Thursday, June 25, 2009

Install Targus acb10us Bluetooth USB adapter in Windows Vista

I have a Targus acb10us Bluetooth adapter (the old version) and couldn't install it under Windows Vista until now, so in case you are having trouble too here is how I fixed it.

Step 1
Go here -> http://www.broadcom.com/support/bluetooth/update.php and download the driver installer (which has been updated). I downloaded the file version 6.3.0.200.

NOTE: You’ll need to be connected to Internet to be able to install it. If you try to install it right away you'll get an error message, so before installing continue to step 2.

Step 2
Right click on the file you've just downloaded and choose properties, next go to the “Compatibility” tab and check "Run this program in compatibility mode for:" and select "Windows XP (Service Pack 2)" and click on "Accept".

Step 3
Double click on the installer file and that's it, you’ll be able to install your Bluetooth device, just follow the installer instructions.

I decided to write this little tutorial because I couldn't find any on the Internet, all I could find were webs from the sellers and no one included any instructions on how to install it on Windows Vista, not even Broadcom. If you are using Windows XP you won’t have any problems installing it with the included drivers, but if you are using Windows Vista don't install them because you’ll get some alerts telling you that the drivers are not safe to use, in fact I installed those old drivers by clicking like 13 times the option to ignore the warnings, and had to do a restore to bring my computer back to normal, so It’s not recommended to use the old drivers in Vista.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

I know this is an old post but just in case someone might be looking for Targus bluetooth dongle fix. I have an Acer Aspire 5740 running Windows 7 64bit and was trying to install a Targus Bluetooth dongle acb10us1. Driver package from Targus was not working. I read a post about going to the manufacturer website to download the driver there. It worked.
The name of the file from the Acer website is Bluetooth_Broadcom_6.2.1.800_W7x86W7x64_A. I'm thinking this software detects Broadcom brand bluetooth hardware. Since Targus bluetooth acb101 dongle is a 'Broadcom 2046' brand it worked. You may have to use a zip software to extract files first. Good luck!