I'm not a tech but it sounds as though the problem is occurring at a
lower level than Windows.

Gene

On 1/4/2023 3:26 PM, Jim Pemberton wrote:

Hi Brian, and many thanks to you, and all of the others in this thread
who have offered suggestions to try to solve this problem.  To try to
sum up the story as best I can, I have a new to me HP laptop, with a
clean windows install, and the latest NVDA.  At seemingly random
times, something is causing NVDA to either stop speaking completely,
or is causing the speech to be cut off after a syllable or two.  It
has happened at the log in screen, and after several minutes of use.
I’ve tried using the built-in laptop speaker, soundcard and headphone
jack, plus a couple of USB soundcards and keyboards, as well as the
Microsoft and E-Speak synthesizers, all yielding the same seemingly
random result. Restarting NVDA does not solve the problem.  I can only
bring speech back by restarting the machine, until of course it stop s
again.  Doing a system restore didn’t fix it.  I did an NVDA remote
connection on another PC in the same room, and when the problem
occurs, the speech is cut off on both machines. I tried using narrator
instead of NVDA, and rather than the speech being cut off, it told me
that “one running window was requesting attention, after which it
would say not much more than the phrase, “unknown key” repeatedly.
That leads me to believe that something is popping up, which is
blocking speech output with both Narrator and NVDA.  The latest thing
I’ve just tried is to just reinstall Windows completely.  Since I only
just got this PC, and with the trouble I’m having with it, I hadn’t
really had time to install much on it, so redoing Windows didn’t seem
too painful.  To my shock, the problem occurred in the midst of the
Installation process. Fortunately, I was far enough into the
installation process that I could pretty much guess my way through
what to click on to complete it.  That’s basically where I’m at now.

*From:* nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> *On Behalf Of *Brian
Vogel
*Sent:* Wednesday, January 4, 2023 1:20 PM
*To:* nvda@nvda.groups.io
*Subject:* Re: [nvda] NVDA randomly stops speaking

Jim,

For issues as complex as this one is, it is really helpful to have a
list compiled of exactly what you have already tried so all assistants
can assess "where we are" in their own minds.

I realize you've mentioned a number of things, but in cases like this
I have found it very helpful for the original questioner to compile a
list, and keep it up to date, reposting it along the way as "the next
thing" has been tried.

Also, and you've offered this information, too, but it's helpful to
have an "ecosystem synopsis" where things like the Windows version(s)
and builds, NVDA Versions, add-on lists for each machine, is put
together and updates posted as additional information is asked for and
answered.

It's just too darned hard, and even sometimes for the person on the
front line (you), to remember everything as diagnostics and fix
attempts march on.  The amount of trial and error involved makes it
all very hard to keep straight over time without information compiled
in an easy to digest manner.
--

Brian *- *Virginia, USA*- *Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 22H2, Build
19045; Office 2016, Version 16.0.15726.20188, 32-bit

"Be Yourself" is the worst advice you can give to some people.

       ~ Tom Masson