Why is Dragon NaturallySpeaking not working?

When Dragon NaturallySpeaking does nothing, the cause is usually one of a few things you can check in order: the microphone, Windows permission, the activation state, and the profile. Nuance's own pages name each of these, and the list below follows that order. Two problems people search for, error 166 and freezing, did not appear in any Nuance page we could open, so we say what we could not confirm rather than offer a fix.

Start with the microphone and Windows permission

If Dragon hears nothing, Windows may be blocking it. Windows can block the microphone for each kind of app. Desktop programs such as Dragon have their own switch, Let desktop apps access your microphone, which must be turned on ¹. Turn on the Microphone access setting as well, then restart Dragon.

Next, check the input. A USB microphone can fail during setup on some laptops. Nuance's Dragon 16.1 known issues say that on some laptops, creating a user with a USB microphone can show a timeout error: "you may see a "Timeout error" message on the Check Microphone dialog" ². If you see it, try a different USB port or a different microphone, then run the check again.

After you connect a USB microphone, run Dragon's sound check by saying "Check Audio". The question on microphone choice covers the hardware side.

Trial mode and activation can stop Dragon

Dragon 16.1 asks you to activate it the first time you start it. If you skip activation, you can launch it in Trial mode five times, and after that you must activate it ³. If a fresh install will not start, check whether it still needs activation, and check the serial number you entered during install before you reinstall.

If your copy is managed by an organization with Nuance Management Center, it also needs the internet. Nuance says that when Nuance Management Center mode is enabled, Dragon needs an internet connection to reach the NMC server ⁴.

A profile that did not move during an upgrade

An upgrade can leave Dragon opening without the profile you expect. After an upgrade to version 16, Dragon moves a standalone profile from ProgramData to LocalAppdata ⁵. If that move fails, Dragon renames the profile ⁶, so the profile it opens may not be the one you expect.

Look in the ProgramData folder for a renamed profile, and in the local AppData folder for your current profile. Do not delete anything until you have a copy of the profile you need. The guide to setting up Dragon explains where profiles are created and how to pick one in Manage User Profiles.

Commands stop after the browser extension on version 16.0

If Dragon dictates but no longer runs commands, check whether you installed the Dragon Web extensions for Edge or Chrome on version 16.0. Nuance's release notes list the problem, which is that after the install "dictation will continues to work but you can no longer use Dragon commands" ⁷. Version 16.1 fixed it, and its notes say "All commands work after installing the Dragon web extensions" ⁸. Update to 16.1 and test the commands again.

The question on the Dragon web extension covers the install itself.

Error 166 and freezing: what we could not confirm

We searched for "error 166" and found no Nuance page that names it, and no page with a fix for it. The only result that named the code was a generic page with no steps, so we have not given you a cause or a fix. Nuance's error-message pages for older versions were not reachable from our connection when we checked, so we could not read them.

Freezing is the same. We did not find a Nuance fix for Dragon 16 that stops it freezing, and the forum reports we read describe causes that we could not confirm for this version. Nuance's Dragon 16 release notes give 4 GB of RAM as the minimum ⁹, so check your machine meets them before you assume the software is at fault.

For either problem, write down the exact message or the steps that lead to the freeze, your Dragon version and your Windows version, and contact Nuance support with those details. That is the route that can confirm a cause for your copy.

What to do, in order

1. Turn on microphone access for Windows and for desktop apps, then restart Dragon.
2. Run the microphone check, and check the volume indicator on the DragonBar.
3. Confirm the version and that the copy is activated. If it has run five trial launches, activate it.
4. If you upgraded, look for a renamed profile in ProgramData before you delete anything.
5. If commands stopped after a browser extension install on 16.0, update to 16.1.
6. If Dragon still fails, collect the error text and your versions, then contact Nuance support.

For the setup steps that prevent most of these problems, read the guide to setting up Dragon NaturallySpeaking. If you are moving to a new computer, the question on moving Dragon covers the license and profile steps. For the product itself, see the Dragon NaturallySpeaking overview and the glossary entry for Dragon NaturallySpeaking.