[FIXED] “Bluetooth Peripheral Device Driver Not Found” Issue on Windows 10/11

Bluetooth devices are very convenient and easy to use—you get all the benefits of a wireless connection with no messy cables. You get to connect headphones, keyboards, mice, and other gadgets in minutes. That is, unless you are looking at the “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found” error. This error will prevent you from connecting your Bluetooth devices and using them the way you want.

So, we have no other choice but to get rid of it.

What Is the Bluetooth Peripheral Device Driver?

The Bluetooth peripheral device driver is software that helps a computer communicate with Bluetooth devices: headphones, keyboards, microphones, etc. In short, you need this driver working properly if you want to use Bluetooth devices with your PC.

So, if you’ve recently tried to send files via Bluetooth and an error message popped up, saying something like, “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found,” there is a high chance something is up with your Bluetooth peripheral device driver. It may be corrupted, damaged, or outdated.

Thankfully, there are several ways to fix the error.

Also read: [FIXED] Why Is My Bluetooth Not Working in Windows 10/11 PC?

Causes of the “Bluetooth Peripheral Device Driver Not Found” Error

There are several common reasons for why you may be seeing the “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found” error message on your screen:

• Outdated, missing or corrupted driver: If the Bluetooth device’s driver is outdated, corrupted or missing  from the system, Windows cannot properly recognize or connect the device

• Removed system files. First, you may have removed some files by accident, and this may have included some key Bluetooth drivers. Have you completed a PC cleanup recently? Maybe uninstalled some software? Look into your cleanup history if you’ve used a tool like Disk Cleanup or a third-party app and check for Bluetooth-related files.

• Reinstalled Windows. If you have reinstalled Windows recently, there is a chance that your Bluetooth drivers did not get reinstalled automatically. Or, they did get reinstalled but were replaced with generic drivers that don’t fully support your device (and that’s the reward you get for going through the wonderful adventure of reinstalling Windows, right?).

Check your Device Manager and see if any Bluetooth devices are listed with a warning symbol—this is how you know that a driver may need to be updated or reinstalled.

Follow this useful guide: How to Check if My Drivers Are Up to Date on Windows 10 PC?

• Formatted hard drive. When you format a hard drive, you remove everything that’s on it. And this includes the Bluetooth drivers that may have been on it. If this is the case and you didn’t back up your drivers, there is no way around this: you will need to find the correct Bluetooth drivers and install them again.

Also read: How to Download, Install, and Update Bluetooth Drivers on a Windows 10 PC

How to Fix the “Bluetooth Peripheral Device Driver Not Found” Error

Well, now that we’ve covered the “whys” for the “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found”, let’s get into the “hows.” There are several fixes you can try to get rid of the error.

Fix one: Run the Bluetooth troubleshooter

Let’s try the simplest fixes first. The Bluetooth troubleshooter is made for just that—it’s a built-in Windows tool that can detect and resolve minor Bluetooth problems. The Bluetooth troubleshooter may not be able to fix the more complex Bluetooth problems, but it is a good place to start.

Here’s what you do:

• Press the Win key + I on your keyboard to open the Settings window.
• When in Settings, go to Update and Security.

• On the left, select Troubleshoot.
• Go to Other troubleshooters.

• Here, locate Bluetooth and click Run.

• Now, all you need to do is follow the on-screen instructions while the troubleshooter does its work.

As we’ve mentioned above, the Bluetooth troubleshooter may not be able to fix an issue that is too complex. So, if you are still looking at the “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found” error, let’s move on to the next fix.

Fix two: Make sure the Bluetooth Support Service is running

The Bluetooth Support Service runs in the background on your PC and makes sure your computer works properly with connected Bluetooth devices. So, as you are having issues with Bluetoith, let’s first check if the service is on:

• Press the Windows key + R, type “services.msc,” and press Enter.

• Scroll down to find Bluetooth Support Service and double-click it to get to Properties.

• Check if Startup type is set to Automatic.
• If the service is not running, click Start.
• Click Apply and then OK.

Now, restart your PC. Is the error message still there? Let’s move on.

Fix three: Reinstall the Bluetooth device

If none of the above works, go on and reinstall your Bluetooth device. Sometimes, this is exactly what’s needed to give Bluetooth a fresh start and wipe all error messages out. Here are the steps:

• On your keyboard, press the Windows key + R to launch the Run dialog box.
• Once the Run dialog box is up, type “devmgmt.msc,” then hit Enter.

• When the Device Manager window pops up, you will see a list of device drivers.
• Expand the Bluetooth category.

• Right-click your Bluetooth device and click Uninstall device.
• Check the box that says, “Delete the driver software for this device,” if available.

Your Bluetooth device will now be uninstalled. Once you restart your computer, Windows will automatically reinstall the Bluetooth driver.

Now, if this doesn’t work, you will need to look into updating your drivers.

Fix four: Use Device Manager to update Bluetooth peripheral device drivers

Here are the steps:

• Go to Device Manager.
• Click the Other devices category to expand its contents.

• Now, you need to update all of the Bluetooth peripheral devices drivers, even if any of them do not have a yellow exclamation mark.
• Right-click one of the devices, then select Update driver.
• From the available choices, select the Search automatically for drivers option.
• If you cannot see any Bluetooth peripheral devices under Other devices, you can go to the menu bar, then click View. Select Show hidden devices from the options.

• Now, Device Manager will search for the relevant driver automatically. It will also download and install the driver for you.

After the driver has been updated, we suggest that you try to connect your mobile device to your PC again to see if the error is gone.

Fix five: Download and install the Bluetooth peripheral device from the manufacturer’s website

If, for any reason, you cannot update your Bluetooth driver via Device Manager (for instance, Device Manager cannot locate the right driver), you will need to update the driver manually.

Before you can do that, you will need to download the latest version of the driver from the manufacturer’s website first.

If you do not know how to download the Bluetooth peripheral device driver, do not worry because we’ve got you covered.

The first thing you need to do is determine whether you have a 64-bit or 32-bit operating system. To check that information, you need to follow the steps below:

• Press the Windows key + E on your keyboard. Doing so will open File Explorer.
• Go to the left-pane menu, then right-click This PC.
• Select Properties from the options.

• Expand the Device specifications category (Windows 11) or go to the System Properties window (Windows 10).
• You will see what type of operating system you have next to System type (Windows 11) or under the System category (Windows 10).

After determining your operating system type, you need to go online and search for the latest version of the driver.

Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

The next step is to update the existing faulty driver. To do that, you need to follow the steps below:

• Open the Run dialog box by pressing the Windows key + R on your keyboard.
• Inside the Run dialog box, type “devmgmt.msc,” then click OK.

• Now, expand the contents of the Other devices category.
• Right-click one of the Bluetooth Peripheral Device entries, then select Update driver.
• Instead of choosing the Search automatically for drivers option, select Browse my computer for drivers.
• A new window will open; select the Let me pick from a list of available drivers on my computer option.
• You will see a list of drivers. Look for Bluetooth Radios, then left-click it.
• Click Next to proceed.
• If you can’t find Bluetooth Radios, click on Show All Devices.
• Go to the Manufacturer list, then choose Microsoft Corporation.
• Now, go to the right pane and select Windows Mobile-Based Device Support.
• Click Next.
• If you see warnings, just proceed by clicking Next until you see the Finish button.

Once the process is complete, you need to go to Device Manager to see if the device has been installed successfully.

All you need to do is expand the Bluetooth Radios category, then check if Windows Mobile-Based Device Support is available.

Also read: [EASY GUIDE] How to Update Device Drivers on a Windows 10 PC?

Fix six: Use Auslogics Driver Updater to update Bluetooth drivers

There is one thing we’ve learned above: updating Bluetooth peripheral device drivers manually can take quite some time. What’s more, if you download and install the wrong driver, you might end up dealing with system instability issues—and nobody wants that.

Thankfully, there is a more convenient and reliable way to update your drivers. You can use Auslogics Driver Updater to automate the entire process.

Once you’ve installed Auslogics Driver Updater, the tool will automatically recognize your operating system and processor type. Here’s how to use it:

• First, download Auslogics Driver Updater from the official website.
• Once the program is installed, run it and click Update drivers.

• The program will then scan your system and give you a list of all outdated drivers on your PC.
• You will have the option for each driver to:
  • Update them right away: click Update.
  • Not update them right now: click Ignore.

Final Fix Opportunity: Run the System File Checker (SFC)

If the error persists, there may be corrupted system files affecting the driver, causing the “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found” error. To check if this is the case, run an SFC scan. Here’s how:

• Press Windows + S to open the search bar.
• Type “cmd” in the search box.
• Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
• In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter:

sfc /scannow

• Windows will now automatically search for any corrupt or missing system files. This may take several minutes.
• If any issues are found, the System File Checker will try to repair them.
• Once the scan is complete, you will receive one of three messages:

• No integrity violations found.
• Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files and successfully repaired them.
• Windows Resource Protection found corrupt files but was unable to fix some of them.
• After the scan and repairs, restart your PC.

“Bluetooth Peripheral Device Driver Not Found”: Fixed

Errors are never fun. And the “Bluetooth peripheral device driver not found” error is no exception. But, luckily, it’s on the easier side when it comes to fixes. Check if your USB port is working fine, run the Bluetooth troubleshooter, make sure the Bluetooth Support Service is active, update your Bluetooth drivers, and run an SFC scan.

Remember to always keep your drivers updated with a handy tool like Auslogics Driver Updater