Bluetooth NXT 2.0 vista

[keycalinc]

I have spent the last 4 weeks part time trying to get my Belkin F8T012 bluetooth dongle to AGAIN work with my Dell, Vista laptop. All was working fine until a few weeks ago when it stopped.

I have performed these operations several times:
Uninstalled bluetooth hardward from device manager
Removed oemxx.inf & oemxx.pnf files from \windows\inf and \windows folders
Used Regedit to delete BELKIN, BROADCOM, AND WIDCOMM folders from: \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE folder
Reset & uploaded newest firmware into NXT 2.0 brick

I have a CD which came with the bluetooth dongle with a software revision of 4.1.xx. I cannot install the files on this CD because I get a message on the screen that I have a newer version already on the laptop.

I'm not looking foward to the possible next step...use the Dell CD to restore the computer to NEW status. Any assistance would be appreciated.

[floppi]

I suggest you to install only the drivers from manufacturer and not the whole package.
And then try to use the microsoft built in stack in windows.

When you say : it stopped to work, what are the exact issue ?

[keycalinc]

I am not able to install the CD software supplied by the manufacturer. All steps I have taken to remove the old software have failed. When I load the CD, a screen prompt displays that I already have a newer version of the software installed. I tried to install it in Safe Mode with no success.

The sequence of events are: the computer recognizes the dongle when inserted into the USB port. It proceeds finding the drivers (Microsoft?). When I start up the NXT brick, the brick says the bluetooth is "unavailable". When I try to connect, it pairs, using the 1234 pairing number and assigns 2 input/1output COM port, but if eventually comes up with the display that it could not connect with the dongle.

I was able to get the dongle work for about 2 months, flawlessly, and then it stopped working.

[floppi]

I've got a lot of problem with my old bluetooth dongle on my old laptop.
Like you, the trick was to erase all the thing relating to bluetooth and nxt on the laptop and on the nxt. But it seems you did that.
Perhaps you can try revo unsinstaller pro ( with 30 days of free use ) to uninstall all the software from your bluetooth dongle ?

[keycalinc]

Thanks for the advice. I'll look into the "uninstalling" program. Which dongle manufacturer are you using? I might bite the bullet and purchase the one that is on the Lego website. When I purchased mine awhile ago, Lego had taken off their "preferred" bluetooth dongle.

[floppi]

Mine is built in my laptop, and the old too, the new works well !

With the old, It has worked and not and it has worked again !

What I did : erase all com port in Device Manager relating to NXT.
Then erasing all partnership with PC on the nxt.
Then erasing all partnership with nxt on PC.
Then removing nxt driver from the pc on device manager. ( choose to erase files when removing drivers )
Deleting NXT device driver from add/remove software in windows
Reinstall NXT drivers ( the latest from lego website )
Then retry associating Nxt with the PC, but I do not remember if I start the partnership on the NXT, or on the PC, and that was the trick !!!