Error Recovery
One common note: Some of the folders (directories) referenced, particularly the "Application Data" folder, are by default "hidden folders." To see these, you will need to change the settings of "My Computer" or "Explorer" to see them. In Windows-XP, go to Tools, Folder Options to make this change. Alternately you can type that directory name into the My Computer window.
Recovery can take many different directions depending on the system status, what data is available, etc. Make sure that you make copies of any files that might be affected prior to deleting such files. A log of what you do is appropriate and helpful should you end up calling us or others to assist.
Recover User Files
By far the most common problem with User files is that one opens up Dragon and one gets a warning that the user files can not be opened. Panic sets in, you don't know what you did wrong, etc. Often, but not always, you can very easily recover from this situation.
- Step 1: Close Dragon (if needed)
- Step 2: Find user files by finding the "Users" folder. On a standard installation, these files are in the folders:
- Release 10 on Microsoft Vista: C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking10\Users
- Release 9.5 on Microsoft Vista: C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking9\Users
- Release 10 on Windows-XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking10\Users.
- Release 9 on Windows-XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking9\Users.
- Release 8 on Windows-XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ScanSoft\NaturallySpeaking8\Users. (On Release 7.3, substitute "NaturallySpeaking" for "NaturallySpeaking8")
- Step 3: (Optional) Copy the entire Users folder to a safe location so that further recovery can be attempted if this process does not work.
- Step 4: Find your specific user folder, which will normally have both a "current" and a "backup" folder along with a few other folders. If you do not have a "backup" folder then this recovery method will not work.
- Step 5: Rename the "current" folder to "current-old". (Right-clicking on the folder name gives you the chance to rename the folder.)
- Step 6: Rename the "backup" folder to "current".
- Step 7: Close the My Computer folder.
- Step 8: Restart Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Often this will open up your user normally!
In Release 11, Nuance introduced another set of files that can be useful for backup. There is now a checkpoint directory, chkpt, in your user folder. Within the chkpt folder, you may find folders with the names chkpt01, chkpt02, ... which will have copies of key parts of your user files.
Within each of these folders, the checkpoint.ini file has some information about the purpose of the checkpoint that may be useful in determining which is the last valid set of files.
To use these, with Dragon closed, make a copy of your "current" folder. Then copy the contents EXCEPT FOR THE CHECKPOINT.INI FILE of one of the chkptnn folders into the corresponding files in your "current" folder in the affected user file.
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Recover Macros
Many users of Preferred, Professional, Medical or Legal versions create macros to expedite use of NaturallySpeaking. Typically collections of these macros are small files, able to be backed up on floppy disk, sent to other machines, etc.
If your entire user is backed up, your macros are also backed up so a separate backup is not necessary.
- Step 1 (Professional, Medical, or Legal): Go to Tools, Command Browser, then the Manage tab. Select all items (or only specific ones if you choose), then click Import. Find a myCmds.dat file, typically in a directory where you have backed up your user files or else one of the following directories:
- Release 9.5 on Microsoft Vista: C:\ProgramData\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking9\Users
- Release 9 on Windows-XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Nuance\NaturallySpeaking9\Users.
- Release 8 on Windows-XP: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\ScanSoft\NaturallySpeaking8\Users. (On Release 7.3, substitute "NaturallySpeaking" for "NaturallySpeaking8")
- Step 2: Import the desired macros. You may have to check a lot of boxes to do this, that is much easier than recreating the macros!
- If using Preferred, your only choice is to copy an entire MyCmds.dat file. It is not (easily) possible to mix macros from multiple Preferred installations.
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