The following list provides a guide for resolving problems encountered when installing DECtalk products, using them with software applications or unexpected speech output. The list is organized by product. Under each product, the list is organized by A. the symptom, B. the problem causing it, C. steps to take to correct it and D. a reference to downloadable files or to other pages which provide more detailed information.
Legend:
A. Symptom
B. Problem
C. Correction
D. Reference
1A. Pentium system will hang when a DECtalk PC is installed.
1B. A bus timing problem between certain Pentiums (Compaq 75 and Micron
90) and the DECtalk PC
1C. No current solution.
1D. None.
2A. Windows 95 will not install correctly when a DECtalk PC is installed
in the system.
2B. Win 95 cannot identify the DECtalk card.
2C. Install Win 95 without the DECtalk card installed. Then in Control
Panel use "Install a new hardware device " and use the file DECTALK.INF
to register the DECtalk.
2D. win-95.exe
3A. DECtalk PC won't load with a system containing an EIDE CD-ROM.
3B. EIDE CD-ROM driver uses the same software interrupt (2f) as the DECtalk
PC driver, DT_DRIV.
3C. Install the file HOLD2F.SYS in the DECtalk directory and add a device
line in CONFIG.SYS.
3D. hold2f.exe
4A. SCSI CD-ROM is no longer accessible when the DECtalk PC is installed.
4B. DT_CONF reads the SCSI II "mailbox".
4C. Edit the DECtalk file DT.BAT to put discrete "-b xxx" switches
after DT_CONF and the second DT_DRIV.
4D. The edited lines would then look like this for an I/O address of 250:
DT_CONF -b 250
DT_DRIV -C -L -b 250
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Legend:
A. Symptom
B. Problem
C. Correction
D. Reference
1A. Windows 95 will not install correctly when a DECtalk PC is installed
in the system.
1B. Win 95 cannot identify the DECtalk card.
1C. Install Win 95 without the DECtalk card installed. Then in Control
Panel use "Install a new hardware device " and use the file DECTALK.INF
to register the DECtalk.
1D. win_95.exe
2A. DECtalk PC 2 won't load with a system containing an EIDE CD-ROM.
2B. EIDE CD-ROM driver uses the same software interrupt (2f) as the DECtalk
PC2 driver, DT_DRIV.
2C. Install the file HOLD2F.SYS in the DECtalk directory and add a device
line in CONFIG.SYS.
2D. hold2f.exe
3A. SCSI CD-ROM is no longer accessible when the DECtalk PC2 is installed.
3B. DT_CONF reads the SCSI II "mailbox".
3C. Edit the DECtalk file DT2.BAT to put discrete "-b xxx" switches
after the second (and 3rd) DT_DRIV lines.
3D. The edited lines would then look like this for an I/O address of 250:
DT_DRIV -C -L -B 250
DT_DRIV -C -L -B 250
4A. DECtalk PC2 will not work with Screen Reader/2 for OS/2
4B. An OS/2 driver is not available for the DECtalk PC2.
4C. No current solution.
4D. None.
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Legend:
A. Symptom
B. Problem
C. Correction
D. Reference
1A. DECtalk Express driver won't load with a system containing an EIDE
CD-ROM.
1B. EIDE CD-ROM driver uses the same software interrupt (2f) as the DECtalk
Express driver.
1C. Install the file HOLD2F.SYS in the DECtalk directory and add a device
line in CONFIG.SYS.
NOTE: The line DT_DRIV -r must be in the DECtalk batch file.
1D. hold2f.exe
2A. DECtalk Express will not work in a notebook computer which is also
using a PC Card (PCMCIA) option.
2B. The PC Card (PCMCIA) Socket Services driver is in conflict with the
DECtalk Express driver. This has been seen especially when trying to use
a SCSI PC Card like the Adaptec Slim SCSI II which controls a scanner.
2C. Obtain an updated version of the PC Card, Card and Socket Services
driver for the specific notebook. The Card Wizard Pro S/W for DOS and Windows
by System Soft have worked in most cases.
2D. PC Card Note
3A.DECtalk and/or another device connected to a COM port (such as a
serial mouse or modem) won't work or behaves erratically.
3B. DECtalk Express and the other device are trying to use the same IRQ.
3C. Try to put the Express on COM1 or COM2 and put the conflicting device
on COM3 or COM4 using a non-standard IRQ like 5 or 7.
3D. COMM Ports
4A. DECtalk Express will not always work as expected under Win V3.x
4B. Win V3.x tries to control the same COM port that DT_DRIV is also trying
to control.
4C. Insert a "DEBUG" statement in DECtalk Express batch file,
DTEXP.BAT, to remove the COM port from the Win V3.x resource directory.
4D. win_com.exe
5A. DECtalk Express behaves erracticly under Win 95
5B. Win 95 will not let the DECtalk Express driver, DT_DRIV, to control
the unit.
5C. Remove the COM port the DECtalk Express is connected to from the Win
95 resource directory using Device Manager.
5D. Win 95 Note
6A. DECtalk Express will say the letter "A" as "ah".
6B. DECtalk Express S/W V4.2A+ doesn't differentiate between the letter
"A" in running text ("ah") and in isolation ("ay").
6C. Version 4.2CB and later corrects this.
6D. Updates
7A. DECtalk Express will drop words when using JAWS and JFW.
7B. In certain cases fast stop and start speaking will cause the Express
to overwrite it own memory.
7C. Update to Version V4.2CD.
7D. Updates
8A. DECtalk Express will only work in a DOS box in Win 95.
8B. The DECtalk Express driver must be loaded via commands in AUTOEXEC.BAT
for Win 95 applications to use it. If the Express batch file is not run
from AUTOEXEC it can still be run in a DOS box but the driver will unload
when the DOS box is closed.
8C. Make sure that the commands for loading the DECtalk Express driver
are in AUTOEXEC.BAT. These commands are added to AUTOEXEC.BAT during a
standard installation.
8D. The lines added to AUTOEXEC.BAT are:
CD \DTEXP
Call DTEXP.BAT
Last updated 12/20/96
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