Hi, I'm having trouble with Dragon in Word 2010. I am using DNS version 11 on a desktop computer with an HP Pavilion AMD processor (yes, I know, not recommended, but I purchased the machine before I found that out). I have a 640 GB hard drive with 4 GB of system memory. And I am working in Windows 7.

As I'm dictating now, Dragon keeps saying, "please say that again" but I haven't said anything. It's hearing something else. I think there are programs running in the background and I don't know how to turn them off or even find them. But I can hear a humming noise coming from my computer; however, even when I *don't* hear that, my accuracy is very bad, but that is erratic. Sometimes it's okay. And it's much better in Outlook Express or the DragonPad. It is worst in Word but that's where I need to work.

Any suggestions? When I dictated the word suggestions, it said extensions. Thx. Jack

PS I have uninstalled and reinstalled the program -- no help. And I keep training new users because they work much better than the old ones... What I don't get is why the mic doesn't hear me right (USB Clear Chat) and what is running in the background.

Jack,

First, don't look at applications in terms of your experience with accuracy when using speech recognition. The applications are neither the source of the problem nor the cause of it.

Second, accuracy is primarily dependent upon two primary factors: (a) your dictation style, and (b) your microphone/soundcard. Let's assume for the moment that your dictation style is not the problem and that the problem is most likely with your microphone/soundcard. The signal output from your microphone, or, in this case, since you seem to be using the Clear Chat USB may be being distorted by some factor which we need to identify. The most important thing to keep in mind is that they output signal that is received by Dragon must be as crystal clear as possible and at a volume that is not either too high or too low. You talk about humming coming from your system. This type of interference can kill accuracy because it provides just enough distortion to your speech output to make it next to impossible for Dragon to accurately recognize what you're saying (i.e., the way that speech recognition works to put it most simply).

What might be helpful would be for you to run the Audio Setup Wizard (Check Microphone) and then attached two files to your response to this post. A copy of your Dragon log (i.e., Dragon.log) and a copy of your audio.wav file that is produced when you run the Quality Check in the Audio Setup Wizard (Check Microphone).

You can find your Dragon log by simply saying "open show Dragon log", or you can locate it manually by going to the Start menu (Start button) | All Programs | Dragon NaturallySpeaking 11 | Show Dragon Log. However, run the Audio Setup Wizard (Check Microphone) before you attach your Dragon log to your response to this post.

To attach a copy of your audio.wav file, go to the following location in your user profile

C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking11\users\\current\voice_container

In that folder you will find the file audio.wav. Simply attach it to your response to this post in the same manner that you attach the Dragon log.

Somewhere within those files we may be able to find the cause of your accuracy issues.

Chuck

"What you are aware of you are in control of; what you are not aware of is in control of you." - Anthony de Mello

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Hi Chuck,

Thanks so much for your detailed reply.

I'm attaching the two files you requested. I also noticed in that folder for users, there are an awful lot of users in the habit I already deleted. I'm surprised at that data is still there.

Just for the record, my machine hums sometimes. Right now it is not coming at all and education is okay but it's already made up for errors. (I will redo that last sentence – right now it is not humming at all and the dictation is okay but it's already made about 4 errors.)

I understand a new user making mistakes – what I don't understand is when the machine thinks I'm talking when I'm not and I say something like "backspace two" and it prints "it's there." In those instances, it's not understanding me at all.

By the way, I had so much trouble logging into this forum that I have to create a profile with the name Jack. No matter what the e-mail address I put in, it said I was already registered under that name, and that I was giving up on Security Council. Cannot get past that so I just created another person. Sorry about that. For a frustrating.

Sigrid/Jack

PS I tried three or four times to upload files and I keep getting an error message saying that is not available right now. Will try later.

 

 

files

For now, run the Audio Setup Wizard ("show the audio set up wizard"). Follow the four steps: choose the microphone you are using from the list, check your microphone position, read text 1, and read text 2. On the final screen, click the "Play" button, and listen carefully to the recording of your voice. Is it (as Chuck says) "crystal clear?" Do you hear hums, clicks, background noises, breathe noises, distorted S's?

 

If the sound of your recorded voice is suboptimal, recognition will be suboptimal. You need to identify the source of the problem. It may be changing the postion of your microphone wrt to your mouth, plugging the microphone into a different USB port, etc. etc. etc.

Hi Alan, thanks for the advice. I did as you said and everything sounded crystal clear – no sounds in the background whatsoever. But my recognition tonight, particularly in Word, is so dreadful that I can't get any work done at all. I say backspace two and it brings up a print screen.

I have the two files Cuck requested but I tried to upload them here repeatedly, to no avail. I keep receiving error messages. And as I am dictating this, when I pause to think, Dragon continues to ask me what I was trying to say (e.g., "Please say that again") when I'm not saying anything at all. But this is not reflected in the audio file. Frustration.

Sigrid

Chuck, is there a way to e-mail the files? I've tried five or six times and the upload form will not work for me. Thanks.

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It sounds like you are suffering from interference which comes in many forms. Our 1st recommendation would be to rerun the Microphone Check and press the Play button in the last stage to listen to a recording of what your computer hears. If you hear interference, try to track down the source of that interference which can typically range from an AC 60 Hz hum to microwave interference. In may be something as simple as the florescent light or as complex as having to move your computer to a different location.

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My playback function is not working, although I'm not sure if I'm using it right. I dictate a line of text and then either click on playback under audio or I dictate the words playback and nothing at all happens. Totally lost here.

When you dictate into a document, do you see a green checkmark or green circle within the DragonBar? This signifies that you're dictating into a Select-&-Say (Full Text Control) application. The reason why we are asking this question is because you don't have random playback capability, other than your last dictated phrase, unless you are dictating into a fully supported application.

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Yes, I see a green checkmark within the DragonBar. I did manage to get it to play back some things but they sounded fine to me. Meanwhile the cursor was moving all over the map creating headers and footers and doing all kinds of things that I never requested. All I said was, hello, how are you tonight? As a test. And it opened up the headers and footers. But when I use the playback, it only repeated what I said - hello, how are you tonight?

Can you recommend a link for a clean uninstall of DNS premium 11.5? I did uninstall it before but I think there were files left over. I also switched my virus program and that was helping for a few hours but not now.

THX! Sigrid

PS I still hear humming sounds sometimes from my PC. I don't hear it now but it was very loud about a half-hour ago. I have opened my task manager and it said the only thing that's running is Dragon. This impossible. Something else is making the machine hum BUT that only happens for about a half hour or an hour a day. DNS malfunctions all day.