[SOLVED] Unable to connect bluetooth [no-name] Numeric Keyboard N960 - and then unable to remove it from Windows 10

The Electro Machine

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I bought Numeric Keyboard N960 Gray (https://pl.aliexpress.com/item/4001022651141.html - the one without 2 extra USB 3 slots ). On my rarely ever used fallback laptop Lenovo G70-35 with Windows 10 x64 not updated since 2019 07 I can without a sweat detect it, pair it, reconnect it afer reset of system and also remove it from OS

But on my main desktop machine running Windows 10 Enterprise 20H2 19042.746 x64 the very same device was not detected at all- but that was probably because I had many things blocked with O&O ShutUp10 1.9.1434. So I reset this program back then to factory settings, reset the system, checked if I had Bluetooth turned on in settings and paired the device after entering on it a PIN generated by Windows - and as a result they supposedly connected. But in reality after this pairing the keyboard was not working. So I reset the system, removed it from system and paired it again- and still had no input from it. And after another reset of system I am now unable to remove; thus I am not unable to try to pair it again

I tried turning OFF and ON Bluetooth, using 15 year old Bluetooth transmitter [that barely works, but nevertheless does work, with modern wireless headphones], disabling every Bluetooth hardware in Devices and even uninstalling them, checking if every other hardware shown to me in

Control Panel > All Control Panel Items > Devices and Printers

I can account for [i.e. I know what it is] thus I know I do not have a doubled entry for [shown to me there] "N960 Numeric Keyboard" hiding under some generic name. I also tried removing from Registry entries containing "N960", but after third consecutive one which I was unable to delete I ditched this approach. And also I changed my Manual setting to

services.msc > Bluetooth Support Service > Startup type >Automatic

But still I am neither able to start to really use this keyboard or to get rid of it for good. [I will have to restore my system form an image]


What else I could try?


I do not use any other Bluetooth devices, except for headphones which utilize an external transmiter; while this keyboard does not have a dedicated transmiter and as I said at the very beginning it does work- but not with this machine with which I would like it to work with
 
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Solution
Reading back:

On theDesktop - Look in Device Manager and ensure via the View tab that "Show hidden devices" is checked.

Open Powershell and run "Get-PNPDevice" (without quotes) at the PS> prompt. Is the numeric keyboard listed?

(Compare the Lenovo laptop's (working numeric keypad) results to the results of desktop's (non-working numeric keypad.) May help identify the keypad.

Try the built in Windows troubleshooters - the Windows troubleshooters may find and fix something.

Also try "sfc /scannow" and "dism". Just a matter of elimination to fix and repair any corrupted files that may be involved.

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

How to use DISM...

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Try nothing else.

Return the keypad for a refund.

Reason being that if the keypad only works with old hardware and software then the manufacturer has not bothered to invest in software/drivers for more current operating systems.

And perhaps just dumping the product at $17 USD in hopes that no one will actually bother to return the numeric keypad.

Also: registry edits are a last resort. Inherently risky and only attempted after a full registry, system, and data backup.

Any product, be it hardware or software, requiring such efforts to fix a problem is not a product that should be purchased.

That said, to be fair, using hardware that "barely works" and is not "updated" puts some burden on you.

Change happens.

Just my thought on the matter.
 

The Electro Machine

Commendable
BANNED
Jan 28, 2021
163
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Try nothing else.

Return the keypad for a refund.
But there is no such other product on the market; only similar ones

[...]
Also: registry edits are a last resort. Inherently risky and only attempted after a full registry, system, and data backup.

Any product, be it hardware or software, requiring such efforts to fix a problem is not a product that should be purchased.
[...]
Well, I had some Logitech product I had to heavily process outside software provided by the manufacturer. And also a Razer one, but with that one I did gave up and returned their piece of junk to retailer
 

Ralston18

Titan
Moderator
Reading back:

On theDesktop - Look in Device Manager and ensure via the View tab that "Show hidden devices" is checked.

Open Powershell and run "Get-PNPDevice" (without quotes) at the PS> prompt. Is the numeric keyboard listed?

(Compare the Lenovo laptop's (working numeric keypad) results to the results of desktop's (non-working numeric keypad.) May help identify the keypad.

Try the built in Windows troubleshooters - the Windows troubleshooters may find and fix something.

Also try "sfc /scannow" and "dism". Just a matter of elimination to fix and repair any corrupted files that may be involved.

https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-use-sfc-scannow-to-repair-windows-system-files-2626161

How to use DISM command tool to repair Windows 10 image | Windows Central

What are the specific requirements for the keyboard?
 
Solution

The Electro Machine

Commendable
BANNED
Jan 28, 2021
163
2
1,595
Unfortunately I had issues with sfc in the past, which only led to me loosing a whole bunch of time coming put of [as I remember] not being able to run it properly and / or repair it


So I left this for later, as I bought a more expanded version of this device in question: [NO-NAME] Double Mode Numeric Keyboard KN970 Pro [Gray]. And I had no problem with connecting it. But I spotted that it had a very limited range with my built-in Bluetooth of that shoddy motherboard of mine GIGABYTE X570 Aorus Ultra rev. 1.2. It had as little as 0.5 meters of usage - while my Lenovo G70-35 with Windows 10 had an A-OK working range ~8 meters

And after restoring my system from an image I had also no problem in connecting this new one KN970 Pro - and too my surprise also the old one N960. But still they both has very limited range on my main machine while with laptop the worked through 3 rooms. And so it must have been a case of not noticing the issue of range in the first run - and also of some glitch in Windows with a hardware removal going wrong

ERGO: the keyboards works - but once again I must pity any fool who bought the same mobo as I did; case closed


Thank you both for suggestions