Why does my PC show a Bluetooth error message on startup?

Q  Recently, my Dell XPS 420 desktop PC has started displaying the message 'Bluetooth Software Licence not found'. This happens shortly after Windows Vista has finished launching.

The problem may have occurred after performing a system check and correction of errors using a dedicated utility tool. As a result, I find I am unable to transfer photos from my HTC Android smartphone to my PC using Bluetooth. However, I seem able still to transfer photos from my PC to the smartphone.

What can I do to rectify this problem?
Ron Teperek

A  We haven’t published the name of the program you cited because it is not possible to be certain that it caused this particular problem. However, as with several similar tools, the program has a component that attempts to clean, compact and defragment the Windows Registry – and we have seen these cause problems in the past.

The Registry is a crucial part of Windows and, while it can become large and unwieldy over time, it is best left alone unless you know precisely what you are doing. While automated Registry-cleaning tools may seem to simplify the process, they can cause new problems.

In this case, we suspect it has either corrupted or deleted a Registry entry that relates to an aspect of your Dell PC’s Bluetooth adapter. The easiest fix is to reinstall the driver, which can be downloaded from Dell’s support website. You’ll find the XPS 420 page by clicking here.

The Bluetooth adapter appears to be part of the XPS 420’s memory card reader: you’ll find the relevant driver by clicking to expand the Removable Storage section.