How to get an old Bluetooth device to work with Windows 7 or Vista (Nokia BH-505)

My brother bought me a bluetooth wireless headset for Christmas, a Nokia BH-505 to be exact. It worked fine connecting it to mobile devices, but I bought a bluetooth USB dongle for my computer (Avantalk BTDG-20). This came with a disk with bluetooth software called bluemanager. It connected my device but the music playback was truely awful. This was because the bluetooth software wasn’t quite compatible with the headset’s chipset.

Problem: Bluetooth headset wouldn’t stream music correctly.

Nokia BH-505

So, the first thing I needed to do was find out what the chipset was on the headset. After a bit of searching in the web I found that it was the BlueCore2 chipset.(http://unusb.com/views/?NOKIA-BH-505-36873.html).

After searching BlueCore2 I found it was made by CSR (Cambridge Silicon Radio). However CSR don’t have a free bluetooth software program, so I needed to find software that supported the BlueCore2 chipset. There are a few bluetooth software programs around and they all are unique in what chipsets they support. The chipsets that bluetooth software support are contained in a bluetooth stack.

After several failed attempts to find a viable free driver source (and I mean many) the only one I had got it to work with was a program called IVT BlueSoleil, this had support for the the BlueCore2 chipset in the bluetooth stack. However the version I used was on a trial basis; you had to pay for the full version.

BlueSoleil Version 2.3

So it looked like I was stumpted however Avantalk had free downloads in the support section of thier website. And it just so happens they had an older version of BlueSoleil, with no limitations. After trying this version, it worked perfectly so I could use my bluetooth headset to listen to music wirelessly. Happy days!

Fix:

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57 Responses to How to get an old Bluetooth device to work with Windows 7 or Vista (Nokia BH-505)

  1. Hrco says:

    Thank you.. after 100 unsuccesful tries… your way solved my problem..

  2. Pravin says:

    Can you pls give me another link to download, the one from above link shows unexpected end of archive , when i try to run it

    • admin says:

      Are you still having problems with this? It sounds like the file was corupt on download or was interupted.

      -ThePcMechanic

      • ApoorvguptA says:

        Hey, the pcmechanic
        Your blog was little helpful
        But I’m facing the same problem.
        Every time I start the download of this software, It is interrupted after sometime. A big problem.
        …and I’ve tried it more than 2o times. I’m just fed up.
        Please gimme a solution for this.

  3. Jerry says:

    Hi. I have this Nokia Bluetooth-Headset BH-505 and followed your steps but it does not work 🙁 I have win7 32bit OS and a Lenovo S10-3t Netvertible with integrated Broadcom BCM2070 Bluetooth-Module. Which OS do you have?
    Regards, Jerry

    • Jerry says:

      Sorry, you wrote win7 or vista. BlueSoleil can’t detect my BT-Module. I think there is no way to get A2DP with this constellation (because of the BlueCore2 chip in the Nokia-Headset).

      • Jerry says:

        Finally i get it started!!! With the Toshiba Bluetooth Stack and the vlc-player (no A2DP withe the windows media player). After countless hours it works fantastic!!!
        Thank you very much

        • admin says:

          Glad you got it working!

          -ThePcMechanic.

          • VIKI says:

            The downloaded bluesoleil is asking for USB connection with the device.. Can you pls tell me how to how to connnect my BH-505 with my comp.

          • admin says:

            Hi,

            Are you trying to connect to a PC or a Laptop? Bluetooth is built in with laptops, but you need a Bluetooth dongle for a PC.

  4. ayesha says:

    hi,, ive the nokia bh-505..and i tried downloading th blue… but that link dint lead to any drop down menu to pick drives and software.
    please HElp me!

  5. Preety Vedant says:

    I am trying to connect my BH-505 to my lenovo Y450 having windows 7 (32 bit) but not able to connect ….Help!!!!!!!!!

    • admin says:

      Have you installed Bluesoliel? At what point are you getting stuck?

      -ThePcMechanic

      • Preety Vedant says:

        I have installed the BlueSoleil version 2.7.0.13, but it doesn’t detect the BH-505 Bluetooth device. I have clicked on Audio devices but the start connection is showing as disable. Is any more troubleshooting required to establish the connection.

        • admin says:

          Ok, I’m not sure exactly what the problem is, but you need to do two things:
          1. Set the headset in discovery mode by pressing and holding the power button on the BH-505 until the blue light starts flashing rapidly.

          2. Search for the BH-505 using the Bluesoleil program.

          Does the device show in Bluesoleil?

          -ThePcMechanic

          • Preety Vedant says:

            Hi,
            As u said : “2. Search for the BH-505 using the Bluesoleil program”

            Do we have option to search for the device with the name ?

            I don’t find it any where…. please assist where is to put a search…

          • admin says:

            You can search for device like this:

            Bluesolie search

          • Jdubs says:

            I am having an issue as well. I use a dongle on a laptop (work) and I used to be able to get a connection, now nothing. It won’t even find my headset. So, I downloaded the bluesoleil and still nothing. The option to have bluesoleil discover is grayed out (as is everything else). Really confused for why this used to work and now doesn’t. It started with inability to hear people speaking….oh, it’s a VOIP softphone on my laptop that I make calls with and now I can’t get my headset to connect to the PC…UGH!

  6. admin says:

    Hi,

    The reason that discover is greyed out is either because: A. Bluetooth has been disabled or B ,your bluetooth dongle no longer works. You can test the dongle by using it on another computer, and see if it allows you to connect, you could also try an alternative USB slot.

    -ThePcMechanic

  7. [ANSARI55555] says:

    Thanks dude

    thank U very much
    U helped me alot
    so THANKS ALOT

  8. Amey says:

    My Device Gets Detected But I Cannot Pair It …
    Its asks For Pass…
    How 2 go Further Plzz Help…

  9. ApoorvguptA says:

    Hey, the pcmechanic
    I’m facing a problemwith the downloading of this software.
    Every time I start the download, it is interrupted after sometime. A big problem.
    …and I’ve tried it more than 2o times. I’m just fed up.
    Please give me a solution for this.

    • admin says:

      Are you still having problems with this? Unfortunately I can’t upload it to the site… the limit is 20 meg.

      -ThePcMechanic

  10. dev tripathy says:

    can we use any of the versions of this software???

  11. Andrew Leane says:

    You are a genius! Thanks heaps! Like most of the others here i have tried many times and failed until i tried this 🙂

  12. saurabh says:

    i have downloaded it.
    when I clicked on it, nothing appears. 🙁

  13. sourabh Kumar says:

    i bought new Nokia BH-505 bluetooth headset. But I m unable to connect it to my laptop
    HP Pavillion DV6. It says Drivers missing.

  14. mariano rubharajan says:

    Hey PCMechanic,

    Thanks for the useful post.

    I got to connect a BH-505. I’m using a laptop with built0in Bluetooth.

    I got it as torrent download as downloading from the above link got interrupted many times. I got everything fine, until this issue. And the problem I have is, the Bluesoleil says “Please insert a Bluetooth device”. and almost all the menu items are not active. Please help me int his regard.

    Regards and thanks in advance.

    • mariano rubharajan says:

      Anything I have to change in Tools/Options??

      • admin says:

        Are you able to connect other bluetooth devices? Is the bluetooth on? Make sure that you hold down the power button until the blue light flashes, this will allow pairing.

        -ThePcMechanic

  15. Waldo Koen says:

    Thanx for the advice with the installation of BlueSoleil. I’ve done that, but apparently cannot set the ‘My Bluetooth Device’ to the correct option.

    There are 4 options, USB, UART, PCMCIA and BCSP.

    I’m using a laptop with build-in Bluetooth.
    Pls help…?

    Regards.

  16. Ari says:

    I think the problem is not switching on the device properly. If activated Nokia BH-505 should have a rapidly blinking “blue” light. Then it will be detected by the laptop.
    Ari

    • admin says:

      Yes, it is activated by holding down the power button untill the headsets blue light starts flashing rapidly.

      -ThePcMechanic

  17. Jalmir Luiz says:

    help me! I have a BH-505 and I can not connect to the bluetooth adapter (MO-BL1) to my computer (Desktop)
    Operating System: Windows 7 64-bit

  18. Sean says:

    no luck for me.
    lenovo x201 windows 7 64-bit
    nokia bh-505
    headset is successful at remote controlling itunes, but does not transfer audio.
    however, works with skype, which is great.
    but that is how it was before i tried this solution.

    I’ve not managed to pair the device to this software’s interface.
    the option to add device in the console is not active.

    • admin says:

      It seems that bluesoleil doesnt work with some internal bluetooths. You may have to get a usb dongle to fix this issue. They are not expensive, but i realise this might be an annoyance.

      -ThePcMechanic.

  19. jim says:

    My Nokia BH 505 on my Laptop HP Elitebook 8540p does not work. It has a Broadcom Bluetooth internal device. Would appreciate if anything you can advise 😐

  20. George says:

    The best way to find solution for this trouble is to have legal copy of Windows. It will automatically find drivers for it’s own use from Windows Update.

  21. raju says:

    installed it but how to start it there is no option to start service

    • chester says:

      i downloaded it ..install ..but when i open the program it wont give me a window or icon to let me configure the wireless devices to connect to my computer via bluetooth

  22. raju says:

    worked with blueseili version 10 but disconnecting with 3 minute

  23. abhi says:

    thanks man your r my hero. Tried to solve this problem but never solved but u hve made my day..

  24. thedeamon says:

    For folks having Broadcom Bluetooth Adapter on their HP laptop, please install “HP Integrated Module with Bluetooth Wireless Technology” driver. Pair the Headset with Laptop. View the BT devices, right click on the headset & select control. On the Control GUI click connect. Now Go Under “Playback Devices” by right clicking Volume Icon on the Taskbar & select BT Headset & Voilla!!

    My guess , those having Intel BT integrated adapter a similar approach should work. Keep posting this good discussion thread.

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