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Doing a System Restore and Losing One's Voice Files
Submitted by lem729 on Mon, 07/04/2005 - 15:16.
A few days ago, I did a system restore on my computer to deal with a problem unrelated to Dragon NaturallySpeaking. However, when I tried to open the Dragon program (and I had Dragon, version 8, Standard Edition), I was unable to access my voice files. I uninstalled the entire program, reinstalled it, and had to retrain the program to recognize my voice. I know I could have created a new user (without the uninstall and reinstall, but that would still have been a hassle, because I would have had to retrain the program (create new voice files) to recognize the new user! Should this have happened? I remember with version 7 that initially, that did happen (when I did system restores) a few times, but after I installed an service pack upgrade to version 7, that would no longer happen. I assumed that I was safe with this new version 8, that I could do a system restore without losing voice files.
Perhaps, there was a way for me to be able to access my voice files without having to go to all the trouble that I did -- that is, to do an uninstall, and then reinstall, and to retrain. Or simply to create a new user name and retrain. Has anyone had this problem with version 8? Was there a way to access my voice files without having to uninstall and reinstall, or having to simply train a new user?
I would have liked to simply keep the old user name, or rename it, but to access my voice files without having to retrain the program.
There is a Tech Note on this
There is an old Tech Note on losing your User File after a System restore.
Tech Note 4477
Really not much help, just advises to use your backup User File. Must be a know problem. Another good reason to Back Up.
You should be able to import in a User File, without having to completely re-install DNS.
I had a number of back up
I had a number of back up files. I tried to change the link to access them, and nothing seemed to work. I still was unable to open up my user. Dragon first ought not to go bonkers with a system restore (they've had years since Windows XP came out (and when then did version 8, ought to have dealt with this bug, and second, if a backup file is supposed to help, ought to automatically be creating a backup file with each save to deal with this. A "system restore" is a very basic thing in Windows XP.
Windows XP System Restore and DNS
First, don't blame DNS or ScanSoft. It is not their problem.
Second, system restore information is not always current. If enough recent changes have taken place that are not recorded in the system restore files, then the Windows Registry is not current. DNS is not the only program affected by this. Any program can be. However, since the User files are stored in the Documents and Settings\All Users\Applications folder, the registry entries must exactly correspond to the settings. This is not always up to date when you do a system restore. Many times it is and the ScanSoft technote will get them back. Many times it is not, and you have to create a new user.
Lastly, the way to avoid this is to use the Export feature and export your files to another drive or location. Then, when you do a system restore, if you files are not accessible you can import your exported files to get them back. Problem with system restore in your case is that the necessary registry link to the vocabulary is missing.
Windows system restore did this and it is Microsoft's problem, not ScanSofts. ScanSoft is not responsible for monitoring whether or not Windows does things correctly. It is Microsoft's responsibility. Problem is that system restore is not perfect and seldom contains all the current restore points. Your best approach is to get a program like Acronis TrueImage 8 to make a complete image of your system, rather than rely on System Restore's restore points. The latter is, and always has been, very unreliable. The only advantage is that it precludes having to reinstall everything. Nevertheless, you may find other application glitches resulting from incomplete or incorrect restore point files.
Okay, you say that I can use
Okay, you say that I can use the "export" function to make a copy of my files. Any suggestion on where I might be able to find my files. I have a partitioned computer (with a C and a D drive), and put the program on my D drive. My program files are located at d:\program files\ScanSoft\Naturally Speaking8. I can't find speech files there. When I go to the Dragon toolbar, and open the user, the location of the user files is simply listed in Dragon as the Default. I can't seem to find a menu item in Naturally Speaking8, that shows where the speech files are.
Now on my C drive there appear to be some files that may be the speech files. Thus, at c:\documents & settings\my name\My Documents\my name is a folder called "backup" and another called "backup2"
If these are the files, then there already is a backup being created automatically, but that doesn't make sense. Where would the files be that I'm supposed to be copying?
"If these are the files,
"If these are the files, then there already is a backup being created automatically, but that doesn't make sense. Where would the files be that I'm supposed to be copying?"
They sound like the files but the default location's c:\documents and settings\all users\application data\scansoft\naturallyspeaking8\users and there should be a current folder there. A backup is created automatically, but the suggestion is that you make a totally separate copy and keep it somewhere else on your hard disk or -- ideally -- in another location. I have a "drive E" which is a USB hard disk and I copy almost all data files there.
(The export function should locate the files anyway but I tend to do a plain copy and it probably is best if you know where they are.)
Judy
Do you have to copy the
Do you have to copy the speech every day you use Dragon? Or if you do it one day, because Dragon is working fine with the current speech files, is that copy sufficient to protect you?
That copy's enough, but if
That copy's enough, but if you add important new words, you might want to copy again. (I just keep one good copy.)
Judy
Under the file in my name
Under the file in my name were the following folders:
backup
backup2
current
data archive
TB
audioin.dat
I was only able to fit on my zip file the first two: backup and backup2.
Is that all I need to have copied? Or is a copy of the other files also necessary?
You don't need the backup
You don't need the backup ones. Copy the others. (It would be best to copy them all, admittedly, as if the current one were corrupt, the others might not be; so you might want to use 2 zip disks.)
Judy
a system restore on Windows XP Professional
I had a bit of a glitch on a laptop, and decided to do a system restore, however because I thought it was related to a Microsoft word problem, I decided to remove Microsoft Office before attempting restoration. That caused real fun and games, the reason being,that having restored; the add/remove programs function in the control panel still believed Microsoft Office to be on board. Not only could I not reload MS Office but I could not undo the restoration. Although I later discovered a workaround on a web page, I had prior to that reinstalled Windows XP. Fortunately all my relevant files, including the backup of Dragon NaturallySpeaking, were on a separate partition, and the laptop had all the necessary files for reintegration, including drivers and computers supplied programs, in a hidden partition, as a consequence of which I was able to reinstall very simply. Notwithstanding there were a number of programs which I had to search and find and reinstall, including of course Dragon NaturallySpeaking. If you do not have your documents on a separate partition, may I recommend the purchase of a (inexpensive) flash drive for vstoring back-up files, and the avoidance -- if at all possible -- of the system restore feature.
Hey Lem
Hey Lem,
Can you go to the chat room so I can ask a few questions please?
Thank you,
bearfur