There is little more terrifying to a Dragon user than opening Dragon and being met with an “Internal Recognizer Error…”. There is often the faint hope that the usual trouble shooting routine of shutting down all programs and restarting the computer will “make the problem go away”. And usually it does “go away”, but it could be a warning that the user profile is teetering on the edge of sliding into corruption. If Dragon presents the user with another error message, then it’s likely a sign to restore from a backup or contact Speakeasy Solutions to be walked through the process of restoring the most recent Dragon backup.

At the end of the day, if all else fails, and Dragon’s backup cannot be utilized, your own deliberate backup will need to be called upon.

So… for that reason:

• Back up at least every two weeks.
• Consider including your Dragon profile directory in your office’s regular data backup routine.
• Retain the last two backups of your profile for extra insurance.
• Back up BEFORE you run the Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer (aka Accuracy Tuning).
• If required, Create a recurring appointment in your MS Outlook calendar to remind you to backup Dragon every 2 weeks.

Speakeasy Solutions clients can find more detailed information about the various methods for backing up their Dragon user profiles in their Training Workbooks:

• Version 10 — page 211, with emphasis found beginning on the bottom of page 213
• Version 11 — page 191, with emphasis found beginning on the bottom of page 192

And again, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Why?

And finally… Why do Dragon user profiles become corrupt? The question really is: “Why does any file or data on a computer become corrupt?”. The reasons are many and include:

• An exceptionally bad crash of an application (or even Windows).
• A Windows or application update that did not successfully implement.
• A virus or malware.
• Tampering by a human.
• Sudden termination of power to the PC, causing an untimely shut down.

Prevention

Corrupt files can usually be averted by taking certain precautions and being mindful while using the computer. Suggestions are as follows:

• Restart your computer once per day to refresh Window’s memory (more frequently for slower or heavily used systems).
• Wait for your entire computer to load its background programs and settle before opening your main applications (i.e. wait until the mouse cursor’s “wait” hourglass or circle icon is consistently showing a pointer).
• Keep software updated, and do not perform other tasks on your computer while software is being updated (be mindful of any error messages during updates).
• Use a good antivirus and keep it updated.
• Do not tax your system by running more applications simultaneously than your PC’s specifications can truly handle.
• Shut down all applications before turning your PC off.
• When shutting down applications or files, do not rush them — let them shut down completely before moving on to the next task.
• Avoid random errant mouse clicking in the hopes that “it will do the right thing because it worked once before”.
• At the first sign that your computer is taxed, take the time to shut down every application and restart your computer (grabbing a coffee at this point may be helpful).
• Use a quality UPS to avoid power outage and fluctuation mishaps.

ETA:  As of Dragon version 11 & Dragon Medical Practice Edition, this feature is dubbed Accuracy Tuning.  It is also still quite effective to operate.

1. Always back up your user profile before running the Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer feature. This will ensure that you have a copy of your profile that you may resort to in case the Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer feature adversely affects your user profile (which can still happen).
2. Run the Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer feature every few months rather than once a month. Dragon requires sufficient information to use for this accuracy tuning process, and if insufficient, may not improve your recognition accuracy at all.
3. Allow several hours for the Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer feature to run unimpeded, without you using the computer. Run this feature at the end of the day or over night.
4. If you have a non-roaming user profile, run Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer feature from within the Accuracy Center. If you have a roaming user profile, schedule the Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer under the Dragon NaturallySpeaking Tools (Start> Programs> Dragon x> Dragon Tools> Acoustic & Language Model Optimizer Scheduler).

Detailed information can be found in the Speakeasy Solutions Inc. Dragon Training Workbook on the following pages:

• Version 10: pages 168-173
• Version 11: pages 166-169

If you require further details or assistance, please do not hesitate to contact Speakeasy Solutions. If you are an existing Speakeasy Solutions client who has purchased a speech recognition (Dragon NaturallySpeaking or Dragon Medical) solution package, which includes installation and training, you are entitled to 2 hours of free phone support within the first year of the purchase and pertaining to the version purchased. Please call us at 604-264-9109, and we will assist you.