Backup for VV10.5
Submitted by Richard Luft on Mon, 02/18/2008 - 02:39.
Trying to make backup for VV10.5. I'm using 'backup user' in voice center, but getting error msg of 'cannot parse VV Directory information' with "Vex" as the msg, when I click the backup button.
I'm backing up to migrate my app to a new hard drive (no, I don't want to use ghost; I want a fresh install of everything).
Any help will be appreciated.
TIA, Richard
The simplest way is to do
Richard,
The simplest way is to do the following:-
On your old PC, export your navigation and dictation macros to CD or Memory Stick.
With Windows Explorer or My Computer, copy your named user folder from your old PC using a CD or Memory Stick.
(The user folder is in C: \ Documents and Settings \ [named User] \ Application Data \ IBM \ ViaVoice \ Users \[Luft].)
Install ViaVoice in your new computer. Do not start up after installation. Reboot the computer.
Insert the CD or Memory Stick in the new computer. Copy the user folder and paste it in the ViaVoice \ Users folder in C: \ Documents and Settings \ [named User] \ Application Data \ IBM \ ViaVoice \ Users \[Luft].
Then go to Start \ Settings \ Control Panel \ IBM ViaVoice Options. Click on the arrow at the right hand side of the top pane, and locate your name user and click Apply at the bottom of the window.
Click on the tabs to complete all the rest of the settings.
Open ViaVoice. You may find it will come up with popup windows telling you that speech recogniser cannot recognise the speech files, and other messages. Just simply click OK on each them until they all disappear. Then open ViaVoice again and it should come up with your user name.
Go to audio set up and set up your microphone in the usual way.
Import your dictation and navigation macros from CD or Memory Stick.
You should now be in business.
See also http://www.speechcomputing.com/node/466
Quentin
Backup for VV 10.5
Quentin:
I'm using WinXP, if that matters.
Cant find the path that you speak of in C:\Docs&Settings\Luft\Application Data\IBM\Luft.
The path in C: goes C:\Docs & Settings\------Can't find folder with my name on it.
I can go to path C:\Docs & Settings\All Users\Application Data\IBM, but that doesn't lead anywhere.
If I go C:\Program Files\ViaVoice\users30\users\luft\luft I can thus find a file named "luft" (twice), but:
1)isthis the one you mean?
2) which 'luft' folder do I use? Am I missing something?
Richard
Richard, Go to C:\Docs &
Richard,
Go to C:\Docs & Settings, and then search for IBM. It will be in your named user folder. (Obviously I do not know what name you used as your default profile when installing XP. When I bought my current laptop, my supplier had already registered the default profile as "Acer User", and I have never bothered to change it. ) When you click on IBM, the next folder will be ViaVoice. Click on ViaVoice, and the next folders will be Temp and Users. Click-on Users, and the next folder should have the name that you use. That is the folder you want to copy.
One of the things that I have found handy is to make a short cut to that folder, and put the short cut on my desktop. In fact I keep a backup of my user folder in another partition, with a short cut on desktop to that folder. Every time I add new words, I copy my user folder to replace the backup. The short cuts make it a very quick operation, taking maybe 15-20 seconds, and much quicker than using the ViaVoice built-in backup system when it works. The chances are that VV will not backup due to some XP problem.
Quentin
Backup VV10.5
Got new harddrive, and installed VV, but do not see the user file in c:\Docs & settings from which I copied the original backup, so that I can restore it. In fact, I don't find any 'user' files in windows explorer that might be what I seek.
Any suggestions?
Richard
Richard Luft wrote:
Got new harddrive, and installed VV, but do not see the user file in c:\Docs & settings from which I copied the original backup, so that I can restore it. In fact, I don't find any 'user' files in windows explorer that might be what I seek.
Richard,
I am puzzled.
What edition of ViaVoice are you currently using from which you want to transfer the voice files?
You originally stated that you found user files at C:\Program Files\ViaVoice\users30\users\luft\luft. This would indicate that you're using version 10, and not 10.5. If that is the case, then one of the "luft" folders is your voice files. You can ascertain this by right clicking on each of the folders and finding out which is the larger. The larger one should be your current one, and the small one is probably the default. You can also find out by opening each folder and seeing when the latest files were modified. The latest ones would be your current folder for backing up by copying.
However in your latest posting you indicate that you cannot find C:\ Documents and Settings\ from which you copied the voice files originally. I'm extremely puzzled.
ViaVoice 10.5 changed the location of the user speech folder to C:\ Documents and Settings\[your XP user name] \Application Data\IBM\ ViaVoice \ Users \ [your ViaVoice user name] .
Another way to locate your voice files is to see what name you use on the Speechbar. Then, using My Computer or Windows Explorer, do a search in drive C for the name that was on the Speechbar. This shall locate your voice files folder.
To establish whether you installed VV 10 or 10.5, have a look at your installation disc, and see what date is shown for the copyright. VV 10.5 has a copyright date of 2004, and VV 10 has a copyright date (if I remember correctly) of 2002. You can also find out from looking at the box in which the disc came to see does it claim compatibility with Word 2003. If it does not, then you have VV 10 and not 10.5
If you thought you bought VV 10.5, and were sold VV 10, you should take this up with the seller immediately and seek a replacement disk.
Quentin
VV10 backup
Crivon:
"I am puzzled.
What edition of ViaVoice are you currently using from which you want to transfer the voice files?"
>>>>>>>>>>>>
My old disc in the pc was "release 9". My new installation disc is clearly marked "release 10.5",
and that's what is now installed.
I was able to copy the 'user' file from ver.9, which now sits on a CD. I'm trying to transfer this
file into the now-installed Ver. 10.5.
>>>>>>>>>>>
"You originally stated that you found user files at C:\Program Files\ViaVoice\users30\users\luft\luft.
This would indicate that you're using version 10, and not 10.5."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>
No, it was Ver 9.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
"ViaVoice 10.5 changed the location of the user speech folder to C:\ Documents and Settings\
[your XP user name] \Application Data\IBM\ ViaVoice \ Users \ [your ViaVoice user name] ."
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Can't find any such path in C:\Docs & Settings. The only similar paths present are:
1) C:\ Docs&Settings\AllUsers (with subfolders 'Desktop' And 'Favorites') OR
2) C:\Docs&Settings\WinXP\-----(with subfolders 'cookies', 'desktop', 'favorites','my documents',
'Start Menu', and 'User Data')
The subfolder 'user data' contains 4 subfolders with alphanumeric names.
>>>>>>>>>>>>
"Another way to locate your voice files is to see what name you use on the Speechbar. Then, using
My Computer or Windows Explorer, do a search in drive C for the name that was on the Speechbar.
This shall locate your voice files folder."
>>>>>>>>>>>>
Speechbar name is rluft, but a search of C: finds no such filename!
So, the question remains, where do I my backup 'user' folder?
I should also note that, when I view my backup folder, it contains 87 files, but when I try top use the 'restore user' facility in VV10, I cannot view any of these files in the 'restore' window, asc there are no files of '.ini.' type that I can display in the 'file' section
Here's hoping that you can help.
Richard
Richard,
Richard,
"C:\Docs&Settings\WinXP\-----(with subfolders 'cookies', 'desktop', 'favorites','my documents', 'Start Menu', and 'User Data')". This would appear to be your user folder, and your user name appears to be "WIN XP". When you were installing VV 10.5, what name did you give to the profile page?
There should be no less than three folders within your Documents and Settings – WIN XP (apparently your profile user folder), Administrator and All Users. However I suspect there may be some problem with your Win XP installation as you do not mention Application Data as one of the sub-folders.
Have a look for C: \ Documents and Settings \ WIN XP \ Application Data \ IBM \ ViaVoice \ Users \rluft.
If Application Data is not present, then I think you may have to re-install Win XP. However I am open to correction on this, as I can only relate my knowledge to the Win XP that I have on four computers, and Win 2000 on a fifth computer. All of these have the three folders I've referred to above.
If Application Data is present and if the folders …\IBM \ ViaVoice \ Users are not present, then I would suggest you uninstall VV using Control Panel, use Viaclean, and then reinstall. (If the uninstallation programme does not work, then simply use Viaclean.) Make sure you re-boot after each un-install and ViaClean. If you have a Registry cleaner, run that and delete all registry entries relating to ViaVoice.
Re-boot, then reinstall. When you come to the profile page in the installation programme, show the user as " WIN XP" (without the quotation marks).
Report back and let me know how you got on.
Quentin
backup for VV10.5
Quentin;
The folder 'application data' is truly missing, so user file doesn't exist.
I'll have to have my shop reinstall windows and start over.
thanks again, Richard
vv10.5 backup
Quenten;
Found 'application data'----it was a hidden file-----and the pasted my user file into vv10.5.
Something is now wrong, however, in that when I open VV10.5, I get msg in speech bar;
"low resources prevent dictation here: close other dictation windows"
I don't have any other dictation windows open ,and I don't know what this means.
----and VV is working so poorly that I have to type this msg out.
Have you any idea what's now wrong?
Richard
Richard, I am glad that
Richard,
I am glad that you found Application Data. I presume you pasted your speech files folder into the correct ViaVoice folder as per my previous instructions, and that you adjusted your microphone set up.
The only time I ever get this message is when I have been on the computer all day, and using resource hogging programmes, at which stage my computer gets tired and is telling me to re-boot.
Something is clearly clogging up your resources, and that is why you're getting this message.
Go in to Start \ Run and type "msconfig" (without the quotation marks), hit the start up tab and have a look and see what's running.
How much Ram have you got? Remember that XP uses a lot of Ram, and I have found the not less than one gigabyte Ram is necessary for smooth operation.
What is the size of your pagefile system? It should be at least one-and-a-half times your Ram.
If you right-click on your task bar, call up the Task Manager, and by hitting each tab you will see what is be used, and the resources available.
Defragmenting is also important, and this can be another cause of problems if the hard disk is badly fragmented. I use a program called Diskkeeper which I find far more satisfactory and faster than Windows Defragmenter.
Please let me know how you get on.
Quentin
backup vv10
quentin;
MSConfig shows 2-4% memory usage.
RAM = 2 gig
Virtual memory = 2 gig (do you really think that 3 gig would help?)
Task bar also shows 2% memory use.
I didn't defrag, as this is a new 80gig HD.
Could it be that MS speech recognition is trying to run simultaneous with VV? If so, do you have any idea how to disable it?
Could it be that VV user files are confused about user name? My VV program shows title user as 'Richard Luft', while my Windows username is 'WinXP', while the user files in VV are named 'luft'.
Thanks again,
Richard
Richard, Msconfig would
Richard,
Msconfig would not show Memory usage or the size of Ram. What it does show is the start-up items, and you should go very carefully through these and uncheck those that are irrelevant.
The percentage is that you quote would seem to come from the task bar manager. Those percentages you quoted refer to CPU and pagefile usage.
The 2 gigabyte is plenty for a pagefile system.
Even if it is a new hard disk, you will find it needs defragmentation from the installing of programmes. I would still suggest defrag.
The user name should not affect it provided the folder user name in C:\Documents and Settings\WIN XP\ Application Data\IBM\ViaVoice\Users\[user name] is the same as the user name that appears on the in ViaVoice Options.
Using Control Panel, go in to ViaVoice Options, and select the user that is relevant and Apply. Hit the Commands tab, and make sure the required boxes are checked.
Is this does not cure the problem, then I suggest that you reinstall VV (without uninstalling), and your user files will be migrated automatically.
Is the ms-speech with Word 2002/3? Disabling this might help. Since I am not familiar with ms-speech, you could have a look at http://www.speechcomputing.com/tracker which specialises in the ms-speech, and I seem to recall there was something relating to the problem that you have. You would have to search the site for this.
Please let me know how you get on.
Quentin
Richard, Hit control all
Richard,
Hit control all delete to run Task manager and see what is running. If you see a module labeled cftmon.exe, that's connected to MS SR. You can search for that module's name here to find corrective action, that is, how to disable it.
Bruce
Ctfmon.exe
Richard,
I had forgotten about Ctfmon.exe. Bruce may have nailed the problem. Have a look at http://knowledgebase.nuance.com/view.asp?60VQ=GFHH&5d7r4B=p6sz10. It details how to stop Ctfmon.exe from running. I did it a long time ago.
Quentin
backup VV10.5
Quentin;
Finally got the ability ro 're-install', after re-booting my PC. Unfortuneately, I then got some strange phenomena:
1)first I saw "migrating user Richard Luft"
2) then I saw "migrating Win XP"
3) Then, when I tried to open VV, msg box appeared saying that files were missing.
Can you suggest a way that all user files can be adjusted to have the same name, so that installation might proceed properly?
In ViaVoice options, the user name, "Richard Luft", is not identical to the username in App Data----[user name], which is "luft". There's also another user name in VVOptions = "winXP". I don't know how my full name ever got there, except, perhaps that I entered it when I first used the VV 10.5 installation disc and the disc 'never forgets'.
Richard
quentin;
quentin;
Yes, ctfmon.exe is running, but, as I mentioned, I was able to solve that problem by simply rebooting.
As things are now so completely screwed up, I'm ready to abandon ship and uninstall VV10 and start over.
I remain confused as to file names in my 'backup' folder vs. folder names in VV installation.
As my pc now looks, I have 2 user paths:
1)path C:\docs & Settings\WinXP\Application Data\IBM\ViaVoice\
temp\luft\uns, which contains four folders, each with three empty folders named bsf, cep, and tag.
2) path C:\docs & Settings\WinXP\ApplicationData\IBM\ViaVoice\
users\
There are 4 folders under "user", 'luft','winxp', 'xp', and client. There are files present in luft, winxp and xp, but I think that they are all supposed to be in ONE user folder.
I remain very confused as to how to get my backup files in the correct place on a re-install.
Richard
Richard,
Richard,
It strikes me that your XP installation is badly screwed up. I cannot understand how you have 4 folders under user.
It would require a lot of experimentation and a knowledge of what each file is supposed to do to try and copy your back-up files into "Win XP" user, and I would not recommend it.
Your base user name obviously is WIN XP. The ViaVoice installation sets "winxp" as your default user. It will also migrate any user folders it finds in C:\Documents and Settings\WinXP\ApplicationData\IBM\ViaVoice\users\.
The first step I would suggest would be to do a complete uninstall of ViaVoice using Control Panel \ Add / Remove programmes, re-boot, use ViaClean and remove voice folders (answer "no" of the second pop-up), and follow this up with regedit, then search for ViaVoice, and delete all ViaVoice entries (ViaClean does not remove all the Registry entries) . You should also clean-out the temporary files in C :\Documents and Settings\WinXP\ Local Settings \ Temp \ as there could be hangovers from previous installations.
Re-boot, reinstall ViaVoice, and make the user name "WinXP" (without the quotation marks).
On completion of installation uncheck the "start ViaVoice" box. Copy and paste your user folder into in C:\Documents and Settings\WinXP\ApplicationData\IBM\ViaVoice\users\ [your pasted folder] .
Now go into ViaVoice Options, and choose the name of your pasted folder. Then follow the usual procedure with the tabs to set your various options.
It may also be that some of your backup user files are corrupted, and unless you have an existing working user in VV 9 that you can copy, you will have to start from scratch.
If this is the case, after doing the initial training, one of the things that you can do to save time is to copy the "ADD" file in your back up and paste it somewhere away from the ViaVoice folders, open it using Notepad, and save it as a text or Word file. Using ViaVoice Tools \ Analyse My Documents, and unchecking the box beside "Case sensitive search...", and proceed to locate the text or Word file, proceed to analyse, and train as necessary. This means that all your personal vocabulary built up in VV 9 will be imported into your new User.
If all, or any, of the above fail, then I regret it will be a re-installation of your XP, having first formatted your disk, and setting it up correctly. However before doing this, if you have installed any personal programmes, I would suggest you copy these on to an external disk (CD or Memory stick), and make sure that you have the installation programme for each of these.
An alternative, and possibly a better method, would be to partition your hard disk. Obviously you would do this before formatting for re-installation.
I keep my XP OS on the C drive. My pagefile system is on D drive. I have Microsoft Office, Templates (Boilerplates), my working documents and ViaVoice on E drive. I then have my office accounts (a legal accounts package and salary package) on F drive, various programs on G and H drives (including temporary internet files and the Outlook Express store folder), various backups on I drive, the image of the hidden drive on J drive and the image of XP OS on K drive (using a program such as Norton Ghost). These are all backed up onto a portable external drive.
If you do all this, and it does not take long using a program such as Partition Magic, you'll find it will safeguard your installed programs and data, and avoid the necessity of re-installation.
The result of this is that a crash, virus or trojans never trouble me, as I simply replace the XP OS from image (which I always update following the monthly Microsoft update).
Quentin
backup VV 10
quentin;
Thanks for detailed explanation of what to do.
When I search for ViaClean, I get all hits on all different types of pc cleaners (as well as floor cleaners).
Do I want "ViaCleaner 7.1"?
Any particular site that you know where I can reliably find exactly what you refer to. Which version?
Is it shareware, freeware, etc.
Also, should I rename my backup folder "Winxp" before I paste it into ------Application Data\IBM\ViaVoice\users\[my pasted folder? Or can this folder keep the name "Luft"?
Richard
ViaClean is in the
ViaClean is in the installation disc. Using Windows Explorer or My Computer, click on the CD on the left-hand side (disc drives), on the right hand side you will see "Support". Click-on "Support", and then click-on ViaClean US or UK as appropriate (I do not know which side of the pond you're on, and whether you are using US or UK VV languages). I usually do both of them to be sure to be sure!
There should be no necessity to rename your VV backup user folder. Once you have pasted it in to the user folder, when using VV Options, it should locate " Luft " as a user.
Quentin
Backup VV10.5
quentin;
Now that youv've led me to viaclean, I hope only one more question!
I've been trained to fear playing with registry: should I make a copy of it first? If so, how does one copy the registry?
Note that when I search the registry, I find only 2 items remaining, but only one of them has "viavoice" in its path.
Richard
Richard, You were right
Richard,
You were right about playing with the Registry unless you know what are doing. However you can delete anything that has ViaVoice in it.
You can backup your Registry by going into the Registry (Start \ Run \ Regedit). Click on File \ Export, and it will backup into your "My Documents". Give it an identity, such as Reg-05-03-08, or if you're in the US, reverse the day and month.
Quentin
Backup VV10.5
Quentin;
I'm at step "You should also clean out the temporary files in C:\Docs & Settings\WINXP\Local Settings\Temp"
There are ~150 files in this 'TEMP' folder. Do you mean to delete all files in the folder, or just to delete all 'tmp' files in the folder?
(I'm getting there----slowly)
Richard
Simply delete the .tmp
Simply delete the .tmp folders.
Quentin
failed backup
quentin;
after all that, discovered that my user folder was the thing that was screwed up. On re-installation into VV10, it created a user folder "luft", which contained another user folder named "luft".
So I gave up, reinstalled, and retrained vv, and am now ready to add the 'add' file.
Thanks for all the attempted help
Richard (Brooklyn, NY, USA)
Richard, Before you
Richard,
Before you proceed any further, and I am presuming that the second folder within the folder contains all your voice files, simply copy the second folder and paste it into your VV user folder. This will mean that all your original training hard work will be preserved.
If your new folder that you have just created is called " luft", then I suggest that you cut it and paste it somewhere else, and replace it with your old " luft" folder. If that does not work, then do a re-installation of ViaVoice, and your old folder will be migrated should become your default, and should be immediately usable.
Quentin