Will have two users, using 4 different computors ( at work and at home). Apparently can not use Roaming feature because our EMR will not allow that.

What is the best way to keep our profiles uptodate on all computors. Should we export from one to other periodically. If we do, then will the additional vocabulary and commands will be transferred. Is there another, easier way to do this.

Thanks

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M. Riaz, MD

Good question as I just posted the same one today.

I see you got no answers.  Keep a look at the answers that come my way and it may help. 

If not I will give you my best guess in due course.  

 

                        Welcome to the World’s Most Popular Speech Recognition Forum

Fortunately, there are at least 2 answers for this question and we would've responded yesterday but we ran out of time.

1. Move your user profile to a flash drive and take it with you wherever you go. You'll find a step-by-step on this procedure when you look up "thumb" in the NaturallySpeaking Quick Tips (at the top of this page). Note that although you can work with a USB 2 drive, a USB 3 drive is preferable because it can take up to 2 - 3 minutes to save your user profile on a USB 2 drive. It takes approximately 12 seconds with a USB 3 drive.

2. If you have access to a server, you can move your user profile to the server and use the same profile on multiple computers but you would need a very fast connection if you're going over the Internet so we prefer option #1.

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Just to answer your question re preserving changes to the vocabulary and custom commands, yes the user profile includes these so exporting will preserve them.

However hopefully you'll find a more elegant working solution amongst those suggested here. 

Rog

Carrying user profile from one work station to other is not practicle.

If I have 2-3 computors with my profile and over a couple of weeks, I have added some vocabulary or did some training to Dragon, I would like to merge this to my profile on all computors. Now if I backup my profile from one computer and restore to other, it overwrites my training on second computer.

  

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M. Riaz, MD

As far as I know there's no solution for automatically merging two user profiles.

In the Professional edition you can export a Vocabulary from one profile (via the 'Vocabulary' menu), and import it into another, but again I don't believe two vocabularies can be merged.

That leaves you with:
1. Exporting custom words.  This just exports a list of words and phrases saved as a .txt file.  In v11 the tool is accessed via the 'Vocabulary ' menu.
2. Exporting custom commands.  Via the Command Browser (Manage Mode).

For each user therefore, one solution would be to identify which profile (ie. which installation of Dragon) receives the most changes (training, new words and phrases, new commands) and consider that as the user's 'master' profile.  The same user's profiles running on their other computers could be considered their 'secondary' profiles.
Periodically export the custom words and custom commands from the user's secondary profiles, and import them into their master profile.
Once the master profile has been updated with any new words and commands from the secondary profiles you have two options:

1. Export the master profile and import it on the other computers, replacing the secondary profiles with a copy of the new, updated master profile.
This is the simplest and best option, however because the user profile contains acoustic data, which is specific to the microphone and sound system being used with that installation, the following provisos apply:
A-If using microphones which have a 3.5 mm connection, and different microphones are in use on each machine, or the same microphone is in use but connected to different sound systems on each computer, you should use option 2 below.
B-Option 1 is fine if using the same USB microphone (or the same microphone+USB sound adaptor) on each machine.
C-Option 1 is also fine if using different microphones for which separate sources have been created, as long as the same microphone is always used for each source, and assuming the scenario described in A doesn't apply. 

Using option 1 any modification to the secondary profiles arising from training carried out through corrections, etc. will be lost, but that's an unavoidable sacrifice (using this solution), and the loss will be less significant if the 'master' profile is used much more than the others. For the same reason, any customisation of the Vocabulary and Language Model using the 'Learn from documents' and 'Learn from emails' tool should be carried out on the machine running the 'master' profile.

2. Export a 'master' custom words list and 'master' custom commands file from the master profile, containing all new words and phrases from all that user's profiles, then import them into the user's secondary profiles.
Using option 2 the secondary profiles don't benefit from any modification to the master profile arising from training of the acoustic model as a result of corrections, etc.  Similarly any customisation of the Language Model using the 'Learn from documents' and 'Learn from emails' tools, carried out on the machine running the 'master' profile, will not be passed on to the secondary profiles.

Custom words and commands from one user's profile can be imported into another user's profile, but of course exporting and importing of the 'master' profile has to be done separately for each user because the profile includes acoustic and language model data which is specific to the user.

Importing Custom Words
When importing the list of custom words, words already in the destination vocabulary will be ignored, so you don't need to worry about duplicates.
Select the option to preview the list of unknown words.  The tool will list any words and phrases not already in the destination vocabulary, and allow you to choose which ones to add.
This is best done with the user present so that the words can be trained by the user before they're added.  Why? Because once added they will appear in the Vocabulary Editor in alphabetical order, interspersed amongst all the other custom words added previously to that vocabulary, and can only be found and trained one at a time.

The glaring omission with this tool, at the moment, is that it doesn't include the following words which are not new words, but which have had their properties changed.  The best solution here is for the user to keep a record of any changes they make to word properties when using the secondary profiles so that the same changes can be applied in the master profile.

Note: With Professional edition installations, the Dragon folder on the Start Menu includes a link to the 'Dragon NaturallySpeaking IT Administrators Guide' (also accessible on the installation DVD).  Depending on your technical expertise this may give you additional useful info regarding efficient distribution of new words and commands amongst multiple users.  See the topic 'Adding words, commands or vocabularies to User Profiles'.

Hope that all makes sense.

Rog

The professional (including medical) versions of Dragon include a merging option which is referred to as Roaming. For a step-by-step on Roaming your user profile, Lookup “Roam” in the NaturallySpeaking Quick Tips (at the top of this page). When you Roam your user profile, it shares information across the network to your other computers NaturallySpeaking seamlessly combines any changes you make from 1 user profile to another with no user intervention.

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I should really have started my post with "As far as I know there's no solution for automatically merging two user profiles (other than the Roaming feature)". 
However based on what Riaz wrote in his original post it looks like Roaming's not an option.

I have been trying for days to locate my user files, so that I can copy them on to a thumb drive, and transfer them to my 2 office computers. I have "gone live" last week, and need to be able to dictate from those computers. However, I have tried and retried the above methods, and cannot get it to work. I am using Windows 7, and have (repeatedly) gone to the Quick tips link, but I cannot find what I need. I do obviously understand the concept of transferring my files with the help of a thumb drive; I just cannot find the specific files to copy.
In my computer, I can only find Nuance under "C:\Program files (x86)". (I also have a folder called "C:\Program files," but cannot find Nuance in that folder.)
WHen I then go into the "Nuance" folder, from Program files (x86),, I then CAN find NaturallySpeaking10. This is the good news. However, when I click on NaturallySpeaking 10, I only have 3 folder choices: "Help," "Program," and "Tutorial." This is as opposed to the choices that are described in your help threads and links. If I then click on the "Program" folder, I get about 100 choices! Some of these choices are more folders, such as a folder called "Images," and others are files, such as dd10oem.dll. This may be partially because I had tried about 4 mikes before settling on a mike.
Thus, what I am asking is how to know what the correct user file looks like.
Thanks.
LNovik

LNovik,

C\ProgramData\Nuance\Naturally Speaking#\Users\Your chosen user name

MDH

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Thank you for your reply, but that does not come up for me. As I said, when I go into Program Data, there in no folder called Nuance. However, when I go into the next folder, called "Nuance (x86", there is a Nuance folder. So I then go into that, and then DNS10. However, when I get to this point, the only 3 choices are folders: Help, Program, Tutorial.
I'm thinking that perhaps I did not name my software just after I installed it. Or, perhaps, the files are listed elsewhere. As I said, I have 50-100 files listed under "Program."

Are you certain that you are actually getting into your C:\ProgramData folder? It sounds like you might be mistaking the ProgramData folder for the Program Files (x86) folder which is an entirely different address. Your default user folder address is ~ C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking10\Users\(your username) . Your user folder is not in the Program Files (x86) folder. Stop looking there!

There are 2 things you should do to every computer you lay your hands on. #1 disabled the miserable UAC (instructions are included in the previously mentioned NaturallySpeaking Quick Tips and #2 open any folder, select Tools/Folder Options, click the View tab and move the Chevron to Show hidden files, folders and drives. This is an idiotic Windows default setting that is specifically designed to frustrate end-users. Okay, technically Microsoft is trying to protect you but unfortunately, they insist on storing user files in a hidden directory… DUH! Bottom line: Once you change your default options to Show hidden files and folders, you will be able to see the ProgramData folder and all of this should make sense.

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Thanks for the reply. At least I now know NOT to look in Program files (x86.) The problem is that I have looked 10 times for the Nuance folder in Program files. It simply isn't there. Perhaps, it is backing up to my external drive, though I don't see any very recent backups there either. I certainly don't see a folder called Nuance in my external (backup) drive either. I know I am backing up, since I see a rectangular line on the top of my screen which is updating my Dragon files all the time. Is there a place where I can look to see where they are being backed up to? I'm not sure if I mentioned that the Dragon version I'm using is the Medical one, ie, DragonMedical 10.1. I don't know if that matters.
LNovik

ProgramData is a hidden folder. If you type C:\ProgramData into the address bar at the top of a Windows Explorer window, you'll then be able to browse to your user profile folder.

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David Wood

Hardware: Olympus DS-7000 (for dictation) - Olympus AS-7000 (for manual transcription) - Olympus DM-670 with ME-30W microphones (for seminars and events)

Software: DNS 12.5 Legal UK - Olympus ODMS 6.1.1 (Dictation and Transcription Modules) - Olympus Sonority Plus 1.4.2

LNovik, your user folder is not stored in the Program Files or Program Files (x86) folders. It is stored in the ProgramData folder which you are not going to be able to view until you follow our previous instructions. Please reread our previous post and follow the instructions to the letter. As David noted, the ProgramData folder is hidden so you’re not going to be able to see it until you change Windows default settings to Display hidden files and folders. If you don’t wish to change your Windows options, you can optionally press the Windows Start button, paste the following purple address in the Search box C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking10\Users\ and press {Enter}

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Thanks again for those 2 replies. However, I just don't understand some of what you say. I DO NOW understand--finally-that the files I want are in the Programdata folder, and not in [Program files or Program (x86)]. I think it was Lunis, not David, who said:
2 open any folder, select Tools/Folder Options, click the View tab and move the Chevron to Show hidden files, folders and drives.
I do not know what he means by "any folder," but i did go to 2 folers I was familiar with, namely Word and Dragon. In these files, I was not able to find a way to accomplish this task. ANd..I wouldn't know a Chevron from an Exon, though I realize it was be some little symbol that I have to toggle next to the term, "Show Hidden Files." Perhpas Dragon and Word are Programs, and I need to file a more regular folder. But I just don't know what "find any folder" means.

Lastly, last nite I did search inside Programdata, and today I just tried--from the Start menu--what you described. The problem is that I then get a bunch of folders (5) and 1 file . They are backup, backup2, current, dataarchive, tb (which I assume is not the disease,) and audioin (which is, of all things, a Word Perfect file!) When I look further, the Backup and current folders each have about 10 files and folders. I assume only 1 is the file I'm looking for. Perhaps you could tell me an extension to look for, and if you think it's under "Backup" or "current."
Thanks again for your patience.
LNovik

Larry,

As helpful as everybody has tried to be, you're digging yourself into a deeper hole then you're already in and really getting nowhere.

Dragon NaturallySpeaking (all versions except for Basics and Home) provide you with a very simple method for exporting your user profiles that doesn't require any searching for and manually copying your user profile(s) (exporting). Nuance provided this feature because they knew that users would run into this kind of problem and that attempting to do so manually could result in problems up to and including improperly selecting and copying all the files necessary to correctly Export your user profile(s).

Since you're using the Medical version, simply do the following:

1. In the "Dragon" menu (assuming that you're using DNS 10.1 Medical, which seems to be the general consensus) and select "Manage Users..." Then click on the Advanced button making sure that the user profile that you wish to Export is highlighted (i.e., if you have more than one) and select Export.

2. You will be prompted with a dialog that wants you to select the location where you want your user profile exported. Assuming that you want to Export your user profile to a next old drive or USB thumb drive, locate such from that dialog. Then click on "OK". This will automatically Export all the files needed for your user profile such that you can use the same procedure, but selecting Import, to either copy or Import your user profile to another computer or back into your current computer if your user profile ever becomes corrupted.

Dragon takes care of the entire process for you. You do not have to do anything except the location to which you want to Export and/or the location to which you wish to Import. Simple, straightforward, and basically a KnowBrainer, pardon the pun.

Manually copying and restoring your user profile manually is potentially fraught with problems if you make a mistake. Managed Users... | Export/Import takes care of everything for you, is safe, and is the best way to do this if you don't know which files and/or folders require copying. In short, don't make a mountain out of a molehill or you'll get yourself into trouble.

Chuck

"Life's Rule #1: Once you pull the pin, Mr. Grenade is no longer your friend."  (Variant of Murphy's Law  -  Edward A. Murphy, Jr)

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Hi,
Sorry it took me awhile to respond. I've gone "live" in my medical office and have been busy. However, I just tried what Chucker said, and it worked perfectly. As advertised, it was also very simple. Thanks very much.
LNovik

This also works a treat on dragon 12 premium