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Since latest update macspeech crashes every 5 minutes

(115 posts)

Started 3 years ago by Ernst
Latest reply from jlambert

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Ernst
Member

As indicated in the title since latest update MacSpeech crashes virtually every 3 to 5 minutes. before the update I had very occasional crashes (2 to 3 times a month). The crashing seems to be specifically occurring when I use expos� to switch to another application. It doesn't matter whether the microphone is on or off. Whilst working on the other application I get the error message that MacSpeech unexpectedly quit.

Posted 3 years ago #
Pathster
Member

Me to! I am not doing anything on the computer and it crashes every couple of minutes ... not using expose, and in most cases the microphone is switched off.

Posted 3 years ago #
abledoc
Member

I have had one unexpected crash working on another application with 4 corner expose' and 4 spaces but otherwise update has been stable, fast and accurate so far (several days). (using 10.5.8 and 1.5.5 Build 6540 on 2.2 Mhz MBP)

Posted 3 years ago #
StevieT
Member

I've been using the email client FirstClass and everytime I start a new message MacSpeech crashes. It's only been since updating today with 1.5.6.

Posted 3 years ago #
mathom
Member

I just had a crash also. Just out of curiosity, how many people with crashes have the new "Auto Cache Document" turned on? It appears to be turned on for both TextEdit and Word by default in the update.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

I'm having the same problem with crashing every few minutes. I'm dictating into Pages, and Dictate will crash after closing a document.

I tried resetting the program at crash. I've tried trashing the MacSpeech dictate preferences file. No success.

I'm now trying turing off the AutoCache document feature.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

Turning off the AutoCache didn't work.

Restarting the computer didn't work.

Posted 3 years ago #
mathom
Member

Rats! I was hoping since one of the routines in the crash log was "NotifySelectedTextDestinationChanged" that it might have to do with the new caching feature. Oh well. I guess we will have to wait for MacSpeech to figure it out. The crash logs I'm getting look pretty consistent so hopefully it won't be too hard.

Posted 3 years ago #
Pathster
Member

I've figured out what is happening with mine now - crashes every time I send an email using a Filemaker Pro script.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

Just noticed Dictate crashes after doing a command C for copy in Pages.

Posted 3 years ago #
GK
Member

Having used the MacSpeech Dictate with a MacBook Pro for almost a year now, I then bought the latest 15 inch MacBook Pro and cross-graded to macSpeech Dictate Legal. The software has been working fine.

I always wanted to use a Plantronics Calisto, and, having sourced a local re-supplier, yesterday I went out and tried to pair a Plantronics Savi Go headset. It worked. I returned the demo set to the dealer and continued to use my own Plantronics USB microphone (that came with the initial MacSpeech Dictate 1.5) and MacSpeech Dictate Legal worked as usual.

Afterwards, when I turned on the MacBook Pro yesterday the software loaded, and I was prompted to upgrade to the latest upgrade (either 1.5.5 or 1.5.6, or both, I can't remember).

I did. That was it; the software hung. I noticed that when I press 'make active' the entire software hangs.

I have referred to the instruction manual and have gone through it with a fine toothcomb, including checking the sound and voice settings in the System preferences and ensuring that the headset is selected and properly turned on. Thinking that the Plantronics Savo Go headset could have caused the problem, I deleted the profile for it, and tried different headsets, I tried creating new profiles and even tried voice training with the Mac-designed iPhone Headset.

Nothing has worked since last night, and all through today. I then felt desperate enough to un-install and reinstall the entire software.

I have completely deleted all earlier profiles which had been recorded over a year (the earlier version was with MacSPeech Dictate).

Again the upgrade prompt came on, and I repeated the entire process and have another hang. Every other software for the Mac (safari, Mail, MS Word, Pages etc) works OK.

I tried uninstalling and reinstalling for the third time. Same problem. I now realise that the whole thing started seconds after the downloading the upgrad.

MacSpeech Dictate is such a lovely software. My legal work has been interrupted and this is a most inconvenient time for this to happen. I am absolutely not able to get past the launch stage. Every time I Force Quit after 30 minutes of waiting, and try again, nothing has happened.

I sent an email to Macspeech support. I would appreciate any assistance. Many thanks.

GK

Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

Posted 3 years ago #
GK
Member

Problem solved!

The MacSpeech Support team responded within a few hours (a nice person by the name of Devin M. at MacSpeech Technical Support [dictate-support@macspeech.com]

Now, that is service!

It all has to do with the �com.macspeech.dictate.plist� which sits in the Library>Preferences folder. It has to be moved to Trash.

This is what I was instructed to do, and here it is:-

Please close Dictate and then try the following:

1) Go to your Macintosh HD
2) Go to your user folder (marked with an icon of a house)
3) Go to the Library folder
4) Go to Application Support
5) Go to MacSpeech
6) Go to Dictate
7) Drag the license key file from the Dictate folder to your Desktop
8) Go back to the Library folder (from Step 3)
9) Go to the Preferences folder
10) Find the file named com.macspeech.dictate.plist and drag it to the trash
Launch Dictate

You will be prompted with a dialog box asking for your passcode or passkey. I had left it at the office. So I took the licence key (which I had moved to the Desktop) at step 7 and dropped it back into the �dictate� folder after following steps 1 through 6.

It now works fine.

Phew!

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

Downloaded a new update today, the crashing problem persists.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

Working now, thanks for the advice

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

I may have spoke too soon. Dictate just crashed again. Occurred just after saving a file. How soon will be the next update?

Posted 3 years ago #
Yakker
Member

Hi drmac05;

Maybe giving GK's solution [just a couple entries earlier here] a try would help?

I haven't had any problem with the update, so i can't comment further. But it might be worth a try. . .

Ray

Posted 3 years ago #
fernst
Member

I can't help but conclude that Build 6540 I installed yesterday through the automatic "Check for Updates" was sloppy. Like others who posted in this forum, I experienced frequent crashes. Moreover, the version number did not show correctly (was still 1.5.5). Checking the MacSpeech website today, I just found Build 6615 available for download. This shows the correct version number (1.5.6) and has not crashed on me for at least 10 minutes now. It would have been nice if MacSpeech had notified their clients of this "silent" update -- but perhaps I missed an e-mail from them? My only grief now is that the character transposition problem still has not been solved.

Regarding GK's solution, corruption of preference (plist) files is a common and well known problem under OS X. It is in fact so common that "on most applications...", "retry temporarliy deletes the preferences plist for the application when it opens", see this URL:

http://forums.macosxhints.com/archive/index.php/t-65589.html

I have not yet deleted my plist file, and Build 6615 runs and runs...

Posted 3 years ago #
fernst
Member

... and then it crashed. Consistent with drmac's observation, it crashed when saving a file in Keynote. Playing with this for a while, it seems it does not always crash when saving some file, but when it does crash, this is always on saving a file. I have now downgraded to version 1.5.5, Build 6324. At first, the status indicator in the status window did not work correctly anymore -- when I said "wake up" to wake the system from sleep, I got the red stop light instead of the green light. It seems this problem is indeed related to the plist preferences file that my installation of version 1.5.6 left behind (likely, this has switches for the new features of version 1.5.6, and these confused the old version 1.5.5). After deleting this file and having it rebuilt by restarting Dictate, everything seems to work as it did before the "update."

Posted 3 years ago #
Slider
Member

I just had it crash on me for the 4th time today. I tried the fix mentioned a few lines up, but apparently it doesn't quite work.

Posted 3 years ago #
StevieT
Member

It does seem to be saving files that causes the trouble and the latest build update hasn't solved it. I had a crash doing a 'save as' command in Word even though I wasn't using MacSpeech at the time.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

Is there a web link where I can find the 1.5.5 version to downgrade from 1.5.6? Thanks

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

FYI: 1.5.6 also crashes when I have the microphone off, go to the finder, and search for a file. That appears to be a consistent cause of crashing 1.5.6. Also, whenever I save a document in Pages, 1.5.6 crashes fairly consistently.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

That is, save a document then close it, then Dictate 1.5.6 crashes.

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

And yes, I did do the fix recommended by GK. I'm running Dictate Medical.

Posted 3 years ago #
mike
Member

Yup. Crashes every 5 minutes. Unbelievable, have NEVER had software like this. Multiple contacts with tech support. Finally, I ERASED MY ENTIRE HARD DRIVE, and reinstalled everything from scratch.

Guess what? Still crashes every 5 minutes.

Wow.

And can ANYONE think of a reason why they won't let us delete words from the dictionary? That would be the difference between this being a constant struggle, and being a useful tool. Dragon naturally speaking for the PC allows that, why won't the Dictate engineers allow it. Such a no-brainer. I have yet to think of ANY reason why that shouldn't be allowed. Anyone know?

Mike

Posted 3 years ago #
drmac05
Member

For fun, I repeated GK's solution. MSD is still crashing.

Fortunately, my office schedule is light today. I have a very busy Monday schedule. I hope a solution arrives this weekend.

Posted 3 years ago #
GK
Member

Crashed again:

This is what happened seconds before the crash (when everything was working well): I had gone to Preferences>Generate email commands and ticked that box. The software froze.

I relaunched it and tried to get to Preferences again, to turn 'generate email commands' off, but the software froze before I could do that. After a few tries I managed to turn of 'generate email commands' and the programs relaunched, and works; but it is sluggish and word recognition has dropped drastically.

(From this point on I commenced using MacSpeech Dictate Legal to dictate this message)
I went back to the system preferences adjusted speech calibration and set up 'sound'.

The software now continues to work, but it is not responding to my commands 100%. Commands are ignored. Simple commands were ignored (e.g. 'forget that', scratch word' etc). And yes, I did check the Systems Preferences, and 'Sound' and 'speech' and calibrated it numerous times. I also checked the wireless microphone repeatedly. It is turned on and fully charged).

Anyone had similar problems after dealings with >Preferences>'Generate email commands'-and ticked that box?

Posted 3 years ago #
GK
Member

Dear All

See if this works:

1. Open MacSpeech Dictate
2. Go to the Dictate menu
3. Choose Preferences menu item
4. Go to the Command tab
5. Uncheck the option for "Generate Email Commands at Startup"
6. Close Preferences window
7. Quit MacSpeech Dictate
8. Relaunch MacSpeech Dictate

Posted 3 years ago #
Yakker
Member

I don't use any of the e-mail commands so I haven't been following the discussion about them. But I do seem to recall that some people have reported difficulties with them.

If you don't find an adequate solution you might consider doing again the.plist procedure. I don't know why that preferences document would get corrupted, but apparently it does happen more frequently than one would expect.

Once this is done, you might consider sidestepping the e-mail commands to see if that restores the reliability you had before.

Hope this helps;

Ray

Posted 3 years ago #
mike
Member

Yeah. If wiping the hard drive and reinstalling a fresh download doesn't do it, i don't know what would...

Posted 3 years ago #

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