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iMac software update deleted bluetooth? "Bluetooth: Unavailable" on iMac

StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
edited January 2011 in Help / Advice Forum
So I just installed the update that adds the iMac app store and whatever else to my iMac, and now under the little bluetooth drop-menu it says "Bluetooth: Unavailable" I have no idea how to re-activate it or even if it is the update that caused this.

I tried downloading Firmware updates off Apple Support and it says my bluetooth is up to date. And if something is allowed to be installed I need to type my password, surprise surprise my keyboard is bluetooth, no USB keyboards in the house.

tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
Staleghoti on

Posts

  • Seaborn111Seaborn111 Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    i promise i'm not trolling, but this has to be asked first:

    have you restarted? logged out of your account and back in?

    i've had that happen before with bluetooth AND wireless seperately on seperate occasions. A full reboot solved both.

    Seaborn111 on
    </bush>
    It's impossible for us to without a doubt prove the non-existence of God. We just have to take it on faith that he's imaginary..
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    I've tried a restart.

    I have not yet shut down and waited a few mins and turned the comp back on.

    I swear to god if that was it, then I am the troll.

    I can't log out and log back in because I can't type without the bluetooth active, booo.

    I'll try a full shut down when I get home from class.

    Staleghoti on
    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • twmjrtwmjr Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Staleghoti wrote: »
    I've tried a restart.

    I have not yet shut down and waited a few mins and turned the comp back on.

    I swear to god if that was it, then I am the troll.

    First, you can do this to get an on screen keyboard for password typing etc:

    System prefs - > Language & Text - > Input Sources - > Check Keyboard & Character Viewer. You should get a new little icon up top, click it and hit show keyboard.

    What does the Bluetooth panel in your system prefs look like?

    twmjr on
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    twmjr wrote: »
    Staleghoti wrote: »
    I've tried a restart.

    I have not yet shut down and waited a few mins and turned the comp back on.

    I swear to god if that was it, then I am the troll.

    First, you can do this to get an on screen keyboard for password typing etc:

    System prefs - > Language & Text - > Input Sources - > Check Keyboard & Character Viewer. You should get a new little icon up top, click it and hit show keyboard.

    What does the Bluetooth panel in your system prefs look like?

    it appears to be gone!

    I knew there was supposed to be one!

    Yeah it appears to have disappeared.

    Staleghoti on
    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • twmjrtwmjr Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Staleghoti wrote: »
    twmjr wrote: »
    Staleghoti wrote: »
    I've tried a restart.

    I have not yet shut down and waited a few mins and turned the comp back on.

    I swear to god if that was it, then I am the troll.

    First, you can do this to get an on screen keyboard for password typing etc:

    System prefs - > Language & Text - > Input Sources - > Check Keyboard & Character Viewer. You should get a new little icon up top, click it and hit show keyboard.

    What does the Bluetooth panel in your system prefs look like?

    it appears to be gone!

    I knew there was supposed to be one!

    Yeah it appears to have disappeared.

    Just did some quick googling -- in System Profiler, check under Hardware - > USB. Do you see a Bluetooth adapter listed there? If not, it sounds like you've got a hardware problem with the bluetooth module. This apparently is not entirely uncommon.

    twmjr on
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    oh my god that sounds like a "bring it to the store" problem.

    Why does my computer have catastrophic failures at the beginning of every semester?

    Staleghoti on
    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • twmjrtwmjr Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    Unfortunately, you are correct. If that is indeed the problem, the store will have to get and install a new module for you.

    twmjr on
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    How could this have happened?

    Could a software update have actually screwed this up?

    Staleghoti on
    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • twmjrtwmjr Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    No...if the hardware is missing from System Profiler, there's no way it was caused by a software issue. It could've been a pre-existing thing and the reboot you did to get the app store update triggered it not coming back when the system came back online. The bluetooth hardware could be flaky.

    twmjr on
  • FFFF Once Upon a Time In OaklandRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    One thing to try, just to see:

    Try powering off the computer and unplugging it for 30 seconds or so. Doing that resets the SMC which can sometimes fix odd problems. It's a long shot, but it's also something easy to try.

    FF on
    Huh...
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    certainly better than spending a half hour on the phone to make an "appointment" to drop off my shit for 6-8 weeks.

    I think I need to renew my applecare in case they need to completely replace everything again.

    Staleghoti on
    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • StaleghotiStaleghoti Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    wow the full restart fixed it

    I feel like an idiot.

    But it's okay, I lost my buspass on the way home so my karma is back to normal. Thanks universe! wouldn't want things to get too positive!

    Staleghoti on
    tmmysta-sig.png2wT1Q.gifYAH!YAH!STEAMYoutubeMixesPSN: Clintown
    Dear satan I wish for this or maybe some of this....oh and I'm a medium or a large.
  • musanmanmusanman Registered User regular
    edited January 2011
    My macbook is about 5 years old and the bluetooth is dead now. It had some phases of working and going on, but now it won't work at all anymore.

    musanman on
    sic2sig.jpg
  • themateothemateo SeattleRegistered User regular
    edited January 2011
    This occasionally happens on my Mac.

    This has fixed it for me the several times it has happened:

    - Delete the preferences file for Bluetooth. This is found either in the main Library folder or the Users Library folder. ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth or ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.Bluetooth.plist
    - Restart your computer
    - If that doesn't work... reset PRAM / Power Management

    http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=4874277

    themateo on
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