USB vs. Built in Bluetooth Device

RobbyK · 26 Nov 2019

W10 1909

I recently bought a Bluetooth mouse, and was happy with it, other than having to order an USB Bluetooth adapter because my laptop did not have a Bluetooth installed. It's an older cheap system. But, then the day the adapter came in I had to put my laptop in the shop, before I was really able to use the mouse for more than a few minutes, please don't ask. With everything going on I just haven't got it dropped off yet. Anyway, luckily I had a old spare laptop in a closet, so I pulled it out. This machine has a built in Bluetooth radio, so I connect the mouse, and I've used it a few days. I'm having trouble with it when I go to use move the mouse sometimes the cursor will hesistate before it starts to move, or it moves extremely slow, it also misses button clicks, and stutters, other times it works great.

It could be one one of two problems I see, first I'm not using a mouse pad, I'm not sure this is the best surface for that, but that wouldn't affect the button clicks. The other thing could be that the laptop's Bluetooth radio, is trying to go out. I have already made sure it was running the latest drivers straight from the Dell website. So I grabbed the USB radio I bought, and plugged it in. Then checked the Device Manager to make sure it showed up. It was there, but had a yellow triangle, the Properties tab said "This Device Can't Start", I halfway expected that.

I restarted the laptop, came to the first log-in screen, I clicked the mouse, nothing, I clicked again, nothing. I tried to move the mouse, nothing. I grabbed an extra USB mouse, and got logged in, checked the Device Manager, this time the USB radio showed good, but the built in radio showed a yellow triangle, (Device can't start), again expected. Tried uninstalling built in radio, USB still shows good, but still won't work. I unplugged the USB radio, and restarted, machine came up, and mouse worked again, but just like before.

I'll take any suggestions about any of this.

Berton · 26 Nov 2019

It may be the version of the Bluetooth adapter. BT usually is included with the Wireless/Wi-Fi adapter in Notebooks, sometimes as an option. I prefer BT over USB as sometimes one doesn't have sufficient USB ports available. I'm using version 3 BT mice and the BT drivers are version 4, seem to be okay. Once in awhile I'll see a "stickiness" with the mouse movement but have seen the same with USB wireless mice and their dongle. And sometimes turning off the Wireless then back on will also refresh the BT mouse.

Sidenote: I just got a BT number/10-key pad, works as designed for those machines without it on the keyboard and Yes, frequently can have 2 BT devices paired and connected, maybe more. It's usually the smaller Notebooks that won't have the keypad, 13", 12", 11", etc., maybe even 14". My 15" and 17" all have it.

I also have a BT dongle on an older Notebook.

RobbyK · 27 Nov 2019

I decided to try a few other things, first was the "troubleshooter", why I don't know, as I've never gotten the Windows troubleshooter to work for anything on any of the pc's I've owned, and the first one I bought was before before '95 came out. What I did notice is it showed that the Dell radio was disabled, which it should have, except that if everything was working with it disabled, then the generic would have been working and I wouldn't have needed the TS. But, that got me to thinking and I checked the BT icon in the notification area, it showed that all BT radio's were disabled, even though the generic was enabled. In other words the USB radio is not working at all on this pc even though the Device Manager says it is. Just to be sure, I did try it back in my "new" pc which I have got to get to the shop, Unless I can convince myself to just by a new one, but it worked. So I know the USB radio is good, the mouse doesn't work real great on that pc either, but it does work better than on this pc. So the mouse is working. I'm really wondering if I just need to buy a mousepad. I don't have one at the moment, and haven't been using one, and I've seen situations where one mouse would work on a specific surface but not another mouse. I've also noticed my old mouse doesn't work quite as well as you would expect a mouse to work, I had just got used to it having little quirks. But, at this point it is bugging me why the USB radio doesn't work on the pc, and I'm currently determined to make it work. That's just how I am, but if a mouse pad fixes the problem I might forget making it work, but probably not.

I'm also going to go and buy some more AAA batteries tomorrow, these shouldn't be dead yet, and it does work fine on the other pc, but why not can't hurt. I only have two mice, the BT and a regular wireless, the wireless works fine on this pc. I wish I had one more, just to test the surface I'm using it on. I don't have another BT device of any kind so I can't test anything else on either BT radio. But, I also need to pick up a BT headset/earbuds something for watching Youtube, since my dumbass broke off the tip of a headphone plug inside this pc's audio jack today, again don't ask. But suffice it to say it takes real talent to do that LOL. Not to mention I've been wanting to.

Berton · 27 Nov 2019

I'm really wondering if I just need to buy a mousepad.

Not really, those are a hold-over from days of mice with the ball in them that needed traction. The laser beam mice need the "texture" of the surface they are used on such a smooth but visibly grainy board such as the keyboard tray or top of the desk. If the surface is too bland like the lid of a washing machine, chest-type freezer, etc., it won't provide that texture and the mouse won't work, use anything that has a change in color or lines such as a picture of your favorite whatever. Same thing for the palm rest on some Notebooks for which I have an image I print on card stock, cut to fit and stick to those to get that texture.