Suddenly... No Bluetooth Hardware Found

Try deleting the following preference file and restarting the Mac:

Your Mac HD > Users > Your username > Library > Preferences> com.apple.bluetooth.plist

I had the exact same problem. I found a solution in zapping the PRAM. That seems to have resolved the problem for me and Bluetooth is back as a functioning part of my system.

I have the exact same problem on my new iMac. Bluetooth shows as Not Available, and there's no BT preference pane. Reset SMC/PRAM. Deleted the BT.plist file. Nothing. Problem is now being investigated by Apple. They had no immediate solutions.

I have had very similar issues with Blue Tooth which worked on my iMAC G5 three years ago. I upgraded to 10.5.8 six months ago. Recently I tried to use my wireless keyboad and mouse which I wisely put on the shelf until the technology caught up with them to use properly. (They worked off and on; but it could not be called reliable service. Now, I get a message that "Bluetooth has disappeared". There are two strike-through BT symbols in the menu bar, which when clicked shows "BT not available". This was not present before the OS update. BT is not showing up in Sys Prefs either. I would greatly appreciate it if somewone could give me a really good hint so that I could figure this out.

We're having the same problem with the recent "loss" of Bluetooth ("Bluetooth not available" msg on the toolbar icon.
I think that the problem first occurred after the install of the recent Airport Client 2009-002 and Java updates. I can't be sure but the timing is curious. Deleting the apple.com.bluetooth.plist file from the library helps, but the bluetooth functionality is still occasionally spotty. I had a similar problem after attempting to install the recent HP Printer Drivers update. That update stalled and after restarting Bluetooth wasn't working. Re-installing the system was requored to fix that issue..
I'm putting this in the thread hoping that this info can help Apple isolate the issue

Having similar issue on a Mac Pro with an external Bluetooth adapter (Belkin F8T003). Gonna kill the plist and see if it helps...

All:

Try trashing the preference file (com.apple.bluetooth.plist) and restarting. If that does not help, reset PRAM:

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?path=Mac/10.6/en/26871.html

Barry

yeah, I have the same problem. It occured after I booted my Machine in Windows XP and tried to get my Magic Mouse to work. But it won't … Then I ran Softwareupdate including an Bootcamp Update. Afterfinishing my Work in Windows I switched back to MacOS X 10.6.2. First bluetooth didn't work properly an then dissapeared from my System …

Can anybody tell me if something like deleting preferences and reseting PRAM worked?

Or should I try to downgrade Bootcamp in Windows?

Message was edited by: johannes-b

I'm glad to find that I am not alone in the sudden vanishing of my bluetooth hardware. For Christmas this year I got a bluetooth keyboard and magic mouse. I have been using the mighty mouse for over a year now. At any rate - I closed my laptop lid earlier today and when I returned - no response from the mouse or keyboard. Apparently there was no longer any bluetooth to work with them. Crazy. I deleted the plist as described in this thread and nothing. I zapped the pram and that has (for now) fixed the issue.
What next? Is Apple aware of this?

I began having the same problem with my Early 2008 MBP this evening. The computer was working fine all day, but after a restart the bluetooth hardware wasn't recognized. It looks like zapping the PRAM definitely did fix it though.

Plist file deletion brought the Bluetooth icon back to the menu bar, however it tells me that Bluetooth not available.

I would like to reset pram, however the only keyboard i have for the imac is bluetooth. I have a windows USB keyboard, however that does not have the Command Key.

How can I reset PRAM if I have only a BT Keyboard?

Disregard my previous post. The BT keyboard was able to reset PRAM during startup.

I've deleted the pref file as suggested and zapped the PRAM and still no Bluetooth. Menu Bar reads 'Bluetooth: Not Available' and when one goes to 'System Preferences; Internet and Wireless' there is no Bluetooth at all. I've also tried a simple reinstall of 10.6.2 without success.

Any ideas?

I had the same problem on my MBP. I tried the other suggestions of deleting the preferences files, resetting the pram, and doing an smc reboot. Nothing worked. So before taking it to the shop and going without it for a week, I shut it down and took the bottom panel off to have a look see. Lo and behold the bluetooth antenna had came unplugged!!!

It isn't that hard to fix even if you're not technical. The bluetooth antenna is somewhere in your LCD panel and a wire comes down through the hinge, wraps very tightly around the super-drive, and then plugs into the motherboard. It was very easy to see that there was a plug that was only halfway into the socket. I used a small flathead screwdriver to push the cable in all the way, put the bottom panel back on, booted up and walah!! Bluetooth now works!

I hope that helps somebody... I was starting to think I wouldn't ever get this fixed. Once you see how tightly the cable is wrapped around the super-drive you will understand how easily this can happen.

-Michael

Is there a permanent fix to this problem? My wireless mighty mouse stops working at least once a week, then i have to go through the motions of plist file deletion, pram reset, etc. What a hassle.

Should I just go back to a wired mouse? What's up with Apple and bluetooth. This seems like a problem that should only happen with my crappy window laptops that are piled up in my office....