Bluetooth TWS earbuds shown on Bluetooth list

My laptop Bluetooth version is 4.0, and the TWS is 5.0, but I think it should be backwards compatible?
I turn Bluetooth on, I go to Settings, there I see "Now discoverable as "DESKTOP-XXXXXXX". My Logitech Bluetooth keyboard+mouse combo is already connected. But the TWS is not showing up (The TWS earbuds are working, I already paired them to my smartphone)

What could be the problem?
Thanks

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I'm not sure it's only about sound and audio because it has something to do with Bluetooth problems

On your Windows 10 PC, go to Start > Settings > Devices > Bluetooth & other devices.

Next, you need to place the earbuds into pairing mode. See instructions for your earbuds on how to accomplish this. Your earbuds cannot be added until you first place them into pairing mode.

Go back to Windows and click on the "Add Bluetooth or other device". Select "Bluetooth".

It may take a few seconds, but the earbuds should show up as a device that can be added. Select the earbuds.

NOTE: You reference the message on the computer saying that your computer is now discoverable. Note that in this case that is irrelevant. It is the other way around that is needed. The earbuds need to be discoverable (accomplished by placing them into pairing mode) so that they can be added to the computer.

I know everything you said, the problem is that the headphones don't show up on the list. They do show up on the smartphone. So I wonder if my Bluetooth hardware is broken

I wonder if the bluetooth driver on your PC simply doesn't have all the needed capabilities or if not all options have been enabled.

I know that when I install the driver for bluetooth on my laptop, I am giving a choice for installing a select set of features vs. a full install. I always choose to perform a full install. Still, you would think that something as basic as a set of earbuds should be able to connect easily.

Do you know what type of bluetooth adapter is installed on your system?

I just realized that something happened to my Bluetooth: it just doesn't work anymore. My smartphone does not detect it, my laptop does not detect my smartphone (I used to send files between the two). So something is broken. But on Device Manager the driver is detected. I even uninstalled and installed it again, but it still doesn't work. The driver is Qualcomm Atheros AR3012 Bluetooth 4.0

*Edit: I will post another thread on the Drivers and Hardware section

Here is a post from someone else who had difficulties with that same Bluetooth adapter and what they did to resolve it. I hope that this is useful!

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/...0-dfdc80b77073

I have version 10.0.3.21. The link suggests 10.0.3.22. I downloaded the zip file, and extracted it, but how do I install it? there is no executable file in the folder. Btw is the download link there safe? It's not an official person who replied in this link so I don't know where did he get these drivers files from

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Edit: I just found out how to install the driver 10.0.3.22 via Device Manager. It installed succesfully and now I'm running the AR3012 with the newest driver. But.. still not working

This the link that the x64 driver goes to. It's directly from Microsoft so it is safe.

Note that this user didn't simply install a new driver. He removed the current driver first. I would suggest following those steps in their entirety.

Download the driver (a CAB file) and place it in an easily accessible folder. In the below example I use D:\Driver. Modify that as you see fit. Note too that I rename the file to bluetooth.cab because the current name is so long and a serious pain to type.

Now, open an elevated command prompt and change to the directory where that CAB file is located. Run these commands:

NOTE: The "f:" below is not a path. Don't modify this, type it exactly as shown.

Code:

D:
cd \Driver
md extracted
expand bluetooth.cab -f:*.* .\extracted
cd extracted
pnputil /add-driver *.inf /install

NOTE: Just as an aside, rather than running the last command above (the one starting with "pnputil"), you could simply go to that folder with File Explorer, right click the file named "qca_btusb.inf" and choose "install".

When done, you can delete the folder (in my example, D:\Driver) and all of its contents.

If the procedure works, you may want to hold onto a copy of that driver.

Sorry, just saw your edit.

Do you have any other Bluetooth devices? Does the Bluetooth adapter see any Bluetooth devices at all?

The entire folder does not have a .cab file (There's a .cat though). Should I uninstall the current driver first too, and then follow your procedures? Or just run these commands while it's already installed?

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Edit: Just saw your edit after you saw my edit haha. Well it does not detect anything at all. I was thinking maybe to downgrade to an older driver, but Windows won't let me. However maybe you know of advanced commands to bypass the Windows prevention of installing old drivers? I am trying to install the old 10.0.1.15 instead of the 10.0.3.22