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Intel AC 8265: Booting from Linux to Windows results in non-functional Bluetooth

SSven
Novice
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When booting Linux, the Linux drivers upload firmware build 103 to the Bluetooth part of my Intel AC 8265 wireless adapter. Build 103 seems to be the latest one available to Linux users:

https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/commit/?id=1dcf7691f623c24762976e2debe05248d627e814 https://git.kernel.org/cgit/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git/commit/?id=1dcf7691f623c24762976e2debe05248d627e814

Then, when rebooting the into Windows, the Windows driver doesn't work. In the device manager, the Intel Bluetooth device is marked with a yellow triangle and STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE is shown as an error message when checking the properties of the device.

When booting to Windows first, a subsequent reboot to Linux reports that the firmware of the Bluetooth adapter is build 107. My best guess here is that the Windows driver won't accept build 103 and thus refuses to work with it. It seems like the Windows driver does not or cannot upgrade the device firmware to build 107 if build 103 has already been uploaded. Ideally it would simply reset the device and upload whatever firmware it comes with.

Is this a known issue?

How can this issue be resolved?

How is the Windows driver supposed to behave in a dual boot environment?

54 Replies
idata
Employee
3,531 Views

Hello skoehler,

 

 

Please be aware that Linux* drivers for Intel® Wireless Adapters are developed in the open-source Linux community. We strongly advise you to check for more information about this behavior on the https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/iwlwifi community page.

 

http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking/000005511.html Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters

 

 

In our best effort, here are a couple items for your consideration:

 

 

- Make sure you are using the most recent Windows* drivers for your Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265. Wi-fi and Bluetooth* drivers can be found in the following page:

 

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/94150/Intel-Dual-Band-Wireless-AC-8265 Downloads for Intel® Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265

 

 

- If you are using Windows* 8.1 or 10. Try disabling Fast Startup/Hybrid boot; this is a power option in Windows* and may affect the way the adapter behaves after power off/reboot. You should be able to find multiple tutorials about this topic in 3rd party websites.

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
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SSven
Novice
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I know that the Linux driver is open source. But that doesn't change the fact that Linux users currently only have access to the bluetooth firmware build 103, which is provided by Intel and is actually not open source, AFAIK.

I am using the most recent Windows drivers, and I'm not complaining about the Linux drivers. My primary concern right now are the Windows drivers, which seem to not work if Linux has been running prior to booting Windows.

Fast Startup/Hybrid boot is already disabled, as this may cause other issues as well in a dual boot environment.

The general issue seems to be that the bluetooth adapter is running the firmware version provided by whatever OS was booted first. So I dont see why you suggest switching to the latest Windows drivers. First of all, I am already using the latest drivers. Second, newer Windows drivers will ship with an even newer bluetooth firmware, and they will probably not work with firmware build 103 either.

The community page that you linked to includes download links for the ucode (that's the firmware for the Wifi part of the Intel 8265) but no downloads of the firmware for the bluetooth part of the Intel 8265. The same is true for the following Intel webpage: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking/000005511.html Linux* Support for Intel® Wireless Adapters

So I cannot upgrade the Linux side of things to match the firmware used by the Windows drivers to workaround the issue.

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idata
Employee
3,531 Views

Hello skoehler,

 

 

Keep in mind that issues that may arrive due to dual boot are out of our scope. We also advise you to check with the http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/topics/OEMs.html Computer Manufacturer Support to check for any limitation or additional recommendations for your computer model.

 

You may check the Linux forums and support channels for assistance on this as well.

 

 

In our best effort, check the following:

 

 

- Contact the Computer Manufacturer (OEM) and make sure your PC BIOS is up to date.

 

 

- Check the BIOS and disable Fast-boot or other technologies that my affect the normal boot process.

 

 

- Be aware that there are some known issues when using Bluetooth* in Linux. This is noted in the https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/iwlwifi Linux community page: WiFi / Bluetooth coexistence: Having WiFi and Bluetooth running at the same time is a challenge. These scenarios have been tested thoroughly on 7260 and up, less so on earlier devices.

 

 

- Are you able to overcome this situation by doing a full power cycle of the PC? or how do you recover the PC from this condition?

 

 

- Do you have any issues if you use Windows* only?

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
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ACurc
Beginner
3,531 Views

I have this problem but I've found a reliable workaround for the issue.

It's easy and always works on my Dell XPS 9560 (using the latest available BIOS v1.1.3) with the Intel 8265 and a Windows 10 / Ubuntu 16.04.2 (Linux kernel 4.8.x) dual boot:

 

When I reboot the laptop and I want to switch OS, I need to enter the BIOS configuration pressing F2.

 

Then, no configuration change is needed in BIOS, I can just press the "Exit" button and reboot to the other OS.

 

When doing this simple trick, both the OS start with bluetooth is fully functional, my bluetooth mouse and keyboard automatically connect and work without a glitch.

 

If I forget to pass in the BIOS when switching the problem is still there. On Windows can be temporarily solved with a bluetooth driver reinstall.

Seems like the BIOS resets "some bits" that the drivers don't do at boot time but only at install time?

Could this be definitively solved with a driver update from Intel for both Windows and Linux versions?

 

Should I ask Dell to patch the BIOS instead, to add a "reset the bluetooth bits" function call on reboot instead of BIOS enter?

From an end-user perspective a driver update seems a more practical solution, as a driver update is more easily dispatched and installed than a BIOS one.

 

In any case, I just hope I'll not have to apply this workaround for the rest of the laptop or Intel 8265 life

Any advice on how to make it happen is really appreciated.

Thanks

Best regards,

 

Alessandro C.
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ACurc
Beginner
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Sorry, just forgot to say that...

 

for me the problem is present both when booting from Windows to Linux or vice versa.

 

If I have the bluetooth working on one OS it's broken in the other, unless I use the trick to open the BIOS and just exit when switching OS.
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idata
Employee
3,531 Views

Hello htrex,

 

 

Thank you for the information provided and for sharing your workaround. Please keep in mind that the Linux driver is maintained by the https://wireless.wiki.kernel.org/en/users/Drivers/iwlwifi Linux community, so we advise you to check their website and provide your feedback there as well.

 

 

Make sure you are using https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/26580/Wireless-Intel-Wireless-Bluetooth-Software-for-Windows-10?product=94150 Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® Software for Windows® 10 [19.40.1702]; also, try our recommendations regarding Fast startup in Windows* and fast boot in the BIOS.

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
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SSven
Novice
3,531 Views

Dear Jonathan,

I can't wait until it makes the news that dual boot environments are not supported by Intel. Please note my utter disappointment as I note Intel's resignation with regards to providing hardware and corresponding drivers suitable for advanced users.

Also, I have disabled fast boot in the BIOS and I have switched the BIOS to "thorough initialization" mode. However, no improvement: the Windows driver still fails to load if Linux was running before.

Why you would mention WiFi / Bluetooth coexistence issues is beyond me. I'm not complaining about poor performance or anything like that. I'm describing the symptom that the Windows driver doesn't even load and simply fails with an error. This issue is not related to WiFi / Bluetooth coexistence in any way.

Yes, power cycling the machine does resolve the issue. Even a suspend/resume cycle makes the Windows driver come to life again. Apparently, the Bluetooth adapter is power cycled during a suspend/resume cycle.

If I use Windows only, there are no issues. Then again, this whole thread is about an error observed in a dual boot environment. So are you just going to state that Intel's work here is done since it works fine when using Windows only? Oh well ....

Now if only you could tell me whether the BIOS of my machine is supposed to reset the Bluetooth adapter or not during a reboot, that would be nice. Then I could go to Dell and ask them for a BIOS update for my XPS 9560. Then again, I could imagine that such a statement is forbidden due to company policies.

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SSven
Novice
3,531 Views

Dear htrex,

yes, I also have a Dell XPS 9560. Entering the BIOS and exiting it again powers off the laptop, before it powers itself on again a second later, doesn't it? So essentially you're power cycling the machine. That's exactly what I'd like to avoid.

I have also noticed that reinstalling the Windows driver (without doing a reboot or power cycling the machine!) lets things work again. That's strange isn't it? If the installation procedure can somehow reset the Bluetooth adapter, then why can't the drivers do it too?

I'm also desperately looking for information who is to blame here. Is the BIOS supposed to reset the Bluetooth adapter? Or are the Windows drivers simply making too optimistic assumptions?

Consider that the Bluetooth adapter is a normal USB device. Like any USB device attached to the laptop, it doesn't lose power during reboot and is therefore not reset

Well, my last resort would be to talk to the Linux devs and maybe they can reset the Bluetooth adapter before the machine reboots. Then again, I'm not even sure the Bluetooth adapter can be reset into a clean state once the firmware has been uploaded. (Before the actual firmware is uploaded, the Bluetooth adapter is in a special mode, running some kind of bootloader firmware, which allows for uploading the actual firmware BLOB.)

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idata
Employee
3,531 Views

Hello,

 

 

We will definitely look into this from our end, please keep in mind that this type of issue requires further research and time to be resolved. Please perform the following actions so we can progress on this:

 

 

- https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/25293/Intel-System-Support-Utility Download Intel® System Support Utility, run the tool in Windows* with the adapter working fine, and use it to create a report with all sections, once the report is created, click on the "Next" button. In the following screen, save the report to a file. Then use the Advanced editor options to add the resulting XML file to your post as an attachment.

 

- Also, provide a second log when the Bluetooth* controller is not working.

 

- Let us know any errors or warnings you receive in Windows* regarding Bluetooth* at the time the system boots up with the issue.

 

 

We haven't had similar reports before, and since both of your systems are Dell* XPS 9560, we also recommend you to create a ticket with Dell Support. The http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/topics/OEMs.html OEM (Computer Manufacturer) may include customization in the adapter or drivers.

 

 

Regards,

 

Jonathan B.
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ACurc
Beginner
3,531 Views

Ok Jonathan, I'll post the required info in a day or 2.

 

Thanks

Regards

Alessandro

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ACurc
Beginner
3,531 Views

Here are the required logs

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ACurc
Beginner
3,532 Views

... logs continued ...

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ACurc
Beginner
3,532 Views

... logs continued 2 ...

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ACurc
Beginner
3,532 Views

... logs continued 3 ... and that's all.

 

When the Bluetooth is non functional there are no error messages in Windows, it just doesn't work.

 

I can see the problem on Windows 10 device manager, please have a look at the attached screenshots.

Skoehler is right.

 

Turning the laptop off and on before switching OS has the same effect that I had passing in the BIOS before the OS switch.

 

Apparently exiting the BIOS is power cycling the laptop.

 

 

Hope this helps to solve the issue.

Jonathan, if your team can patch only the Windows driver, please send a message on the appropriate channel with technical info for the Linux Community to notice.

 

As Linux is keeping the Internet alive, and of course it runs on Intel processors, I'm sure someone working for Intel has the right contacts to solve this issue on that side eventually.

Best regards

Alessandro

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SSven
Novice
3,532 Views

Find attached the two XML files generated by the System Support Utility. Once for when the bluetooth adapter was working, the other for when it was NOT working.

The screenshots provided by htrex match with what my system shows, in particular I also see the STATUS_DEVICE_POWER_FAILURE message.

On the Windows event log, I see lots of errors from a source called "ibtusb". They all contain the same error message:

Failed to find FW DDC Image.bseq file, Error 12.

A screenshot of my Windows event log is attached.

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AAhma7
Beginner
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Hello,

 

I am also experiencing this SAME issue with my Dell XPS 13 (9350) with Intel 8260 chip. I am dual-booting Windows10 and Arch-Linux, and I see the issue when I restart from Linux, and then boot into Windows10. At this point the bluetooth does NOT work. As it was mentioned earlier, if I hit F2 to enter the BIOS, and then exit (without making any changes) and it essentially does a complete power-cycle. At this point, if I boot into Windows10, everything works properly.

I am attaching a screenshot below (1 screenshot when the BT is NOT working, 1 screenshot when the BT IS working). You can also validate that I am using the most up-to-date (latest) bluetooth drivers available with my Intel 8260 card:

Error Screenshot:

http://imgur.com/a/HZln6 Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

If there are any additional logs or information I can provide to assist in the troubleshooting and quick resolution of this issue, please let me know. Any help or assistance would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Asif Ahmad

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ACurc
Beginner
3,532 Views

Hi,

before finding the BIOS or power cycling workaround I used to reinstall the Windows driver to make it work.

 

After that, an hot reboot to Linux resulted in a non functional bluetooth on Linux.

In that case the issue is when switching from Windows to Linux.

Regards,

Alessandro

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AAhma7
Beginner
3,532 Views

Hey Alessandro,

When you say "hot reboot" can you explain what that means exactly? I am NOT seeing any issues on the Linux side with Bluetooth. I am ONLY seeing issues on the Windows10 side.

Thanks,

Asif

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SSven
Novice
3,532 Views

I also had issues when booting from Windows to Linux, but only when I downgraded the Windows Intel Bluetooth drivers to version 19.30 for testing purposes. The issue that bluetooth doesn't work when booting from Windows to Linux never existed with Windows Intel Bluetooth drivers version 19.40.1702 which is what I am currently using. Get it here: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/support/network-and-i-o/wireless-networking/000005489.html Download Intel® Wireless Bluetooth® Software

I'm only left with the problem that things don't work when booting from Linux to Windows.

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AAhma7
Beginner
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Thanks for clarifying Skoehler. I'm seeing the same behavior under the latest Bluetooth drivers as well (19.40.1702) as my screenshot above showed.

Thanks,

Asif

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