bluetooth speaker - no prompt for pairing code

I have a bluetooth speaker, that works fine (it even worked with my XP
machine before that died).

I was going to get a dongle for this W7 machine (Toshiba Portege
700-1F5), then I thought, I wonder if I just haven't loaded the drivers;
I hadn't, but had downloaded them all, so ran the installer, and hey
presto, in device manager I now see
Bluetooth Radios
Generic Bluetooth Adapter
Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator
with no error symbols; I also have a Bluetooth icon in the tray.

When I click that and select Add a Device, eventually (surprisingly long
time, given that it's the only Bluetooth device and is a yard away), it
finds it. It identifies as
AS AUDIO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth headset
which is correct. (OK, it's a speaker not a headset.)

So I click on it, and click Next. It says "Connecting to device...",
then, after 30 seconds,

Adding this device failed because of an authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code.

(and a lot more I'm not going to type.)

I know the codes, from the speaker's instructions - either 0000 or 1234
- but at no stage did Windows ask me for such. (I can't remember whether
I had to enter them for XP or not.)

This happens, however many times I try - with one exception: straight
after a reboot, it did find it, and it appeared in "Devices and
Printers", but Properties showed blank, it didn't appear as an audio
device, and so on; I removed it and tried to connect it again. Every
time, it comes up with the authentication error.

Googling, I find that this is a very common problem: "failed because of
an authentication error ... might ... incorrect pairing code", but never
any prompt for such a code. (One suggestion is to right-click after it's
found but before clicking Next, and then turn on "drivers for HID" or
something like that - but [a] I presume that's only for things like mice
and keyboards, [b] I don't get that option anyway.)

Anyone know the way forward? (Perhaps some hack to manually force in the
pairing code somewhere?)

It seems very odd:
o Windows knows its an audio device (draws a picture of an earpiece)
o Windows never asked for a pairing code
o it worked in XP, so I can't see it being not-recent-enough-drivers
o the speaker remains in Pairing Mode for a _long_ time, so not that

Windows 7 Home Premiun SP1 32 bit
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Just because you're old it doesn't mean you go beige. Quite the reverse.
- Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, RT 2015/7/11-17

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
I have a bluetooth speaker, that works fine (it even worked with my XP
machine before that died).

I was going to get a dongle for this W7 machine (Toshiba Portege
700-1F5), then I thought, I wonder if I just haven't loaded the drivers;
I hadn't, but had downloaded them all, so ran the installer, and hey
presto, in device manager I now see
Bluetooth Radios
Generic Bluetooth Adapter
Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator
with no error symbols; I also have a Bluetooth icon in the tray.

When I click that and select Add a Device, eventually (surprisingly long
time, given that it's the only Bluetooth device and is a yard away), it
finds it. It identifies as
AS AUDIO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth headset
which is correct. (OK, it's a speaker not a headset.)

So I click on it, and click Next. It says "Connecting to device...",
then, after 30 seconds,

Adding this device failed because of an authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code.

(and a lot more I'm not going to type.)

I know the codes, from the speaker's instructions - either 0000 or 1234
- but at no stage did Windows ask me for such. (I can't remember whether
I had to enter them for XP or not.)

This happens, however many times I try - with one exception: straight
after a reboot, it did find it, and it appeared in "Devices and
Printers", but Properties showed blank, it didn't appear as an audio
device, and so on; I removed it and tried to connect it again. Every
time, it comes up with the authentication error.

Googling, I find that this is a very common problem: "failed because of
an authentication error ... might ... incorrect pairing code", but never
any prompt for such a code. (One suggestion is to right-click after it's
found but before clicking Next, and then turn on "drivers for HID" or
something like that - but [a] I presume that's only for things like mice
and keyboards, [b] I don't get that option anyway.)

Anyone know the way forward? (Perhaps some hack to manually force in the
pairing code somewhere?)

It seems very odd:
o Windows knows its an audio device (draws a picture of an earpiece)
o Windows never asked for a pairing code
o it worked in XP, so I can't see it being not-recent-enough-drivers
o the speaker remains in Pairing Mode for a _long_ time, so not that

Windows 7 Home Premiun SP1 32 bit


Snap! I bought a dongle some months ago, and went through a similar
process to what you've been through.
I eventually put the dongle away in the cupboard. I assumed it was a
bluetooth generation incompatibility, which I've seen happen in cars'
media gizmos.

I'll watch this thread with hope.

Ed

In message , Ed Cryer
writes:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
[]
finds it. It identifies as
AS AUDIO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth headset
which is correct. (OK, it's a speaker not a headset.)
So I click on it, and click Next. It says "Connecting to device...",
then, after 30 seconds,
Adding this device failed because of an authentication
error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code.
(and a lot more I'm not going to type.)
I know the codes, from the speaker's instructions - either 0000 or
1234
- but at no stage did Windows ask me for such. (I can't remember whether
I had to enter them for XP or not.)
[]
Snap! I bought a dongle some months ago, and went through a similar
process to what you've been through.
I eventually put the dongle away in the cupboard. I assumed it was a
bluetooth generation incompatibility, which I've seen happen in cars'
media gizmos.

That was one of my thoughts - the speaker manual says it's Bluetooth 4 -
until I remembered that it worked with my XP machine, which surely was
made before either the software or hardware (it has a W7 sticker) of my
W7 machine. (Interestingly, I did have another bluetooth speaker that
the XP machine saw as a keyboard, telling me to enter a code into it
which obviously I couldn't; however, that speaker worked fine for its
intended purpose, which was my blind friend's iPhone. [It's a tiny one,
about the size of a matchbox, which she clips to her collar, so she can
keep the 'phone put away. {No, she can't use headphones.}])

I'll watch this thread with hope.

From what I read via Google etc., don't hold out too much (-: )-:

Ed



--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Just because you're old it doesn't mean you go beige. Quite the reverse.
- Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen, RT 2015/7/11-17

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
I have a bluetooth speaker, that works fine (it even worked with my XP
machine before that died).

I was going to get a dongle for this W7 machine (Toshiba Portege
700-1F5), then I thought, I wonder if I just haven't loaded the drivers;
I hadn't, but had downloaded them all, so ran the installer, and hey
presto, in device manager I now see
Bluetooth Radios
Generic Bluetooth Adapter
Microsoft Bluetooth Enumerator
with no error symbols; I also have a Bluetooth icon in the tray.

When I click that and select Add a Device, eventually (surprisingly long
time, given that it's the only Bluetooth device and is a yard away), it
finds it. It identifies as
AS AUDIO
Bluetooth
Bluetooth headset
which is correct. (OK, it's a speaker not a headset.)

So I click on it, and click Next. It says "Connecting to device...",
then, after 30 seconds,

Adding this device failed because of an authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code.

(and a lot more I'm not going to type.)

I know the codes, from the speaker's instructions - either 0000 or 1234
- but at no stage did Windows ask me for such. (I can't remember whether
I had to enter them for XP or not.)

This happens, however many times I try - with one exception: straight
after a reboot, it did find it, and it appeared in "Devices and
Printers", but Properties showed blank, it didn't appear as an audio
device, and so on; I removed it and tried to connect it again. Every
time, it comes up with the authentication error.

Googling, I find that this is a very common problem: "failed because of
an authentication error ... might ... incorrect pairing code", but never
any prompt for such a code. (One suggestion is to right-click after it's
found but before clicking Next, and then turn on "drivers for HID" or
something like that - but [a] I presume that's only for things like mice
and keyboards, [b] I don't get that option anyway.)

Anyone know the way forward? (Perhaps some hack to manually force in the
pairing code somewhere?)

It seems very odd:
o Windows knows its an audio device (draws a picture of an earpiece)
o Windows never asked for a pairing code
o it worked in XP, so I can't see it being not-recent-enough-drivers
o the speaker remains in Pairing Mode for a _long_ time, so not that

Windows 7 Home Premiun SP1 32 bit

Here is some technical gristle to chew on :-)
The pairing code 0000 isn't the end of the story.
The devices have a longer key they hold onto, to annoy the user.
That gets stored in the registry.

https://superuser.com/questions/2299...n-dualboot-com

Lots of good info (including making yourself SYSTEM so you
can do the Regedits). Apparently it's possible to transplant
the longer key, obtained by negotiation on one OS, into
a second (multi-boot) OS.

If the device could hold multiple pairings, perhaps this
wouldn't matter so much. But every peripheral is eventually
going to hit a limit, if this is indeed how it works.

That suggests, if all else failed, you could visit the WinXP
registry and copy out that key from the working session.

The speaker itself should have a button to press, to
start pairing again. Have you looked all over it, including
on the bottom or the back ? A clever engineer would place
such a switch, where the PCB has an I/O connector perhaps,
and if such a button existed, it isn't good engineering
to be running wires off to it for fun. Getting people
to solder little wires costs a lot of money, compared
to having a pairing button on some PCB.

Maybe if the speaker is battery powered, pulling the
battery pack would reset it ? But I could imagine a
cretinous design storing that key in Flash.

Paul

In message , KenW
writes:
[]
I would uninstall blue tooth just incase something 'got stuck'
someplace. I would make sure I have drivers available.


KenW

I've just done that. (I have all the drivers for the machine - I got
them from the Toshiba when I got the machine; you never know when
they'll disappear.) Add a Device. Found. Next. Connecting to device ...
nope, same effect.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I've always wanted to be happy, so I decided to be - Neil Baldwin

In message , Paul
writes:
[]
Here is some technical gristle to chew on :-)

I choked on it, I'm afraid )-:.

The pairing code 0000 isn't the end of the story.

Yes, but I'd like to _start_ the story; Windows never even prompts me
for a pairing code.

The devices have a longer key they hold onto, to annoy the user.
That gets stored in the registry.

Never gets that far, I think.

https://superuser.com/questions/2299...ink-key-in-win
dows-7-to-double-pair-a-device-on-dualboot-com

_Way_ over my head: like that other thing I was asking about, I find it
difficult to _believe_ that something as simple as pairing (or
connecting, or whatever term is in this week) a Bluetooth speaker can't
be done without having to hack the registry or similar.

Lots of good info (including making yourself SYSTEM so you
can do the Regedits). Apparently it's possible to transplant
the longer key, obtained by negotiation on one OS, into
a second (multi-boot) OS.

If the device could hold multiple pairings, perhaps this
wouldn't matter so much. But every peripheral is eventually
going to hit a limit, if this is indeed how it works.

That speaker has only ever had the XP netbook (and maybe one 'phone)
connected to its Bluetooth "port". (I've had things connected to its AUX
input, but that's analogue!) This computer's Bluetooth wasn't even
working until today, when I ran the driver installer, so _that_ has
never been connected to anything. So I think no limits have been
exceeded.

That suggests, if all else failed, you could visit the WinXP
registry and copy out that key from the working session.

I'd need the XP machine to be working, I think. It's developed what I
think is a cooling problem - shuts off after what I'm fairly sure would
be too short a time for XP to boot. (I've tried a new fan, including
thermal compound, but without success.)

The speaker itself should have a button to press, to
start pairing again. Have you looked all over it, including
on the bottom or the back ? A clever engineer would place
such a switch, where the PCB has an I/O connector perhaps,
and if such a button existed, it isn't good engineering
to be running wires off to it for fun. Getting people
to solder little wires costs a lot of money, compared
to having a pairing button on some PCB.

It comes up in pairing mode when I switch to Bluetooth (as opposed to
AUX or FM [there's a radio in it]). It actually stays in that for ages -
possibly half an hour; it's not battery powered, so no need to power
save. I know it's in pairing mode as an LED alternates red/blue (as
opposed to solid blue when paired). The computer sees it - just has that
"authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code"
when it tries to pair.

Maybe if the speaker is battery powered, pulling the
battery pack would reset it ? But I could imagine a
cretinous design storing that key in Flash.

Paul
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

I've always wanted to be happy, so I decided to be - Neil Baldwin

In message , "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
writes:
[]
opposed to solid blue when paired). The computer sees it - just has
that "authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code"
when it tries to pair.
[]
Would acquiring another Bluetooth adapter get round the problem? I
suspect not.
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

Fortunately radio is a forgiving medium. It hides a multitude of chins ...
Vanessa feltz, RT 2014-3/28-4/4

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
In message , Paul
writes:
[]
Here is some technical gristle to chew on :-)

I choked on it, I'm afraid )-:.

The pairing code 0000 isn't the end of the story.

Yes, but I'd like to _start_ the story; Windows never even prompts me
for a pairing code.

The devices have a longer key they hold onto, to annoy the user.
That gets stored in the registry.

Never gets that far, I think.

https://superuser.com/questions/2299...ink-key-in-win
dows-7-to-double-pair-a-device-on-dualboot-com

_Way_ over my head: like that other thing I was asking about, I find it
difficult to _believe_ that something as simple as pairing (or
connecting, or whatever term is in this week) a Bluetooth speaker can't
be done without having to hack the registry or similar.

Lots of good info (including making yourself SYSTEM so you
can do the Regedits). Apparently it's possible to transplant
the longer key, obtained by negotiation on one OS, into
a second (multi-boot) OS.

If the device could hold multiple pairings, perhaps this
wouldn't matter so much. But every peripheral is eventually
going to hit a limit, if this is indeed how it works.

That speaker has only ever had the XP netbook (and maybe one 'phone)
connected to its Bluetooth "port". (I've had things connected to its AUX
input, but that's analogue!) This computer's Bluetooth wasn't even
working until today, when I ran the driver installer, so _that_ has
never been connected to anything. So I think no limits have been exceeded.

That suggests, if all else failed, you could visit the WinXP
registry and copy out that key from the working session.

I'd need the XP machine to be working, I think. It's developed what I
think is a cooling problem - shuts off after what I'm fairly sure would
be too short a time for XP to boot. (I've tried a new fan, including
thermal compound, but without success.)

The speaker itself should have a button to press, to
start pairing again. Have you looked all over it, including
on the bottom or the back ? A clever engineer would place
such a switch, where the PCB has an I/O connector perhaps,
and if such a button existed, it isn't good engineering
to be running wires off to it for fun. Getting people
to solder little wires costs a lot of money, compared
to having a pairing button on some PCB.

It comes up in pairing mode when I switch to Bluetooth (as opposed to
AUX or FM [there's a radio in it]). It actually stays in that for ages -
possibly half an hour; it's not battery powered, so no need to power
save. I know it's in pairing mode as an LED alternates red/blue (as
opposed to solid blue when paired). The computer sees it - just has that
"authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code"
when it tries to pair.

Maybe if the speaker is battery powered, pulling the
battery pack would reset it ? But I could imagine a
cretinous design storing that key in Flash.

Paul

If the WinXP hard drive still works, pull the appropriate registry
file off the disk and edit it elsewhere. You don't need
to edit it in WinXP to read the registry entry. There
are other tools for it. Since it's HKLM\System, maybe
it's the SYSTEM file that holds the key ???

Paul

J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
In message , "J. P. Gilliver (John)"
writes:
[]
opposed to solid blue when paired). The computer sees it - just has
that "authentication error.
This might be due to the use of an incorrect pairing code"
when it tries to pair.
[]
Would acquiring another Bluetooth adapter get round the problem? I
suspect not.

Of course not. Any errant information is recorded against the speaker
in the Registry.

The Bluetooth adapter is just a "conduit" for the protocol. The
Bloetooth stack is at one end, making stuff up. The speaker
is at the other end, resisting all attempts to negotiate.

Do you want this to work, or don't you ? :-)
Size 11 hammer please...

By now, I'd have the screwdriver out, and have the back off
the speaker. Get the BT chip number, discover the history
of naughty behavior and so on.

*******

When a computer speaker here had a defect, I discovered the back
was glued onto the front, along an all-ways-round seam.

At first, I played with my prying tools, but I could see I
wasn't going to get the leverage needed that way. The glue... was very
good.

I got out a hacksaw, and sawed a slit along the top
of the speaker cabinet (the "master" speaker with the
electronics). Once there was a gaping hole there, the prying
tools had no problem generating enough force to tear that
glued seam open. Problem solved :-)

The speaker is now repaired (I repaired a cold solder joint).
Then, I used a Trident clamp placed around the whole body
of the speaker, to hold it together. It's given years
of service and the sound is just fine.

Just don't look at it, please. It looks like a gorilla attacked it.
That's how I solve problems that "get to me" after a while.
"Size 11 hammer".

Now, I expect to hear some sawing and cursing...
That speaker is going to speak...

The Registry edit will require less sawing.

Paul

In message , Paul
writes:
J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
[]
Would acquiring another Bluetooth adapter get round the problem? I
suspect not.

Of course not. Any errant information is recorded against the speaker
in the Registry.

Thanks. I suspected not.

The Bluetooth adapter is just a "conduit" for the protocol. The
Bloetooth stack is at one end, making stuff up. The speaker
is at the other end, resisting all attempts to negotiate.

(-:

Do you want this to work, or don't you ? :-)

I'm not _too_ bothered: I can always connect to it with wire!

Size 11 hammer please...

By now, I'd have the screwdriver out, and have the back off
the speaker. Get the BT chip number, discover the history
of naughty behavior and so on.

That's where we differ (-:! Though I would definitely consider the
"naughty behaviour" to be the design of how W7 handles Bluetooth, rather
than the BT speaker.

*******

When a computer speaker here had a defect, I discovered the back
was glued onto the front, along an all-ways-round seam.

At first, I played with my prying tools, but I could see I
wasn't going to get the leverage needed that way. The glue... was very
good.

I got out a hacksaw, and sawed a slit along the top
of the speaker cabinet (the "master" speaker with the
electronics). Once there was a gaping hole there, the prying
tools had no problem generating enough force to tear that
glued seam open. Problem solved :-)

It's rather a nice speaker, and not a year old yet, so I don't think
I'll be taking a hacksaw to it quite yet ...
[]
Just don't look at it, please. It looks like a gorilla attacked it.
That's how I solve problems that "get to me" after a while.
"Size 11 hammer".

I have only once been tempted to take a hammer to a piece of electronic
equipment - a cassette player, which was refusing to play properly. But
_just_ before I did, I noticed that the little copper strip in the
cassette - that holds the a pad that pushes the tape against the head -
wasn't right, thus causing it to sound muffled.

Now, I expect to hear some sawing and cursing...
That speaker is going to speak...

The Registry edit will require less sawing.

Paul

But more research, finding a suitable tool to hack an XP registry (yes,
the HD is fine), then finding what I need to extract, then finding where
I need to inject it into the W7 machine. Life's too short ... (-:
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

A professor is one who talks in someone else's sleep.

In message , Wolf K
writes:
On 2018-02-13 22:28, J. P. Gilliver (John) wrote:
[...]
But more research, finding a suitable tool to hack an XP registry
(yes, the HD is fine), then finding what I need to extract, then
finding where I need to inject it into the W7 machine. Life's too
short ... (-:

This may be related:

I tried to use a Bluetooth mouse on an older laptop with Bluetooth
built in. Wouldn't do it. I figure the laptop's Bluetooth version is
too old.

I think the underlying issue is a plethora of Bluetooth versions. If
there's too much difference between the source and the target, they
won't pair. NB that the latest Bluetooth versions need no input from
[]
Hmm. Well, I bought the speaker less than a year ago, and its handbook
says it's 4.0. But it worked with my old XP netbook, which I bought new
in the declining days of XP. So it seems odd that it won't work (well,
is giving trouble) with this W7 machine, which ought to be less far
date-wise - both hardware and software - from the speaker.

Anyway, developments! I've just got NirSoft's Launcher (~200 of his
utilities). I tried his BluetoothLogView ("Creates a log of Bluetooth
activity in your area"), which saw the speaker. I tried a pair, same as
before. I then tried his BluetoothView ("Monitors the activity of
Bluetooth devices around you"), and tried again. It may just be
coincidence - description sounds as if it's a passive utility - but
something happened! I now have the "Add a device" window showing:

Add a device

This device has been successfully added to this computer

Windows is now checking for drivers and will install them if
necessary. You may need to wait for this to finish before your
device
is ready to use.

To verify if this device finished installing properly, look for
it in
Devices and Printers.

( meaning that's a link.) There's a graphic of an earpiece to the
right of that text, and nothing else but a Close button.

So I do: it shows there, under "Devices(4)", as AS AUDIO (which is
correct). The graphic of an earpiece is greyed. The light on the speaker
is still alternating red/blue.

If I double-click or right-click-and-select-Properties, I get an "AS
AUDIO Properties" window with four tabs. The first one is General, with
Device Information and Device Tasks sections. Under the former, it says
Manufacturer, Model, Model number, Categories, and Description, all of
which say Unavailable in grey, except Categories which says Bluetooth
headset in black. Under Tasks, it says "To view tasks for this device,
right-click the icon for the device in Devices and Printers." (Not very
hopeful, as that's how I got to this window!) The next tab is Hardware,
which has a table headed Device Functions, which is empty, and a section
labelled Device Function Summary, which has Manufacturer, Location, and
Device status, all with nothing after them. The fourth tab is Bluetooth,
which has lots of grey Unavailables, and in black Bluetooth headset,
Bluetooth, Standard, and a hex identifier.

The third tab is Services. If I select that, it says "This Bluetooth
device offers the following services. To use a service, select the check
box." There's a big empty space labelled Bluetooth Services, with a
little circling thing in the middle; eventually that disappears. (If I
go to another tab and back, it remains blank; if I close the window and
get it back, and select the tab again, the little circling thing
reappears again for the few seconds.)

This is more or less what I got the only other time I got this far,
which was straight after a reboot. Then, since it didn't seem to have
worked properly, I removed it and tried again, and was back at the point
of "might ... incorrect pairing code" (but never asked for it).

I've never seen a greyed graphic in the "Devices and Printers" window
before. (If I select Details view, there's no column that tells me what
might be going on, and the [much smaller] icon is still greyed.)

Nir's BluetoothLogView did tell me (as well as the hex address) who the
manufacturer is, but oddly isn't doing so again, even if I cycle the
speaker; I've just tried removing it from D&P, still nothing in LogView,
and Find finds it but Next gives the authentication error. So I'm trying
BluetoothView again (yes, it sees it), but Add ... Next didn't work this
time. So running Nir's utilities was probably a red herring.

Ah, I've got LogView to show the "Device Company": it's "Shen Zhen Shi
Xin Technology Co.,Ltd."
--
J. P. Gilliver. UMRA: 1960/1985 MB++G()AL-IS-Ch++(p)Ar@T+H+Sh0!:`)DNAf

.... referendum coverage is available with subtitles for the deaf, audio
description for the blind, and ITV for the thick. - Dead Ringers, 2016-6-25