Question about adding bluetooth to T430

[Elmer Fishtwanger]

My T430 didn't come with a bluetooth card and it would be handy to have. NOS cards are cheap on ebay.

My question is, is the cable for it already in the T430? From pictures it looks like it attaches in the middle of a ribbon cable that might already be in there.

[Niknok]

Yes, probably. I don't know that it holds true for every T430 variation, but when I opened my T430, the bluetooth cable was already there, taped to the lid, and connected to the trackpad. Be aware that the device manager won't recognize the bluetooth card until you install the "Lenovo hotkey features integration" software. The software is necessary to turn on power to the bluetooth card.

[twsavant]

Plug the Bluetooth card into it's slot and screw it down. That's it. Once you restart, Windows should install the s/w, if not, it's easy to find from most vendors. I build a lot of Lenovo laptops for resale so I include Lenovo System Update that makes it easy to find system updates including s/w drivers. UPDATE: My answer could have been more detailed. The Bluetooth daughter card location for a T430 is under the palmrest cover. It uses 1 screw and the ribbon cable should already be there.

[jelabarre59]

Yes, probably. I don't know that it holds true for every T430 variation, but when I opened my T430, the bluetooth cable was already there, taped to the lid, and connected to the trackpad. Be aware that the device manager won't recognize the bluetooth card until you install the "Lenovo hotkey features integration" software. The software is necessary to turn on power to the bluetooth card.

I don't recall seeing the cable in my T430, so I'd need to find a part number to search for.

And regarding that Lenovo software you mentioned; is that a MSWindows-specific issue, or would that apply to ALL operating systems? I run Linux on mine (why sully a perfectly good ThinkPad with MSWindows? )