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My Windows 8 machine does not recognize a device which is connected via BlueTooth across a USB port. Apps are reporting the presence of COM1 and COM2, no others. I disconnected and reconnected my USB hub on which the bluetooth adapter is connected. I saw some other devices (also on that hub) recognized, as they began to appear in Windows explorer.

Since bluetooth was not appearing in the list of comports (on an app which sees the various COM ports all the time) I decided to remove the device, and then add it back in. This is exactly the procedure that I've followed fifty times or more; no problems before today.

Windows says that it is removing the device, then after awhile, tells me that it cannot remove the device.

HUH ?

What do I do ?

We saw that very device connect to another computer and we saw that link deliver exactly the data that it should.

OS is Windows 8.

Sequence of clicks follows. Hope this is not over-populating the post with pics.

This is the bluetooth device enter image description here

Clicking on it, he reports that he is offline enter image description here

I right-click, and choose "Remove device" enter image description here

Windows asks me to confirm the choice, and I click on "Yes" enter image description here

Windows reports that he is removing the device enter image description here

Windows reports Remove Failed enter image description here

5 Answers 5

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Hey I had the same problem. I followed the steps on this forum and they worked great.

by Anjela T.

  1. Click on Start to open the Start Menu.
  2. Right-click on Computer and select Properties. (You can also use the keyboard shortcut Windows Key + Pause Break to open System.)
  3. From the System window that opens, find and click on Advanced system settings from the left-side panel. This will open the System Properties dialog box.
  4. In the System Properties dialog box, click on Environment Variables button. This will open another dialog box.
  5. Now under the User variables for box, click on New.
  6. Type devmgr_show_nonpresent_device in the Variable Name field. Type 1 in the Variable Value field. Image
  7. When you open Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc in Start search box and hit Enter) and select View > Show hidden devices, all the ghosted devices will be shown with their icons faded away.

After you have enabled the hidden devices, right-click on the bluetooth device you're having trouble with and click uninstall. Then go back to devices and remove the device.

I don't think that it's necessary to add the environment variable, but you can try if it doesn't work right away. You just need to go the the device manager and find it in there. Your Bluetooth devices may have installed more than one device, so make sure you get them all.

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  • Immediate Question, do I download the Fixit troubleshooter as the tech guy from microsoft suggests in that thread ?
    – User.1
    May 24, 2013 at 22:58
  • I didn't. The other users seemed to say that it did pretty much nothing. I have noticed that other Microsoft Suggestions on their site are almost like canned answers. (Sometimes they are.) I have not found their suggestions helpful yet.
    – duckbrain
    May 25, 2013 at 21:46
  • Followed all the steps suggested in that thread. Ran FixIt just in case. The device remains obstinate. All attempts to remove cause failure. Is there any other data or screen caps that I can present to help you (or anyone reading) understand this ?
    – User.1
    May 30, 2013 at 16:58
  • Did you make sure you got step 7? That is the important one. In the device manager your Bluetooth devices should show up so that you can remove them from there.
    – duckbrain
    Sep 28, 2013 at 16:05
  • +1 Fixed a problem I was having on Surface PRO 2 with a Plantronics Bluetooth headset. Aug 27, 2014 at 13:43
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Before pairing bluetooth device again, ensure that bluetooth driver in Device Manager is Enabled.

How to display hidden device (ghosted) drivers in Windows? By now, you already know Windows’ Device Manager (by default) doesn’t display ghosted devices. To show hidden devices in Device Manager, follow the simple steps below.

  1. Click on Start to open the Start Menu.
  2. Right-click on Computer and select Properties. (You can also use the keyboard shortcut ⊞ Win + Pause/Break to open System.)
  3. From the System window that opens, find and click on Advanced system settings from the left-side panel. This will open the System Properties dialog box.
  4. In the System Properties dialog box, click on Environment Variables button. This will open another dialog box.
  5. Now under the User variables for box, click on New.
  6. Type devmgr_show_nonpresent_device in the Variable Name field. Type 1 in the Variable Value field.
  7. When you open Device Manager (type devmgmt.msc in Start search box and press Enter) and select View > Show hidden devices, all the ghosted devices will be shown with their icons faded away.
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I ran into this same issue on Windows 8.1, it happened because I was trying to remove the Bluetooth device (logitech keyboard) and the bluetooth dongle that it was installed under was not plugged in. Once I replugged in the bluetooth dongle I was able to uninstall with no issues.

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I was able to fix it by selecting the specific device that wasn't removing in

  • Devices and Printers (right click).

  • Then going into properties uninstalling the driver.

  • And then I was able to uninstall the device took a while to figure it out but I was able to remove the device and it is nowhere to be found on my PC.

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Only step 7 in above replies was needed & worked for me. My problem device (my bluetooth mouse which gave me "Remove Failed" when I tried to remove it) was shown grayed out in the device manager's list of hidden devices; I right clicked on it & chose "Uninstall" & it disappeared from the deivce manager's list, control panel's | Devices & Printers display, and also from "Change PC settings, Bluetooth's" list of devices.

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  • This question is also from 8 years ago. Changes to systems since then are the likely reason why your experience was different. Mar 28, 2022 at 1:57

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