For those who find themselves using their computer’s speech recognition software to write up documents, it can be frustrating when the software doesn’t function correctly or responds too slowly to respond to your dictation. Luckily, there are several troubleshooting steps you can take to fix this problem yourself. These solutions will work whether you’re using the pre-installed Windows 10 speech recognition software or the third-party Dragon NaturallySpeaking software on older versions of Windows, like Windows 7 or 8. Read on to learn how to fix voice typing not working in Windows 11 and earlier!
Solution #1: Turning off the hardware keyboard
The first step is to make sure the keyboard is off. Go into the Control Panel and then find Hardware and Sound then click Keyboard. In this menu, you should see a slider in front of Type Keyboard, if it’s not set to off, slide it to the left until it turns grey. You will have to do this each time you restart your computer, but as long as you remember that voice typing will work while your hardware keyboard is turned off, there should be no problem. Solution #2: Uninstalling the English (US) language pack: If you uninstalled the English (US) language pack, voice typing might not work properly. To fix this issue, simply reinstall the English (US) language pack by going to Control Panel and clicking Language and Region then Regional Settings-Languages-Install/Uninstall Languages. Click Add languages from your hard disk then double click English (US) to select it for installation.
Solution #2: Update your computer drivers
Updating your computer drivers can help resolve voice typing not working issues. To do so, open the device manager and go to the Sound, video, and game controllers’ tab. Click Device Manager. A list of all the devices connected to your computer will appear in a window. Look for anything that says Unknown. If you see any unknown devices, right-click them and click Update Driver Software.
It’s possible that installing new drivers may resolve your voice typing not working issue. However, it is recommended to update only if you know how to install an updated driver for the sound card without running into conflicts with other components of the PC like antivirus software or motherboard chipset drivers.
If updating drivers does not work for you then try installing newer versions from Dell Support site or from HP support site (if using an HP computer).
Solution #3: Turn off the microphone
If you’re using the microphone, it could be picking up background noise. You can turn off your microphone by following these steps:
- Open Control Panel
- Click Hardware and Sound
- Find the audio devices section and click Manage Audio Devices
- Right click your microphone, then select Disable Device
Solution #4: Resetting the settings in Speech Recognition
This is the simplest solution of all, and it fixes many voice typing issues. To reset the settings in Speech Recognition, open Settings, click System, and then go to Speech Recognition. There you’ll be able to find a button labelled Reset Voice Command History. Click this button, say yes when prompted and you’re done! Solution #5: If none of these solutions work for you, check your microphone: Your microphone may not be working if the above methods do not work. Check by making sure that your mic volume is turned up and that there’s no background noise.
Solution #6: Update your device drivers: Head to Device Manager and make sure that everything is running properly under Sound, Video and Game Controllers (or whichever category your sound card falls under). Also try updating them if needed using Device Manager by right-clicking on your sound card or similar hardware device.
Solution #5: Unplug other devices
Do a hard reboot. To do this, you’ll need to restart your computer by pressing the power button and holding it down for 10 seconds. It’s important not just to click the power button but instead hold it down for about 10 seconds. After that, turn your computer back on and try again. If this doesn’t work, we recommend trying steps 1-6 again before heading back into chat with us!
Solution #6: Clear applications that are using your microphone
If your voice typing is still not working after completing the previous six solutions, a hard reboot might be your final solution. A hard reboot will shut down and restart your computer, so make sure you save any open documents before doing this. Here are the steps for a hard reboot:
- Turn off the PC and unplug it from power cord and the internet. You can leave it plugged in if you would like to keep it charging while waiting for the reboot.
- Remove any peripherals connected to your PC such as keyboard, mouse, headphones, USB devices and external drives.
- Push in the power button about five seconds then release it for about one second.
Solution #7: Do a hard reboot
This one is less of a fix and more of a solution. Sometimes, it’s as simple as restarting your computer. If your computer has been running for days or weeks without a reboot, this could be the issue with voice typing not working. You can restart your device by holding down the power button for 8 seconds until it shuts off and then turning it back on.
