How to get bluetooth on a laptop without a dongle?

I recently bought a new laptop, which was shown on the manufacturer's website to have bluetooth. However, upon receiving my new computer, there is no bluetooth: when I click the bluetooth toggle button, it says "No Device." The fact that there is a button for it tells me that it must be something they decided to remove at the last minute. Anyway, is there a way to get bluetooth without using a dongle? If it helps, here's my machine:

Acer Aspire 7740G-6364
17.3" 1600x900 screen
Intel Core i5 430M(2.26GHz)
Intel HM55 Chipset
4GB DDR3 RAM
500GB 5400 RPM SATA HDD
ATI Mobility Radeon HD 5650 1GB

Thanks in advance for help.

 

Are you sure you don't have a Bluetooth card, and that it isn't just the drivers?

 

I'm pretty sure. I've seen reviews by other people who bought it, and they say there's no bluetooth, but I may as well check.

Uh, how do I do that, again?

 

Okay, I downloaded a bluetooth driver from Acer's website and it said that no bluetooth device was detected when I tried to install it. So I guess that's cleared up. Back to my original question: how do I get bluetooth without a dongle?

 

There may be variants of that laptop that have Bluetooth and others that do not. It's a pretty common practice. However, it is kind of strange that there is a Bluetooth toggle but no module.

You can buy Bluetooth modules that you install in a slot inside your laptop, but it's usually buried somewhere deep inside the machine. It is, for example, something like this (first one that I found on Google): http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?sku=430-2567&dgc=SS&cid=27530&lid=627063

Another option is to buy an ExpressCard Bluetooth card, but you'll have to look for one that doesn't have a dongle-thingy poking out.

 

So it would be next to impossible to put one in?

I don't think I have an expresscard slot.

 

It's entirely possible that your laptop simply doesn't have a Bluetooth module installed like mine.
Mine has a button for it like yours, but no actual Bluetooth hardware.

It's because your laptop model (like mine) comes in several 'editions' (each containing slightly different set of specs).

I think it's possible for you to be able to install a bluetooth module into your laptop (though the slot for it is buried somewhere inside and you'd have to find it).

I don't know if it's particularly use-able though.
I never found the bluetooth necessary.

 

if Acer sells similar laptops to your then it is safe to say that you could add the bluetooth module to your laptop.

The best place to get this missing bluetooth module is ebay.

Warning:
mind your warranty. If you try to add this module by yourself you might lose your warranty. So if you decide to perform the upgrade you should contact Acer first and asked them if its OK.

 

Thanks guys. I found one here. Now, how can I find where to put it, to see if it's buried too deep in to get to?

 

u shouldn't have a problem accessing it.. if u have mpcie slots , u can get a card and plug it in.. and wolla install drivers and bluetooth.. for me , to access mpcie slots , just have to remove 2 screws.. usually its very easy to access but depends from laptop to laptop.. simplest option is to get a bluetooth dongle or a bluetooth expresscard...

 

I have tried taking off the bottom before (there's only one giant removable plate on the bottom), and failed. I can't seem to take off the right screws, even though I took off all of the one that are on the plate.

 

Well each laptop has a different placement of parts and peripherals. I suggest you check the user manual of your particular model for instructions on yours (usually they're downloadable on the manufacturer's website)

 

Well, I've figured out how to get that off, and I've taken out the HD and optical drive since I'm thinking of replacing them both and it's good practice. However, it appears I'll have to take off the entire thing to get to where the bluetooth module. I watched a video of someone disassembling some other Acer laptop, and they had to take off the keyboard to separate the top and bottom cases. Does anyone know if this notebook would require me to do that too? It would be so much better if I could find some kind of disassembly guide (can't find anything on google, acer's website, and nothing came with the computer itself).

 

Have you contacted Acer to see how much they would charge to put it in?

 

No. I don't like sending things in since I wouldn't have my laptop for a week or more, and it's probably cheaper doing it myself since Acer would probably charge for the service plus the actual bluetooth module, and shipping on top of that. I'll do that if I can't figure this out, but for now, I'll try it myself.

 

It's not mini-pcie. It runs on the usb bus. ?There should be usb headers on the motherboard if it supports it.

 

Honestly the dongle would save you a lot of time and frustration if it's complicated to access the inner workings of your laptop. Not all laptops are built with easy hardware accessibility in mind.

 

Run a Google search of your laptop's model name and "service manual". If there's one online, it will show exactly how to disassemble your laptop to get access to what you need.

 

That is what i'd do if i didn't have a built in module.. its really hassle free..

 

Nano dongles are great, barely noticeable unless you concurrently use more devices than ports

 

On a lot of laptops, you need to remove the keyboard as well. On my Dell, there's a couple screws hiding under there that also keep the bottom plate on.

 

I have already done that. No results, unless you count the scam websites.

Yeah, it probably would. I guess I just like making a project out of things sometimes.

Anyway, I think I'll just give up on this until there's a service manual or a disassembly guide; it's not as if I need bluetooth immediately. If I don't find anything, I'll probably just end up getting a dongle. Thanks for all your help, everyone.