[Intel AX210] Bluetooth is sometimes missing, and I need to shut down, and boot back up to restore i

[BeerGogglesFTW]

I have an ASrock X670E Lightning Motherboard with an Intel AX210 M.2 Wifi card plugged in.

Worked great for about 3 months, but then it starting having this issue where Bluetooth wouldn't be available. I tried re-seating the wifi card. Replaced the little wifi cables that go to the antenna.

No errors in event viewer.

No device at all shows up in device manager. (When I browse hidden devices and go to Intel bluetooth, it reads: Currently, this hardware device is not connected to the computer. (Code 45) To fix this problem, reconnect this hardware device to the computer.)

Windows "Fix a problem with bluetooth" and it doesn't find any bluetooth device.

Like it doesn't exist. (Wifi is there though)

It's definitely not unheard of... Maybe just a flaw with AX200/AX210 line?

Only solution I could find is power cycle the PC... it will happen again, but maybe longer time before it happenes again? Because it will happen again.

Any other advice would be appreciated... Or maybe an alternative Wifi card that could take its place and doesn't have this issue?

Everything is up to date. Driver, chipset, BIOS, etc. Windows 11.

[n_scott_pearson]

I suggest you try doing a clean install; this fixes a great many of the issues with the drivers. Here is my version of the process: 

1. If you haven't already, download - but do not install just yet - the latest Bluetooth and Wireless driver packages for your adapter. Here are the current links for downloading these drivers: Wireless: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/19351 and Bluetooth: https://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/download/18649.
2. Most important! Disable Internet access. Unplug Ethernet cable and/or disable wireless. Keep disabled until told to re-enable. Note this Wireless disable *must* be of type that will persist and stay disabled across reboots.

1. From the Apps & Features applet, check for instances of Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and Intel Wireless Bluetooth. If none, skip forward to Step 6.
2. Uninstall each instance of Intel PROSet/Wireless Software and/or Intel Wireless Bluetooth that is present. When prompted, choose to "Discard Settings".
3. Manually reboot your computer, keeping Internet access disabled throughout.
4. From the Device Manager applet, check the Network Adapters section for an entry for Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX210 and check the Bluetooth section for an entry for Intel Wireless Bluetooth that has an Intel driver associated with it. If neither is the case, skip forward to Step 10.
5. Right click on the entry for Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX210 and uninstall it, choosing to (checkmark) Delete the driver software for this device.
6. Right click on the entry for Intel Wireless Bluetooth and open its properties. If it has an Intel driver associated with it, then uninstall it, choosing to (checkmark) Delete the driver software for this device.
7. Go back to Step 5.
8. Install the downloaded Bluetooth driver package (my rule: always install Bluetooth first).
9. Install the downloaded Wireless driver package.
10. Manually shutdown and reboot your computer.
11. Reenable Internet access. Restore Ethernet cable and/or reenable wireless.
12. Test.

Note that it sometimes takes multiple uninstall (and reboot) cycles to clean out the old installations, so don't give up on the process. If you get to, say, 10 cycles, stop there and attempt the installation of the latest drivers.

Hope this helps,

...S

[BeerGogglesFTW]

Gave it a shot. We'll see how long it lasts.

Previously, it could be a day, or it could be a month. Never know when that bluetooth icon will disappear.