Windows 7 64b and Bluetooth keyboard issue. How to solve?

[iLucato]

Hi folks,
My bluetooth keyboard always loses connection after a certain time.
It seems a Windows 7 issue because to fix that, the workaround I found was:

- Go to bluetooth devices > Bluetooth keyboard > Properties and click on the service tab and hit ok, so it makes the keyboard "wake up" and works again.

But it is a pain to every time have to do it!

I have checked the hardware tab and each power manage tab, but my Keyboard device HID is grayed out the option "The computer can turn off the device to save energy". But it is unchecked as grayed out. So, if it is unchecked as grayed out seems to be ok, I mean not active to sleep/hibernate.

Anybody knows or found a solution to stop loosing keyboard bluetooth connection? It is a non-branded keyboard and didn't come with any driver and all drivers/hardware tab is set to allow to wake up.

The bios is ok too regarding power saving.

Thanks in advance. Any help I'll appreciate.

 

[TrainableMan]

It's not your keyboard that power management you need to look for, you need to prevent your bluetooth receiver from sleeping, it is likely integrated with your network card so check your network card sleep settings.

 

[Shintaro]

Sorry to ask a simple question, but, have you checked the batteries in the Bluetooth keyboard?

 

[iLucato]

It's not your keyboard that power management you need to look for, you need to prevent your bluetooth receiver from sleeping, it is likely integrated with your network card so check your network card sleep settings.

Hi TrainableMan, thanks for your reply. My bluetooth is onboard model from ASUS motherboard model P8P67 rev. B3 and I've checked the bios and there is nothing making it to enter into sleep mode, unless I missing some place hidden there. Also, I've set all HID drivers (Bluetooth keyboard) to allow to wake up the hardware.

Just the workaround mentioned previously solves momentarily.


I'll turn off again and check again the bios to see if I find some extra option over there. Check here all screens.

Thanks.

 

[iLucato]

Sorry to ask a simple question, but, have you checked the batteries in the Bluetooth keyboard?

They are ok, as you can see I'm writing now. :0) Thanks for asking.

 

[Shintaro]

Have you updated all the motherboard drivers and BIOS?
http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8P67/#overview

 

[Digerati]

Originally Posted by Shintaro
Sorry to ask a simple question, but, have you checked the batteries in the Bluetooth keyboard?

They are ok, as you can see I'm writing now. :0) Thanks for asking.

You need to make sure the batteries are good, not just okay as Bluetooth is greatly affected by distance, and fresh batteries ensure the best range. Note too that internal Bluetooth support as seen with your ASUS motherboard is often hampered by the lack of an external antenna, potentially impacting range. This can be further hampered when the motherboard is installed in a metal case. If me, I might try that keyboard on another computer, using a different Bluetooth adapter and see what happens.

I assure you this is not a Windows 64 "bug" as I have Bluetooth keyboards and mice on all my systems here with no problems (at least not with fresh batteries - which I need to replace about every 6 months).

What is the model of the keyboard? How is the mouse connecting? Any problems there?

 

[TrainableMan]

I did not mean a setting in the BIOS. In Control Panel > Device Manager, find your Network Adapter (if it is a combined network/bluetooth) or, if there is one listed, your Bluetooth adapter and make sure Power Management is NOT checked to allow it to sleep.

 

[iLucato]

@Digerati
I'm almost sure it is a W7-64b bug, but let's try to keep searching for a solution. The battery is ok. Tested far/close and etc. Even after the full charge the issue happens.
The model isn't with replaceable batteries. Here is the keyboard model. Regarding mouse, no issues because I use Wacom tablet. ;0)

@TrainableMan
I see, I have looked into those, and there is no Power Management tab into their properties.

=Network
- Bluetooth Device (Personal Area Network)
- Bluetooth Device (RFCOMM Protocol Transport Driver Interface [TDI])

=Bluethooth radios
- Asus Bluetooth
- Microsoft Bluetooth enumerator

The issue remains. :0(

 

[TrainableMan]

There may be a problem with your drivers, as those are not written by Microsoft, but it is not a bug in W7.

If you have a link to your keyboard then provide it - do not link through an ad site like bit.ly

 

[iLucato]

Edited and replaced the original link without using bit.ly, sorry I didn`t know that was a rule here.

I have just downloaded and installed over the drivers once again, lets see what is going to happen.

New report later.

 

[TrainableMan]

I'm not saying the driver will fix the issue; I'm saying if there is an error that it is most likely in the driver rather than in the W7 code. Sometimes drivers do ship that are not perfect; it's one reason drivers get updated so often.

The other thing is that there are numerous drivers and it is probably not the keyboard driver that is an issue. As I keep saying, it is likely your Bluetooth receiver driver that needs adjusting, not your bluetooth keyboard.

If you think of your keyboard like a cell phone, then your computer has the cell phone tower. Your cell phone may work perfectly but if the tower is messing up then that is what needs fixed.

 

[iLucato]

I see.

Well, just to update, I have downloaded the latest bluetooth driver provided by Asus as posted by Shintaro, and the issue remains. It seems to lose sometimes alternating beetwen programs or a coicidence on the "sleep". Checked again the drivers properties, and no power management tab to tick.


In the HID drivers keyboard/bluetooth properties, the option to "The computer can turn off the device to save energy" is grayed out. So, there is no way to tick. I don't remember if some day I inactivated it in some place (Administrator area/rules) I forgot the original name for that. I think is secure policy (UAC), something like that.

 

[TrainableMan]

Just to confirm, you installed "Atheros AW_AR3011 Bluetooth Driver Package V7.2.0.40 for 32/64bit Windows 7.(WHQL)"? Because that should be the latest driver for the bluetooth receiver (cell tower in my analogy).

Please open Control Panel > Device Manager
expand the HID section, keyboards & network adapters sections and any other section related to bluetooth
take a screen shot and post it here

 

[Shintaro]

Sorry to butt in, when I said to update the drivers I meant ALL drivers, even the BIOS.
It is, in my view, important to start from a known base, which is ALL the latest drivers.

Again, sorry for butting in.

 

[Digerati]

Sorry to butt in, when I said to update the drivers I meant ALL drivers, even the BIOS.
It is, in my view, important to start from a known base, which is ALL the latest drivers.

FTR, I am not in favor of updating the BIOS unless (1) the new update addresses a problem you are specifically having, (2) the new update addresses a security issue (rare) or (3) the current BIOS is corrupt (also rare).

There are too many risks involved with updating the BIOS. While the process has been refined greatly over the years, a failed BIOS update can change your motherboard into a brick.

With the exception of the graphics driver, I generally DON'T recommend updating drivers simply because a new one is out there - EXCEPT for brand new builds. Drivers don't just go bad. If it worked before, and if the driver is not corrupt, it should work now - unless something else changed.

@Digerati
I'm almost sure it is a W7-64b bug,

Sorry, but I reiterate, it is not a W7-64-bit bug! There are millions and millions of W7-64-bit users using Bluetooth keyboards and mice (including me on all my systems) right now! Windows 7 has been out for over 2 1/2 years. If it is a bug, it is likely in your device driver (the responsibility of the hardware maker, not Microsoft), or the firmware for your device - also not a MS responsibility.

 

[Shintaro]

The problem, Digerati, as you said "...unless something else has changed." which is just the reason why I suggest updating ALL drivers to enable a known working point, as we simply don't know what has changed.

 

[Digerati]

While I agree with your premise, the BIOS is not something that just changes or suddenly goes bad - except by malware and BIOS malware is very rare, and even harder to contract, or through some other catastrophic event.

I'll go along with resetting the BIOS, but not "flashing" an update to the BIOS. That is something I would wait for, until other options have been tried and eliminated. As I noted, there are too many risks involved.

And from my view, updating everything at once does NOT take you to a known working point. In fact, it further clouds the issue because without a working computer, you don't know if any of the updates worked, unless suddenly everything starts working again and then you might not know what actually fixed it, should the problem recur.

If the problem is with Bluetooth, it would not make sense to me to update the sound drivers, the hd controller drivers, the USB drivers, and "ALL" other drivers as you suggest.

If something is not broken, don't fix it.

 

[Shintaro]

The reason I am an advocate of BIOS updates on users PC is because manufacturers update/fix things and are vague about it. For example the latest BIOS listed here for the OP's motherboard (http://www.asus.com/Motherboards/Intel_Socket_1155/P8P67/#download) say's "Improve system stability".
So I am thinking what exactly?? They will never tell. They only want to mention positive things. The BIOS update *may* fix it, it may not. But it is worth it. I have seen problems magically disappear with BIOS updates. And the only thing listed on the manufacturers web site is "New BIOS Ver: X".

In regards to updating ALL drivers is to prevent the BSOD - driver update merry-go-round. By this I mean, the person updates one thing only to later return with another problem which would have been fixed if ALL drivers were installed.

"If something is not broken, don't fix it" I thought that died out in the 90's.
From the view of corporate system with a service level agreement, patches get applied. Because you don't know what the customer will want in the future and if the system is out-of-date the time to catch up is far too expensive and the customer goes ape sh%$ at the cost. I have many stories about that.
Needless to say technology moves too fast these days for that saying to be effective.

I would imagine that we would never agree, which is good, it would be a boring world if everyone did. Anyway it spawns new ideas and innovation.

 

[TrainableMan]

Since the bluetooth is part of his motherboard; if all else fails I personally would probably try the BIOS update in this case, but I would never recommend a BIOS update just for the heck of it and definitely don't consider it to be the same as a driver update.

iLucato, If you do perform a BIOS update it is a good idea to have your computer plugged into a UPS because if the power were to go out in the few seconds a BIOS takes to run then it is a good possibility it will "brick" the board.