module looks like a take off to me, like you said. No change. The bt power state is fully on (D0) in device manager btw.

The lack it appearing in BIOS under wireless is troubling, did your mk1 board appear in BIOS after installing it? My optional kit configuration is currently "ff", like toughasnails said any chance that this needs to be changed to reflect this non-build addition? what does yours say?

Thanks again, appreciate all the time you are spending helping me with my problem!

 

Yes my board appeared in the BIOS after I installed it. It is still in the BIOS.

Optional kit makes no difference. Set it to 04 like mine if you like.

 

just for fun I set the opt kit to 04 and WLAN appeared as an option, no bt and no bt functionality still...

I am starting to think I have a bad bt module...

 

@Shawn @tuff does yours show up in Device Manager ? and what does it show up as ?

 

...............

 

Sadly it's not a time delay issue.
Photos won't upload properly.
When they do upload, they will show up until i leave the page and come back. Then all that shows is an empty thumbnail.

 

Shows in BIOS and shows in device manager. Believe it shows as 3 different Bluetooth items in Device manager.

 

Hi, shows up in Dev Manager as "Bluetooth RFCOMM", says the device is working properly and the power state is on and full power.

 

Try this
Open the downloaded BT drivers with 7zip.
Troll through the folders until you find the one with setup.exe and pinstall.bat in it.
RIGHT click on setup.exe and Run as Administrator.
Let us know if that installs any differently

 

Tried posting pic, same problem: posted until I left page, thought it was my doing. Thanks for the pics, that is exactly the way the module is in.

 

No, it's not you.

 

uninstalled, rebooted, tried to install 7.1 setup.exe "run as admin" ->error: "please plug in device". Ran the pinstall.bat file with the "run as" command, rebooted, no change.

My pic is now visible on page 3 btw. At least to me anyways...

Thanks!

 

Something is wrong

I just downloaded the CF 53a (mk1) Bluetooth stack and used 7zip to extract the files.
The files in that extracted folder should be exactly as follows.
setup.exe
pinstall.bat
Folder named x32
Folder named x86

Right clicking on setup.exe and run as administrator should open a user account box to run a Toshiba program
That program will first uninstall the existing BT stack, then the Toshiba install will run.

 

I am logged in as administrator, so I don't get the user account box. A prompt appears saying the s/w is already installed and if I want to uninstall it. I went ahead, uninstall proceeds, but install stalls at installing bt driver with message "Please plug in the bt..." "OK" loops the error, "Cancel" cancels the install.

I dont get any driver install errors installing the stack via the pinstall batch file, and bt appears as installed and running in dev mngr. But nothing else is functional.

 

The fact that my module does not as a first step appear in BIOS still makes me suspicious of a bad module, so I requested a replacement from the ebay seller, which they said is on the way. we'll see then. Thanks for the great help all!

 

Keep us post when the new one comes in prease.

 

Update: No luck. The ebay seller (tekdeals) actually sent me two modules instead of one, after asking for a replacement. However no joy. the fact that the module does not appear under wireless configuration in BIOS makes me wonder if the firmware I am running is perhaps customized to disable bt, what I have is:

BIOS v1.00L13
BIOS Conf 0010-0000-0007
Emb Controller V1.00L12

Aptio Setup Utility version 2.10.1208

How do these versions compare to yours? Anyone have further thoughts? Is there alternate firmware available out there for an MK1? I am about to give up... oh well, learned a lot from reading and from the friendly group here!

 

I just checked my 53 and mine is the same model number as yours but my BIOS is V1.00L14

My BIOS
BIOS v1.00L14
BIOS Conf 0010-0000-0007
Emb Controller V1.00L12

 

Thanks toughasnails, appreciate it. I looked at the Panasonic site and they have BIOS updates for the MK3's, can one acquire BIOS updates anywhere else on the interwebs? I assume Panasonic would not provide anything not posted for download, not sure how friendly and technical their c/s is. Thanks again.

 

If you work on Toughbooks for a while you will come to realize how funny (frustrating)this is..
They regularly update BIOS's, but the rub is that they only leave the updates posted for a short period then remove the download.
I get the idea that Panasonic UK c/s is friendlier to deal with than the US version.

I do not think the BIOS version is your problem. If it was a custom BIOS it would have a M17 or similar at the end. M18, M13, M11..etc

 

I think you may have to call or email Panasonic with your full model number to see if bluetooth can be added to yours. Did you get the restore disk when you bought it ?

 

Thank you all, one last effort email to Panasonic and if no / negative response, then I'll call it quits. Still have a great laptop, this thing flies with a Samsung Pro850 SSD drive!

Appreciate the help in troubleshooting, great community here, I'll be back for sure.

 

Just an update, after two emails to Panasonic Toughbook Canada support, promising next day reply, no answer has been received... so I give up. My conclusion is that this model has BT disabled on the BIOS level, perhaps a custom firmware for the particular original owner? Dunno.

The ebay seller tekdeals was fantastic, they refunded me in full and I sent the three modules back (1 original and two they sent to me as replacements).

Thanks again to all for your assistance!

 

Thanks for the follow up.