Rob_-_T

Q: how to install the firmware of Bluetooth

The communication between the blootooth hardware and the software is disrupted - I  this behhavior before and it was corrected after an update of the bluetooth firmware (in a new OS X release).

So now I want to selectively reinstall the firmware of the internal bluetooth, as at this moment the message I receive is: bluetooth is not available, and the bluetooth control panel is absent in the system preferences.

can anybody provide me with a link?

 

regards,

 

Rob Tito

Mac Pro Server (Mid 2010), OS X 10.11.2

Posted on Jun 16, 2016 10:20 AM

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Q: how to install the firmware of Bluetooth

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  • by lllaass,

    lllaass lllaass Jun 16, 2016 10:25 AM in response to Rob_-_T
    Level 10 (187,928 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 16, 2016 10:25 AM in response to Rob_-_T

    What model Mac and what BT card is installed?

    Is it the originally install BT card?

    Have you tried reseating the BT card?

    Have you tried starting in safe mode?

    Seeing if BT works OK on a fresh install of OSX? Like installing OSX on another disk for testing purposes.

  • by Rob_-_T,

    Rob_-_T Rob_-_T Jun 16, 2016 10:31 AM in response to lllaass
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jun 16, 2016 10:31 AM in response to lllaass

    it's a MAC PRO Server 5.1 running 10.11.5. It is the original BT card.

    The systemprofiler can't detect anything BT - the commnunication is disrupted so it won't see it.

    How can I reset a BT card when it isn't detected.

    Reinstalling the OS doesn't help, as I tried it to no avail. that's why I want to return to the old fashioned flashing of the BT firmware.

    Somehow this corruption of the hardware's firmware influences all and every OS installation, so starting from another OS doesn't help much.

     

    Regards and thanks for tyour anwser so far.

     

    Rob

  • by lllaass,Helpful

    lllaass lllaass Jul 4, 2016 7:54 AM in response to Rob_-_T
    Level 10 (187,928 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 4, 2016 7:54 AM in response to Rob_-_T

    I said reseat, not reset. Unscrew the screw holding it in place and remove and reseat the card. Be careful the screw is very small and easy to lose. Also not the antenna connections since those may become detached and need to be reattached.

    Have you tried:

    - Try resetting the SMC and NVRAM/PRAM

    Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201295

    About NVRAM and PRAM 

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204063

    - Try starting in Safe Mode

    OS X: What is Safe Boot, Safe Mode?

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201262

    - Boot to Recovery and repair the startup disk

    OS X: About OS X Recovery - Apple Support

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201314

    ---------------

    I would do a fresh install of OSX on another disk before doing the following

    _______________________________

    - If it is repairable reinstall the OSX

    How to reinstall OS X on your Mac - Apple Support

    https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204904

    - If you do not have a backup use disk utility to restore the internal disk to an external disk so you can try to recover data.

    Then format the startup disk and do a fresh install of OSX

     

    maybe the card failed.

  • by Rob_-_T,

    Rob_-_T Rob_-_T Jul 4, 2016 7:56 AM in response to lllaass
    Level 1 (4 points)
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    Jul 4, 2016 7:56 AM in response to lllaass

    OK.

     

    Did a fresh install of OS X - no good.

    Did a reset of the PRAM - no GOOD.

    What I need is the software to flash the bluetooth hardware, nothing more nothing less.

    This error has occurred int he past and when apple went from BT 3 to BT 3.5 it seemed to help that problem.

    The BT control panel now doesn't even show up in the sys prefs. (as was the case the previous time).

    So has anybody got a link to just the firmware to the BT-card?

     

    Regards,

     

    Rob.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jul 4, 2016 8:39 AM in response to Rob_-_T
    Level 9 (60,692 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 4, 2016 8:39 AM in response to Rob_-_T

    Individual drivers are not available for one-at-a-time re-loading. Doing a re-Install of MacOS will re-Install the Bluetooth drivers (as well as everything else), so you have already accomplished what you said you are seeking.

     

    Is the hardware shown in About This Mac > (System Report) > Bluetooth  ??

     

    ... there are two parts to this display, one shows the software Installed, the other lists the Hardware.

    ¿Is your Hardware present?

  • by Rob_-_T,

    Rob_-_T Rob_-_T Jul 4, 2016 8:44 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 4, 2016 8:44 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    After examination of the system report the hardware claims to be not present, where it is present - according to me the firmware is corrupted and upon polling it replies with "this is me" but fails to communicate because the firmware intrinsically is corrupted. Hence my question to reinstall said firmware.

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jul 4, 2016 8:48 AM in response to Rob_-_T
    Level 9 (60,692 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 4, 2016 8:48 AM in response to Rob_-_T

    If the System Report says the Hardware is not preset, then it cannot be detected by MacOS and will not be used.

     

    You already replaced the Driver when you re-Installed MacOS.

     

    I suggest some work on your Hardware (such as replacing the card with a known good unit) may be needed.

  • by Rob_-_T,

    Rob_-_T Rob_-_T Jul 4, 2016 9:47 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 4, 2016 9:47 AM in response to Grant Bennet-Alder

    I get your point, and ordinaraly I share it.

    However if the system can't communicate with the hardware (because the firmware is corrupt for instance) it reports the hardware to be absent.

    That has been the problem in the past - and has been rectified with an update of BT 3.5 (from 3.0).

    So you see my problem. I guess it can easily be corrected inserting some USB -BT dongle, but why the easy way if restoring the hardware is obvious?

     

    Regards,

     

    Rob

  • by Grant Bennet-Alder,

    Grant Bennet-Alder Grant Bennet-Alder Jul 4, 2016 9:59 AM in response to Rob_-_T
    Level 9 (60,692 points)
    Desktops
    Jul 4, 2016 9:59 AM in response to Rob_-_T

    Since no known-good firmware (not guaranteed to Not be infected with malware) is readily available, replacing the card with a known-good card is the least troublesome way forward. The cards are available on the used market.