Vista Bluetooth com port issues

[duncancoolidge]

Hello...I am running VISTA with an internal USB Bluetooth dongle configured with Widcomm drivers 5.1.0.1100. The com port assignments are unstable and fail , however I have been able to HotSync my Palm TX, use my mouse, and transiently get data from a BT GPS receiver. If I use a GPS signal monitoring program and receive NMEA data, stop the program, and then restart it I am unable to reestablish connection to the assigned COM port. Connection to the mouse is erratic and there seems to be no apparent relationship to any other activity. I have been through numerous uninstalls of BT drivers without any apparent impact on the BT functionality regarding the BT GPS device. Currently the BT mouse is more unreliable than with the native Vista BT package. With the VISTA BT the mouse functioned, and I could HotSync the Palm, but the needed outgoing COM port option was either not offered during the coupling of the device, or if offered once the installation was complete the port would quickly fail or be dropped and no longer be evident in the various BT control/install screens. There were no drivers with the BT-GPS, and no device specific software. The company has no clue. Oh and the BT-GPS communicates flawlessly with the Palm TX. Any help would be appreciated. If you need more specific information let me know. Thanks, and best regards, Duncan