Speech recognition problem

[taichi]

Does anyone on this forum have experience with Dragon Naturally Speaking running on a ThinkPad or a T60P? I'm having the most obscure problem, and since I'm running an older version (Professional 10.1), Nuance is of no help whatsoever.

I have been happily running Dragon for years on my T60P, with three MB of ram, on Vista (no OS jokes, please). I've used a Blue Yeti USB microphone the whole time. Suddenly the program cannot hear my microphone, or another microphone I tried. Windows speech recognition, weirdly, hears both microphones just fine. I'm dictating this using Windows speech recognition, but it is clumsy compared to Dragon. So the problem is not with the microphone, or cabling.

In the course of this problem process I uninstalled and reinstalled several times, including using the Dragon removal tool. I also tried creating new profiles, but cannot complete because the program can't hear me.

I also checked device manager for any anomalies, and went through every variation in the sound menu in the control panel. Does anyone have any ideas? I'm wondering if Windows or Norton update might be creating a software conflict of some sort.

One last thing. Apparently, there is some info that if the biometric fingerprint scanner is disable it could create problems with Dragon. It's been disabled for years, along with the Sierra WLAN modem, without a bad effect. However, I enabled them, but there are are exclamation marks next to those two devices. I use the update option, but that just sent me into an endless windows update loop. Should I get the updated drivers from Lenovo? Those drivers are probably ten years old.

Thanks

[TPFanatic]

The Lenovo drivers will be the correct drivers for those components. But I don't have any experience with Dragon, sorry.

[taichi]

To my way of thinking,the Lenovo wsupport website has gotten much more cumbersome to navigate. It used to be easier to locate your machine, and navigate to the needed drivers. By the way my TLenovo Update app connected to ThinkVantage no longer effectively finds update. Is version 3 no longer up to date?


In order to find the driver for the biometric fingerprint scanner I did a web search and linked to a specific Lenovo page. It's more than a driver, but rather a complete installation package. In the readme itsays to uninstall the current driver manually before installing, but when I check properties for the biometric scanner in device manager, it says there is no driver installed, possibly because I disabled it long ago through device manager. Wouldn't the OK to go back to device manager, click install new driver, and navigate to my download folder where the software is? Or is it okay just to run the biometric software installer from where it is downloaded?

In the same way I found a much a newer some driver, and am contemplating installing that in case that may be affecting Dragon. I'm thinking, again, of installing from device manager, although in this case there is a driver to uninstall. Is it really necessary to uninstall the old driver manually?

Thanks

[taichi]

This speech recognition problem has dragged me into a few new adventures. If I enable the biometric fingerprint scanner, after installing the fingerprint scanner software, do I have to use it?

Secondly, I ran the ThinkVantage Toolbox, which is apparently from 2010, then tried to look for Lenovo updates from there, it launched into the Lenovo Update Utility 3.0 which is from years ago, that essentially crashed. So, I've downloaded the most recent utility, appropriate for my machine, from 2015. I would think before installing it, that I should uninstall the older version., But there's nothing that corresponds to it in add remove programs.

Stymied in every direction.

[ajkula66]

If I enable the biometric fingerprint scanner, after installing the fingerprint scanner software, do I have to use it?

No.

Secondly, I ran the ThinkVantage Toolbox, which is apparently from 2010, then tried to look for Lenovo updates from there, it launched into the Lenovo Update Utility 3.0 which is from years ago, that essentially crashed. So, I've downloaded the most recent utility, appropriate for my machine, from 2015. I would think before installing it, that I should uninstall the older version., But there's nothing that corresponds to it in add remove programs.

Stymied in every direction.

What type of functionality are you looking for that requires ToolBox ? It's really bloatware for the most part...

[taichi]

I wasn't sure if the Lenovo update utility depended upon the Toolbox,because I initially accessed it through the Toolbox. Also, when I look at AddRemove programs, I only see the Toolbox and Lenovo System interface. The main thing I want to do is to utilize the current update utility. I've downloaded the new version, and am wondering if I need to uninstall the Toolbox before installing the Update Utility.

Also, with the Update Utilityrunning, will it install updates without my approval?
I don't want to update the BIOS?

[ajkula66]

The main thing I want to do is to utilize the current update utility. I've downloaded the new version, and am wondering if I need to uninstall the Toolbox before installing the Update Utility.

No you don't.

Also, with the Update Utilityrunning, will it install updates without my approval?
I don't want to update the BIOS?

No.

[taichi]

You're definitely a man of few words, that's for sure.

So the biometric scanner is enabled, but there is no driver (and presumably no software) for the scans installed. Should the scanner be in this driverless enabled mode as I install the software? Then just to clarify, once I install the program, the scanner will be fully enabled, but I do not have to setup or enroll it? I don't wish to use the scanner. I merely want to enable it because it shares visual runtime C ++ with Naturally Speaking, and may need to be enabled to prevent a conflict.

Thanks.

[ajkula66]

You're definitely a man of few words, that's for sure.

Sometimes.

So the biometric scanner is enabled, but there is no driver (and presumably no software) for the scans installed. Should the scanner be in this driverless enabled mode as I install the software? Then just to clarify, once I install the program, the scanner will be fully enabled, but I do not have to setup or enroll it? I don't wish to use the scanner. I merely want to enable it because it shares visual runtime C ++ with Naturally Speaking, and may need to be enabled to prevent a conflict.

Thanks.

Hmmm... if you're not intent on using the FPR, why wouldn't you just disable it in BIOS and call it a day? I can't see a conflict occurring since not all the computers have FPR and when it's disabled in BIOS the software won't be able to act upon its presence, or more precisely lack thereof...

[taichi]

that's an interesting notion...disabling in BIOS. I don't recall an entry for that. Is it under a certain category.

Typically the biometric is enabled in order not to block installation of Dragon, so I thought I would give it a try. If I do want to install software and enable it, it is possible to do so without registering or enrolling, if I understand your previous response

It turned out that the sound driver was corrupt and quite old, but the new driver from 2015 didn't solve the Dragon problem. The mike definitely works in windows speech recognition and sound recorder. It's puzzling why Dragon can't hear the microphone!

[Pete B]

Suddenly the program cannot hear my microphone, or another microphone I tried. Windows speech recognition, weirdly, hears both microphones just fine.
Thanks

Do you have a restore point so that you can go back a month or some
time before the problem started?

Did you add any hardware or software when the problem started?

A full image backup from some time ago might be another option if you
have one.

[taichi]

I thought about going back to a restore point, but my thinking on system restore has changed. I think it is a valuable tool, but I would only use it to get out of really hairy situations. The reason I say this is that system restore can mess with the system in some subtle ways, including affecting Naturally Speaking.

So I'm determined to sort out this problem one way or the other. It certainly is puzzling!

As far as hardware and software changes, other than Windows Update and Norton Update. I can't think of anything.

[RealBlackStuff]

Just reading the name Norton makes my hair stand up!
Next to Micro$haft they are one of the least liked softbloatware outfits, since Symantec took over.
I bet that without that junk your speech program would work correctly!
Check the web!

[Shredder11]

Just reading
I bet that without that junk your speech program would work correctly!
Check the web!

Totally agree! For many years now I have stuck to using a few carefully chosen small individual programs, along with a heavy dose of common sense and experience. The only thing I am not 100% about is anti virus programs, but for the last ten years I have been using ESET NOD32. Some people claim to have successfully run their online machines without any protection or infection for years, but I do not feel confident enough to test that claim.

[ajkula66]

As far as hardware and software changes, other than Windows Update and Norton Update. I can't think of anything.

That's more than enough to turn a working system into a disabled one. Norton? Really?

[taichi]

First of all, I don't run any bloatware, unless you include antivirus/firewall, which I do not.
Disabling Norton during installation, and even while testing the program, did nothing.

The discussion about antivirus programs is a thory one, but not using one is not a wise course of action. There is simply too much out there, with programs probing to find open ports in your computer, and viruses just a click away.

For a period of a few years Norton's products were not good, and I used Kaspersy, Bitdefender and others. I looked long and hard at ESET NOD32, but there are many people who have had problems with that program as well, and some have found tech support to be very difficult to reach. Each of these programs has its adherents and detractors, but Norton has consistently ranked highly or highest for the last four or five years in most computer publications, as well as in the opinion of one of the main European testing agencies, AV-Comparatives.org. Objectively, it ranks highly in both malware detection and elimination. It has never had any deleterious effect on my computer in all the time, nor has it crashed my computer, or slowed it in any way.

In any event, it's not the problem as disabling it completely hasn't helped at all. Am I to undersrand that some forum members don't use windows update?

[ajkula66]

Am I to undersrand that some forum members don't use windows update?

Count me as one of them, ever since the pushing of spyware and unwanted-W10-upgrade has started.

[TPFanatic]

Two of my family members' C2D laptops are running Norton and I haven't noticed any detrimental effects.

On anything single core though... keep it away.

[taichi]

Before Norton introduced 360 four years or so ago, Norton had a problematic period. But they've gotten their act together, which is reflected not only in reviews, but by analyses from independent testing organizations. Compared to other paid and free AVs/Firewalls I've had, I've never noticed any performance hit on my system.

I mentioned my use of Norton only to answer the question about what might have changed (updates) on my system preceding the Naturally Speaking problem.

[RealBlackStuff]

Well, you can't say you haven't been warned...