New Windows update intentionally breaks some Bluetooth devices

Microsoft’s latest update for Windows 10 will intentionally prevent users from connecting certain Bluetooth devices.

The software giant warned customers that they may have issues pairing, connecting or using Bluetooth devices after installing the latest security update released on 11 June, which intends to address security vulnerabilities in unsecure Bluetooth devices

Microsoft didn’t specify which devices would be affected, but said those using “well-known keys to encrypt connections” could be affected, including some security fobs.

While the update is well-intentioned, it’s not great to learn that your devices could break after the update has already gone live.

If users do have issues connecting Microsoft told them to contact the manufacturer to determine whether there is an update. As for affected versions of Windows, the update will roll out to all versions of Windows 10 up to 1903, as well as Windows 8.1 and Windows Server 2012.

However, Microsoft said that “advanced users” (IT folk) can verify whether their device has been affected by the update by checking the event log for the following event with the message “Your Bluetooth device attempted to establish a debug connection. The Windows Bluetooth stack does not allow debug connection while it is not in the debug mode.”

Microsoft has had a rough time with Windows updates this year. The company’s October 2018 update had to be pulled after a bug caused some users’ data to vanish, taking five months to smooth out all the issues before it was ready for business adoption. It wasn’t until May that the update finally hit devices.