Series 9 Bluetooth without Easy Settings

First of all, Dannemand: thanks for the awesome information in the "How to: Reduce latencies on Samsung laptops" and "Samsung Series 7 Chronos NP700Z5A: Trackpad Discussion Only" threads. I did a clean Windows 7 Home Premium install from original Microsoft image on USB drive on my NP900X4D and everything seems so much ... cleaner.

One problem: Bluetooth.

I did the install EasySettings-copy-uninstall EasySettings trick, put dmhkcore.exe shortcut in my Startup folder and now I have most important Fn keys available, except... Fn-F12 does switch the wireless on/off, but it only works with WLAN. I can't enable Bluetooth anymore and it is not visible in Device manager. I had Bluetooth before the EasySettings install/uninstall trick. I have not installed any additional BT drivers.

How can I enable/disable Bluetooth?

 

Good job getting that all working. You've been studying thoroughly the last few days. Thank you for the likes

On my phone now (Tapatalk) so this will be brief:

1) I would have expected your BT to be default ON. Does it show in Device Manager?

2) You can run SmartSetting.exe from Easy Settings folder. Turn on BT there. Question is if setting will stick between boots.

Edit: Sorry, you already said it's not in Device Manager. You may have to install drivers then. Check first in Windows Update if it has the driver.

Edit2: On second thought, don't install drivers after all, not yet anyway. I believe (as you said) the problem must be your BT is powered off by default, hence not showing in Device Manager. You can probably power it on with SmartSetting, but again, it may not stick between boots.

Since Easy Settings 2.x came out, I've generally recommended a full install of that instead of side-loading EasyDisplayMgr (dmhkcore). I think it will solve this as well. And 2.x is much better behaved and less latency than 1.x.

You find it in a Win7 folder inside the Settings package for Win8, which you can save in SW Update.

I'm still on phone, but will check this thread tomorrow (Sun) when I get to my PC.

 

Without your posts the install would have probably taken at least one or two practice runs finding all the necessary Samsung software. Now it went right the first time

When I run SmartSettings, it did ask for admin rights, did not show any user interface but left a SmartSettings.exe process running. With that and dmhkcore Fn-F12 switched the BT on! Great success!

I added SmartSettings to Startup folder. After boot BT is active even before login, there's no SmartSettings.exe process running after login and no admin rights query either. Now Fn-F12 does switch the BT and WLAN on/off (items disappear from device manager when off). My phone did find the computer's BT even when it should have been off but could contact it so at least it's safe when needed.. Weird though, does the BT radio stay on anyway?

The EDMWirelessConfig can also be used to toggle WLAN/BT but it doesn't seem to play nice with Fn-F12 switch.

Another problem appeared: the power switch doesn't put the computer to sleep even though it's configured to do that in Windows power profiles and Easy Settings, but that's not too bad because shutting the lid works.

I think I won't switch to Easy Settings 2 just yet, I'll see how this lighter ES1 works.

But while you're reading this... Is the IRST same as hibernate as I have an SSD? I deactivated hibernate with powercfg to get 4 GB from the hibernation file but haven't yet activated IRST after the reinstall.

 

IRST (in this context Intel Rapid Start Tech as opposed to Intel Rapid Storage Tech) replaces the Windows sleep / hibernation. Most of the discussion in this thread is now superfluous because version 2 (which should be offered by SW Update otherwise get from Intel) installs much better. IRST uses a hibernation partition which is mapped to the memory and updated in the background. For me, it's a key feature of my Series 9.

John

 

Right, I was indeed referring to Intel Rapid Start Technology. Didn't realize there was also another meaning for the acronym I posted a question about installing the Rapid Start package in that thread just now: http://forum.notebookreview.com/sam...start-technology-post9195216.html#post9195216

Good information on differences between sleep/hibernate/rapid start in that thread. Let's continue there!

 

Thank you for the update. You've done really well there. Good job!

It sounds like your Series 9 remembers the Bluetooth power state between boots. My Series 7 always has BT powered on by default; when I used Win7/Easy Settings 1.x, I had to auto-load SmartSetting in order to turn BT off (I don't use BT). Still, having SmartSetting auto-loaded enables you to toggle BT which is convenient. When turned off, BT should disappear from Device Manager.

EDMWirelessConfig should just be another way to toggle WiFi and BT independently. Fn-F12 should toggle them both. (In Win7 on my NP700Z3A it just opens Easy Settings. In Win8 Fn-F12 properly toggles them, so-called Airplane Mode).

But why your Power button should not work is beyond me. I wonder if it is related to Intel Rapid Start (which I don't have). I am glad you connected with John who is the real expert on this. Also that you took the discussion to the iRST thread where it belongs. That's good forum discipline!

I would still recommend you give Easy Settings 2.x a spin, see if what you think. But since you have done such a great job tweaking your current installation perfectly, I would make an image backup first (or at least a Restore Point) so you can easily get back to what you have now.

Thanks again for the update. I guess it's now time to start enjoying (and using) your machine