How to fix an HP Stream notebook computer that won't pair or connect to a Bluetooth device? [Troubleshooting Guide]

You’re aiming to listen to your favorite soundtracks or playlists from your HP Stream notebook computer to your car Bluetooth stereo or other external speakers/audio devices but for some reasons you couldn’t, since your Bluetooth devices cannot be recognized by your computer. In short, Bluetooth is not working on your HP Stream if not the other Bluetooth device is to blame. Find out what really causes the problem and what options you can try on should you wish to troubleshoot your HP Stream computer’s Bluetooth feature. This post highlights some helpful information for you to refer to when necessary so keep reading and get some help.

Why does your HP Stream computer won’t pair or connect to Bluetooth device?

There have been prior reports that some users of HP computers including those with HP Stream notebooks were suddenly having issues when attempting to pair or connect their computer to Bluetooth devices. It turned out that the computer cannot recognize Bluetooth devices after upgrading to windows 10. If by any chance you are one of these people, the problem is likely due to an erratic driver. Read on to find out the required fixes then.

Aside from faulty update on Windows, there are also other factors that you need to consider when having troubles while attempting to pair or connect your HP Stream notebook computer to a Bluetooth device. Among the common triggers would include but not limited to the following:

Proximity or out of range. Bluetooth devices need to be positioned within specific range, usually within a 30-meter distance for them to work. For devices with Bluetooth 4 or 5 protocol, the proximity range is up to a hundred meter.
Bluetooth protocol incompatibility. Some Bluetooth devices are not included in your HP Stream computer’s Bluetooth support thus they are incompatible. The same thing can happen if the other Bluetooth device does have support for HP Stream computers. Contact your device manufacturer to ensure that both your devices are compatible.
Software update bug causing conflict. Major and minor software updates installed on your computer can either bring positive or negative outcomes. Positive outcomes those new features and enhanced functions the update serves while negative outcomes are obviously the post update issues afflicting errors to any of your computer programs and functions including Bluetooth.
Corrupted Bluetooth driver on your computer. When the Bluetooth driver gets corrupted, the computer’s Bluetooth system will likewise not be able to work as intended. You can head over to your computer’s Device Manager or drivers directory to check and ensure that no drivers are showing error indicators. A question mark, red x mark, or yellow exclamation point next to the driver usually denotes a problem that needs to be addressed.
Electromagnetic interference. Power sources, direct satellite service or DDS, microwave ovens, wireless speakers, and certain external monitors and LCDs are just a few of the many factors that can interfere with the Bluetooth signal transmitted from and to your Bluetooth devices. That said, try to keep these things away when pairing your HP Stream notebook laptop with a Bluetooth accessory.
Multiple Bluetooth devices on your computer. If you have previously connected your HP Stream computer to various Bluetooth devices and you haven’t removed these devices from your computer, it’s possible that any of them are causing conflicts. In this case, removing all other prior Bluetooth devices from your computer will likely fix the problem.

Potential solutions to fix Bluetooth problems on your HP Stream notebook computer

If you suspect that the underlying cause of the problem is a faulty hardware, then the best possible option for you to consider is service. This means that you would need a technician’s aid to fix the problem and restore your computer’s Bluetooth functionality. The subsequent methods are only applicable to Bluetooth problems that are associated with software errors and glitches.

Reboot your computer and Bluetooth device.

If this is the first time you pair or connect your computer to certain Bluetooth device and it failed, performing a soft reset or restarting both devices is highly recommended. A restart can fix minor software glitches that might have hindered the device pairing.

To restart your computer, you can do the usual way by hitting the Start icon the select Restart from the menu options. If you prefer to shutdown your computer for a few seconds before restarting, then select Shutdown option instead.
To restart your Bluetooth device, simply look for the Power or Reset button then press it for a few seconds until the device power cycles.

Wait until both devices have finished booting up then retry pairing them.

Check your computer for driver issues.

If the Bluetooth driver is erratic, most likely Bluetooth functions are likewise unavailable or doesn’t work on your computer. That said, check and ensure your Bluetooth driver is all good.

To do so, type Device Manager in the search box on your taskbar then select it from the list of results.
In Device Manager, scroll down and find your Bluetooth driver.
If you don’t see the Bluetooth driver in Device Manager, go to Device Manager-> Other devices section.
Alternatively, you can try searching for your driver by selecting View-> Show hidden devices or View-> Devices by connection menu.

It’s possible that your Bluetooth driver is under a related parent device (Parent device-> Bluetooth device setup), which therefore denotes the need for you to expand devices that are collapsed and shown with arrow next to them.

If necessary, you may attempt to troubleshoot the Bluetooth driver by updating, uninstalling and reinstalling the problematic driver on your computer.

Don’t forget to restart your computer after making any changes to ensure that your recent configurations are properly implemented.

Update or reinstall Bluetooth driver on your computer.

If your Bluetooth driver needs update, then you can download an updated driver from the HP website and then install it manually. Here’s how it’s done:

Open your browser download driver for your HP Stream notebook model.
Click on the official download link.
Follow the onscreen instructions to change the system to your current Windows operating system version.
Find your Bluetooth driver by expanding given categories. Usually Bluetooth drivers are listed under Network category.
Locate the right driver then double-click on the setup file or executable (.exe) file to install it on your computer.

Alternatively, you can go to HP Support website then download the Bluetooth driver for your HP Stream notebook.

You may need to right-click or press and hold the parent device then select Update driver-> Browse my computer for driver software menu. Then find the Bluetooth driver you previously downloaded from the HP Support website on your computer.

Again, don’t forget to restart your computer after installing the updated driver.

Forget or remove all Bluetooth devices.

On your HP Stream notebook computer that is running on Windows 10, follow these steps to remove or forget Bluetooth device(s):

Open Settings.
Click Devices.
Click Connected Devices to view all the devices that are connected to your computer.
Navigate to Other devices section then locate your Bluetooth devices.
Click to select the device that you want to remove, then click Remove Device.
Click Yes if prompted to confirm action.
Close Settings then restart your computer.
After the restart, go back to Settings-> Devices-> Connected Devices-> then click on Add a device.
Follow the onscreen instruction to manually add your Bluetooth device.
Reboot both your computer and Bluetooth devices then re-attempt pairing them.

Make sure that your computer is in discoverable mode to allow it to broadcast a signal and be detected by other Bluetooth devices in range.

Perform Windows system reset/restore.

A full system reset if often needed if all else failed to fix the Bluetooth problem on your computer. The problem might be too complex and requires tougher solution to make Bluetooth work properly again. That said, you may resort to resetting Windows to factory defaults or restore to a prior Windows system state when Bluetooth was working fine. To make sure you’re doing the right system reset procedure, you may contact Microsoft Support for further assistance.

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How to fix an HP Stream notebook computer that won’t pair or connect to a Bluetooth device? [Troubleshooting Guide]