Readme - SpeechExec

SpeechExec 8.6 Build 861 (02/2015)

All information in the Readme file is "last minute" and may overrule information in the SpeechExec user documentation.

Contents

  1. Package contents

  2. System requirements

  3. Supported operating systems

  4. Approved sound cards

  5. Starting installation

  6. New features and improvements

  7. Restrictions

  8. Known problems

  9. Problems solved

  10. Additional remarks

1. Package contents

The SpeechExec release version includes the following:

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2. System requirements

SpeechExec requires the following hardware specifications in order to function properly:

Note: For more information on Dragon NaturallySpeaking system requirements please visit the Nuance website.

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3. Supported operating systems

SpeechExec supports Windows 7 (32-bit and 64-bit), and Windows 8/8.1 (32-bit and 64-bit) operating systems. From the Windows 8 editions, only Enterprise and Professional are supported, other editions (for example, Windows 8 Home Basic and Home Premium) are not supported.
It is recommended to have the latest available Service Pack installed on the operating system.

SpeechExec will not operate on Windows systems, which do not have Windows Media Player installed ("N" and "KN" versions). In this case, Windows Media Player has to be installed manually before SpeechExec installation.

Under Windows 7, to make roaming profile setting modifications or to change the Dragon NaturallySpeaking user profile setting from local to roaming and from roaming to local, administrator account is needed.

SpeechExec also requires Microsoft .NET 4.0 Framework installed. If the operating system does not have it, it will be installed automatically during SpeechExec installation.

The Speech recognition features (online and offline) require Dragon Naturally Speaking Professional/Legal 12.5/13 or Dragon Medical Practice 2dition 2 to be installed on the computer. Dragon Home, Dragon Premium and their predecessor products are not supported with SpeechExec.

Note: For the automatic installation of Microsoft .NET 4.0 Framework, start the SpeechExec installation by launching the setup.exe. Depending on the PC, installing Microsoft .NET 4.0 Framework may take some time.

Note: To function properly under Windows Vista, SpeechExec has to be run with administrator rights. If the User Account Control (UAC) is turned on, the system asks for administrator rights. Click the Allow button to allow SpeechExec modules to run properly.

Note: Upgrading the operating system from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 may harm your SpeechExec installation! You may lose the SpeechExec license!
If you upgrade the operating system of your PC from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1 we urgently recommend taking following steps into account:
1. Return (revoke) your SpeechExec license and store the license key on a safe place.
2. Uninstall SpeechExec – your SpeechExec settings will stay on your PC.
3. Run your Windows upgrade.
4. Install the latest SpeechExec software by using the license key you have saved before. SpeechExec will take over the settings from the previous installation and you can continue working with SpeechExec.
5. In case of issues with the SpeechExec license please use the new ‘Reset all licenses’ function from the licensing dialog.

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4. Approved sound cards

The audio system must meet the following requirements:

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5. Starting installation

SpeechExec is installed with an installation wizard. The installation wizard guides you through the steps of the installation process and installs all required software components and drivers.

Important: Administrator rights are required in order to install the program. If you do not have administrator rights, an 'ikernel' error message is displayed at the beginning of the installation process.

The installation process can be started in different ways:

Follow the instructions of the installation wizard.

SpeechExec Pro and Standard applications use a internet licensing model since version 7.0. Hardware dongles used by previous versions are no longer available and are not accepted by 7.0 and higher versions.


Upgrading SpeechExec
It is recommended to uninstall a previous version manually and install this version on a clean hard drive.

Before upgrading SpeechExec it is recommended to backup your configuration files. These configuration files are:

Downgrading SpeechExec

Whenever you want to uninstall a SpeechExec application and return back to its previous version, the application can be reverted back by following these steps:


  1. Uninstall SpeechExec

  2. Run the "RestoreSettings_pre71.exe" file on the Tools\Troubleshooting\ directory of the installation CD. If the previous version is wanted to be re-installed without any user interactions, run the "RestoreSettings_pre71.exe /s" file.

  3. Before re-installing a previous version, make sure that all files are deleted from the folder where you installed SpeechExec (by default, this is a subfolder of the c:\Program Files\Philips Speech\ directory), otherwise, the re-installation will be unsuccessful.

  4. Install previous version of SpeechExec

Upgrading from Windows 8 to Windows 8.1

Before you upgrade Microsoft Windows from version 8 to version 8.1, it is recommended to revoke your SpeechExec licenses. When you reinstall SpeechExec, you will have to activate your licenses again.

Uninstallation

When uninstalling a SpeechExec program, you are asked whether to keep the personal settings. If more than one SpeechExec program is installed on the same PC (for example, SpeechExec Pro Dictate and SpeechExec Pro Transcribe) and you click No when this message is displayed, all personal settings from all installed SpeechExec programs are deleted. [PSP00022394]

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6. New features and improvements

The following new features have been added in SpeechExec Pro 8.6:

The following new features have been added in SpeechExec Pro 8.5:

The following new features have been added in SpeechExec Pro 8.1:

The following new features have been added in SpeechExec Pro 8.0:

For more information, see the Quick Reference Guide and the Online Help system.

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7. Restrictions

The following functions have been disabled in SpeechExec Pro:

Note: These functions are available in SpeechExec Enterprise and are handled on a project basis.

The following function is not supported anymore:

 

For more information, contact your local Speech Processing Solutions dealer.

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8. Known problems

Numbers in brackets refer to internal error IDs.

Installation

The SpeechExec installation procedure requires a reboot. Make sure that the same administrator user who installed SpeechExec initially also logs on after the reboot for the installation to be completed properly. If a different user tries to log on after the reboot, a dialog box is displayed, which prompts the administrator user to log on again.

If the setup fails during the startup process, SpeechExec must be started manually.

Speech recognition-related settings may appear disabled after successfully activating 'Speech Recognition for ProDictate/ProTranscribe' product

If you experience such a problem, simply exit SpeechExec and start it again. [972]

Multiple versions of SpeechExec on the same PC

Multiple versions of SpeechExec are not recommended to run in the same environment.

Upgrading SpeechExec in mixed environment

If not all installed SpeechExec applications are upgraded, do the following to run SpeechExec properly: 
Copy the configuration file of all relevant applications from the Tools\Troubleshooting\MixedEnvironment\ directory of the installation CD to the directory of the old version application next to the executable file.

For example:

If both ProDictate and ProTranscribe 6.0 SR1 are installed on the same computer and ProDictate is upgraded to 8.0, the Tools\Troubleshooting\MixedEnvironment\SEPTrans.exe.config file needs to be copied to the installation directory of the ProTranscribe application next to the SEPTrans.exe file.

Downgrading SpeechExec

Before re-installing a previous version of SpeechExec, make sure that all 8.0 files are deleted from the folder where you installed the application (by default, this is a subfolder of the c:\Program Files\Philips Speech\ or c:\Program Files (x86)\Philips Speech\ folder), otherwise, the re-installation will be unsuccessful.

Interoperability with previous versions

Using older versions of SpeechExec with dictation files created with a newer version may cause problems. It is recommended not to mix different SpeechExec versions.

Power Save mode

When laptops are in System Standby mode or Hard Disk Sleep mode, they must be returned to normal operation mode before starting the recording.

SpeechMike USB

When recording with any SpeechMike from the USB product range under any of the supported Windows operating systems, gaps may occur in the recording.

Under Windows XP, this problem can be solved by applying Service Release 1.

Windows 7

Barcode configuration does not work under Windows 7 in the SpeechMike Wizard.

When using Simple MAPI under Windows 7, make sure that a mail client is installed (tested with Windows Live Mail) and set as default.

Windows 8

Audio files that have been already associated with a different program under Windows 8, are not opened by SpeechExec Player automatically after SpeechExec installation, even though specified so during setup. When opening such audio files for the first time after SpeechExec installation, the system will offer the possibility to choose the desired playback program, and SpeechExec Player can be selected.

When using Microsoft Outlook 2010 under Windows 8, QuickSend can fail if Outlook is not running.

RTF templates not displayed correctly when generated in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word does not generate standardized .rtf documents, even if the current document is saved as a .rtf file. Therefore the Online recorder and Correction window may not be able to display these non-standard .rtf templates properly. In this case, it is recommended to recreate .rtf documents with more standard-conform applications like Wordpad.

Starting SpeechExec in hidden mode

If SpeecExec is started in hidden mode, but at least one of the following options is enabled, the application will not be minimized on the system tray:

Conversion of 8-bit WAV files

Conversion of 8-bit WAV files is not supported as the resulting signal quality would be very low. Trying to convert such a file to an other audio format may result in an error.

File import and download

When selecting files for import or DPM download, make sure that no special instruction file is selected. Special instruction files are indicated by an 'i' in their file names, for example, Dictation0010i.wav or Dictation0011i.dss. Otherwise the import or download may fail.

Copying, moving and deleting DPM files manually

When copying, moving or deleting files manually from the Digital Pocket Memo, no corresponding bitmaps are shown on the Digital Pocket Memo display.

Sending and receiving emails

When sending emails, make sure that the format of the email is in plain text if the recipient is using a different email client. If you are sending emails via POP/SMTP, the email format is always plain text. [PSP00019459]

Sending emails via GroupWise

For sending emails via GroupWise, the GroupWise Client and the latest Service Pack for the GroupWise Client have to be installed on the PC. In GroupWise, the first Send/Receive operation after starting the application sometimes results in an error message. This can be ignored.

Sending emails via Lotus Notes

For sending emails via Lotus Notes, the Lotus Notes Client has to be installed on the PC. If Lotus Notes has been upgraded from an earlier release using the incremental upgrade installer, the Lotus Notes component COM support has to be installed manually. Go to the Windows Start menu, select Run and execute the following command: regsvr32 C:\lotus\notes\nlsxbe.dll. Substitute C:\lotus\notes with the path of your Notes Domino files.

The behaviour of Lotus Notes, when accessed externally from an other application, has been changing from version to version, unfortunately they are not always compatible. Currently, there is no reliable solution to automatically detect the version number of the installed Lotus Notes environment.

Therefore, starting with B340, SpeechExec creates a new subdirectory in the EXE installation directory, named \LotusNotesDLLs. This directory contains several Lotus version-dependent DLLs to interoperate with Lotus Notes. Each interop DLL's name contains the Notes version it is based on.

There is an additional LotusDLL.xml file that tells SpeechExec which file to use. The filename is specified in the tag: <M_MANUAL_DLL_NAME>Interop.LotusNotes.xyz.dll</M_MANUAL_DLL_NAME>
The xyz part of the name determines the version. The default installed version is 6.5.

If there is a problem with the Lotus integration, this XML file must be modified, and the interop DLL filename that matches with the installed Notes version must be used.

Sending emails via Simple MAPI, Extended MAPI, and QuickSend

For sending emails via Simple MAPI, Extended MAPI, and QuickSend, a mail client has to be installed and set as the default mail client manually.

Note: Delivery is not supported on 64-bit version of Microsoft Office 2010.

Failing to send emails

If you experience problems with sending emails and dictations remain unsent in the Outbox folder, you can change your email delivery settings to SMTP/POP3. In this case, however, move the dictations from the Outbox folder to another folder and resend these files so that the new settings take effect.

SpeechExec QuickSend feature

If the default mail client under Window Vista has been initiated before starting SpeechExec, the User Account Control (UAC) is turned on, and SpeechExec is started with administrator privileges, the SpeechExec QuickSend feature will not work.

Address book in Lotus Notes

If you set up an email profile and configure Lotus Notes as the email client, SpeechExec will open the address book of Lotus Notes when sending a dictation. Therefore, only those contacts are visible in the address book that have been defined in Lotus Notes.

SpeechMike Executive

It is possible to have a SpeechMike Executive installation and a SpeechExec installation where files are saved to the same location. If a file created with SpeechMike Executive is opened in SpeechExec and the file information (such as dictation properties or Keywords) is updated, the updated information will not be available in SpeechMike Executive.When opening the file again with SpeechMike Executive, only the original file information will be available. File information in SpeechMike Executive is stored in .sfd files and in SpeechExec is stored in .xml files. If the file is open in SpeechMike Executive, SpeechExec does not always show the file as locked (although it is locked and can be opened only for playback) and vice versa. [PSP00019960]

Grundig .dss files

Some Grundig recording devices create non-standard .dss files. Working with these files in SpeechExec Recorder results in corrupt sound files and loss of data. Therefore, it is not possible to record Grundig .dss files in SpeechExec. [PSP00020379]

Dictation list

Sometimes the dictation list is not updated with the most recent information. For example, if you have a custom folder in the Folders tree that points to a directory on a removable drive (like the drive assigned to a Digital Pocket Memo device), and you delete a file from that directory with Explorer, the file may not be removed from the SpeechExec dictation list. Clicking the Refresh button on the toolbar or pressing f5 will update the dictation list correctly.

Local Work folder

Mapping the Local Work folder to a network location is not recommended, since it might cause problems. [PSP00021199]

FTP server

Some FTP servers are not supported. If you have any problems, contact Professional Services.

Default playback device problem

When using DPMs or SpeechMikes as default playback devices for the first time, it might not work. In this case do the following:
- Go to Control Panel, Sounds and Audio devices.
- On the Audio tab select the default playback device again from the listbox and click apply.

Screen resolution and display size

When using a higher screen resolution than specified in the system requirements the SpeechExec windows and dialogs will look distorted. Please use a maximum screen resolution as defined in the SpeechExec system requirements.

If the display size is > 125% SpeechExec might crash.

Speech recognition with Dragon NaturallySpeaking

Active Accessibility feature

The "Active Accessibility" feature of Dragon NaturallySpeaking may slow down the performance of SpeechExec. To improve performance, turn this feature off manually and restart Dragon NaturallySpeaking so that the setting takes effect.
By default, this feature is turned off if Dragon NaturallySpeaking has been installed before SpeechExec installation.
Within SpeechExec, this feature can be turned on or off under General Settings/Speech Recognition/Troubleshooting (Change voice menu navigation availability option).

Using a recorder or player device in any recording application (Dragon NaturallySpeaking desktop speech recognition) and in SpeechExec

Neither playback nor recording is supported through a device that is not full-duplex if it is already used by another application. For example, when SpeechMike is already used for desktop speech recognition under Dragon NaturallySpeaking, it cannot be used for recording or playback in SpeechExec.

Using Dragon roaming profiles with and without administration rights

If a roaming profile is opened first by a user with administration rights (for training or when creating a speech-recognizable dictation file in online mode), the profile cannot be opened after that by a user without administration rights on the same computer.

Using Dragon NaturallySpeaking simultaneously by different applications

If SpeechExec uses Dragon NaturallySpeaking through the speech recognition functionality, Dragon NaturallySpeaking features will not be fully available for other applications.

Audio Setup in Dragon NaturallySpeaking

When connecting a new recording device to the computer for recording in online speech recognition mode, the device must be set up in Dragon NaturallySpeaking through the Audio Setup to train the new user profile. In some cases Dragon NaturallySpeaking does not percieve the speech of the user. To resolve the problem, restart SpeechExec and Dragon NaturallySpeaking.

Using the "Digital recorder using sound files (.wav) on disk" dictation source

Please do not use the "Digital recorder using sound files (.wav) on disk" dictation source in a user profile for recording in online speech recognition mode, it can lead to serious problems. Create instead a USB microphone dictation source in Dragon NaturallySpeaking and select "USB microphone" in the "Dictation source for dictation files created within SpeechExec" combo-box in SpeechExec. For more information, see the Online Help system for the General Settings/Speech recognition/Recognition settings page.

Upgrading Dragon NaturallySpeaking

When upgrading Dragon to version 11, the Dragon user profile name is appended with the suffix: (v11). For example, if your user profile naming convention is MyName001, it becomes MyName001(v11).
As SpeechExec checks the Author property of the dictation file and looks for a Dragon user profile with the same user name, the dictation file cannot be processed for offline speech recognition until the user profile name is appropriate.
Make sure that you use the appropriate Dragon user profile name, the dictation file cannot be processed without it.

Using commands with SpeechMike function buttons in the Speech Recognition Recorder

Some Dragon NaturallySpeaking commands assigned to the SpeechMike function buttons do not operate in the online recorder.

Highlighting not synchronized with text during playback of speech-recognized documents generated through offline recognition

In .rtf documents generated through offline speech recognition the highlighting of text during playback may be shifted if dictation commands have been used during recording (for example, new line, new paragraph).

It is recommended to always use the latest version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking available for optimal results.

Bullets added in the Speech Recognition recorder are not displayed in Correction window

When bullets are added to the speech recognized text to create a bulleted list in the online recorder, and the dictation file is sent for correction, the bullets may not be displayed properly in the Correction window.

When using the correction editor with dictation files longer than 30 minutes, the cursor may jump back to the start of the dictation

Increase the playback buffer for Dragon in 'Dragonbar / Tools / Options / Data /Disk space reserved for playback'. Specify at least 1000 MByte buffer. [1249]

Spelling Window disappears

Sometimes the Spelling Window disappears right after it is displayed. [63236]

Audio files created in Digital Recorder are recognized badly in offline recognition if they contain restricted Dragon commands

Digital dictations containing restricted commands like "Scratch That" or "Resume With" are recognized incorrectly during offline recognition, so the highlighting goes wrong when reaching these restricted command texts when playing back such offline recognized dictations.

Using SpeechExec Pro Transcribe for backend speech recognition

When using a PC as backend speech recognition computer it is strongly recommended to regularily  restart
(1x per day) SpeechExec Pro Transcribe.

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9. Problems solved

WMA playback

WMA file playback problem is solved.

MS Outlook security warnings

Security warnings of Microsoft Outlook are suppressed when sending emails from SpeechExec through Outlook.

Automatic subfolder creation

No more limitations when using the automatic subfolder creation option in SpeechExec Dictate.

DDE applications

SpeechExec does not interact anymore with other applications using DDE. So programs like Bank Austria BusinessLine software can be used while SpeechExec is running.

UNC Paths

UNC Paths are supported.

Lotus Notes

All recent versions of Lotus Notes are supported.

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10. Additional remarks

Running SpeechExec applications

Running SpeechExec applications from a network share or with a mapped network drive is not supported.

Opening the attachment of speech-recognizable dictations

Word processing systems other than Microsoft Word and Open Office may ruin the bookmarks of a speech-recognized dictation file, causing the failure of highlighting words during playback in the correction window. Therefore, it is recommended to use only Microsoft Word or Open Office to open the attached document.

 

Novell environment

To ensure optimal and error-free operation, make sure that the Novell Client is configured as follows:

- Open the 'Novell Client Configuration' dialog of the Novell Client

- Select the 'Advanced settings' tab

- Set 'File caching' to OFF

- Set 'File commit' to ON

Upgrading SpeechExec in mixed environment

If not all installed SpeechExec applications are upgraded, do the following to run SpeechExec properly: 
Copy the configuration file of all relevant applications from the Tools\Troubleshooting\MixedEnvironment\ directory of the installation CD to the directory of the old version application next to the executable file.

For example:

If both ProDictate and ProTranscribe 6.0 SR1 are installed on the same computer and ProDictate is upgraded to 8.0, the Tools\Troubleshooting\MixedEnvironment\SEPTrans.exe.config file needs to be copied to the installation directory of the ProTranscribe application next to the SEPTrans.exe file.

User documentation

If SpeechExec User Manuals (PDF versions) have not been installed, they can be found in the Product Information\User Manuals folder on the SpeechExec installation CD.

The user documentation may not be up-to-date in all areas because of late product changes.

When downloading software updates from the Internet, no new user documentation is included. To download the latest user documentation, click here: User Manuals and select the appropriate product and language. If the needed manual is not here, select the Country/Language from the country website list on the left.

Sending dictation files via email in Microsoft Outlook

When sending dictation files in SpeechExec via Microsoft Outlook, the emails containing the files are moved to the Outbox folder of Outlook. These emails may not be sent out immediately. The sending of these emails is managed by Outlook from this point.

 

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Use of this software is subject to the terms and conditions of the License Agreement.

SpeechExec and SpeechMike are registered trademarks of Speech Processing Solutions GmbH

This product includes software developed by Paul E. Jones
Copyright (C) 1998
Paul E. Jones (paulej@arid.us)
All Rights Reserved.

This software is licensed as "freeware." Permission to distribute this software in source and binary forms is hereby granted without a fee. THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED 'AS IS' AND WITHOUT ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE AUTHOR SHALL NOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES RESULTING FROM THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EITHER DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE.

This product includes software developed by Dr Brian Gladman
Copyright (c) 2001, Dr Brian Gladman ( ), Worcester, UK.
All rights reserved.

LICENSE TERMS

The free distribution and use of this software in both source and binary form is allowed (with or without changes) provided that:

  1. distributions of this source code include the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer

  2. distributions in binary form include the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other associated materials

  3. the copyright holder's name is not used to endorse products built using this software without specific written permission

DISCLAIMER

This software is provided 'as is' with no explicit or implied warranties in respect of its properties, including, but not limited to, correctness and fitness for purpose.

This product includes software developed by the Apache Software Foundation (http://www.apache.org).

The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

© Copyright (c) 2015 Speech Processing Solutions GmbH. All rights reserved! Reproduction in whole or in part is prohibited without the written consent of the copyright owner.

Speech Processing Solutions

Philips and the Philips’ Shield Emblem are registered trademarks of Koninklijke Philips N.V. and are used by Speech Processing Solutions GmbH under license from Koninklijke Philips N.V.