That's too bad, since I've had similar experiences to what you are
describing.

I think it might be a  good idea to exchange the computer since it is my
guess that it may not be easy to figure out the cause.

Gene

On 1/4/2023 7:07 PM, Jim Pemberton wrote:

Hi Gene.  To answer your question, I’ve used this PC almost
exclusively with a wired USB keyboard, rather than the on board one,
as I don’t like the built-in keyboard.  I did try using the machine
with the built-in keyboard, with the external one disconnected, just
to rule that out as a possibility, and it made no difference.

*From:* nvda@nvda.groups.io <nvda@nvda.groups.io> *On Behalf Of *Gene
*Sent:* Wednesday, January 4, 2023 6:48 PM
*To:* nvda@nvda.groups.io
*Subject:* Re: [nvda] NVDA randomly stops speaking

In thinking about your problem, there is one thing that comes to mind
that hasn't been discussed.  If you are using the internal keyboard,
do you have an external keyboard you can use?  One thing that may
cause a sort of mimic of speech being cut off is that if the mouse pad
is enabled, you may be losing focus and sent to another window. If
that happens fast enough, the effect may be that speech appears to be
stopped.  Just exactly what happens in terms of movement, I'm not
sure.  Perhaps you are moved very quickly to a new window and then
somewhere else.  While I'm not sure just what happens, I had
experiences that sound similar to yours when I was recently playing
with a computer with the mouse pad enabled.  I would often hear the
beginning of speech and then it would stop.  I know it was the mouse
pad because if I used an external keyboard, the problem didn't occur.

Gene

On 1/4/2023 5:51 PM, Gene wrote:

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 <mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io>
<nvda@nvda.groups.io> <mailto:nvda@nvda.groups.io> *On Behalf
Of *Brian Vogel
*Sent:* Wednesday, January 4, 2023 1:20 PM
*To:* nvda@nvda.groups.io <mailto: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