Hi Will, it sounds like you have XP narator turned on. From XP help; Utility Manager overviewUtility Manager enables users to check an accessibility program's status and start or stop an accessibility program. Users with administrator-level access can designate to have the program start when Utility Manager starts. Users can also start accessibility programs before logging on to the computer by pressing the Windows logo key + U at the Welcome screen. The built-in accessibility programs available from the Utility Manager are Magnifier, Narrator, and On-Screen Keyboard. Narrator, a text-to-speech program, starts when Utility Manager opens. This gives users who are blind or have impaired vision immediate access to Utility Manager. Using Utility Manager, you can tell Windows to automatically start accessibility programs each time you log on to your computer, when you lock your computer desktop, or when Utility Manager starts. For example, you can specify that Magnifier start automatically the next time you log on to your computer. This eliminates the need for you to go through the steps of opening Magnifier each time you log on to your computer. I hope this helps. Mike Baynes It is a good day if I learned something new. Editor MikesWhatsNews http://www.mwn.ca/ *********** MIKE"S REPLY SEPARATOR *********** Date: Tue, 18 May 2004 11:16:08 -0400 From: Will Stephenson <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Microphone madness Hello! I have a client with an interesting problem (laptop with Windows XP home): when he is typing in Word (XP), sometimes the program freezes for a few seconds, then throws all the typed letters onto the screen all in a rush. Stranger yet, sometimes letters appear that he hasn't even typed! My immediate suspicion was an overactive microphone. As we went through (over the phone) the various settings places in XP for sound and microphone (volume icon in the system tray, sound and audio in control panel, language in control panel), I found that there seemed to be no way to actually turn the microphone off (the mute button was not able to be unchecked). Since we were on the phone, I followed on my system and found the same results. The questions: Is there a way to turn a microphone off (we have turned sound off completely which seems to do the trick)? And is there some setting in Windows or in Word that controls this speech to text phenomena? There seems to be no taskbar language bar issues here - again, that I can find. Thanks for your help and thoughts! Will Stephenson mailto:[log in to unmask] The NOSPIN Group is now offering Free PC Tech support at our newest website: http://freepctech.com