How do you fix a dictation foot pedal that is not working?

A dictation foot pedal that does nothing usually has one of three faults: it was connected in the wrong order, the transcription software is set to the wrong port, or the pedal is not supported by the software at all. Check them in that order, because the first two are free to fix and the third may mean buying a different pedal. A pedal only controls playback of a recording that already exists, so a silent pedal does not affect what was recorded. For the basic definition, see what a dictation foot pedal is.

Reconnect the pedal in the order the maker specifies

Philips' troubleshooting table for the SpeechMike Premium Air covers the case where the computer cannot detect the foot control. Its fix is to disconnect everything, reconnect the foot control to the docking station first, and only then connect the docking station to the computer ¹. Other SpeechMike models may use different steps, so check your model's manual. In practice, the steps are:

1. Disconnect the foot control from the docking station, and disconnect the docking station from the computer or the power outlet.
2. Connect the foot control to the docking station.
3. Connect the docking station to the computer or the power outlet.

Power is the second thing to check. Philips says some computers limit the output of their USB ports to 100 milliamperes, which may not be enough for a SpeechMike to work properly ². Philips' troubleshooting page suggests using the supplied power supply, or a self-powered hub, instead of a bare port on the computer ( Philips' SpeechMike troubleshooting page).

If your pedal is not a Philips product, apply the same logic. Follow the connection order in its own manual, and use a powered connection if the manual asks for one.

Select the correct port in the transcription software

A pedal can be physically connected and still do nothing if the software is not listening on the right port. Express Scribe, the transcription software from NCH Software, handles this in its Settings menu. NCH says to run the Foot Pedal Setup Wizard from Settings, then select the port that matches the pedal: "You must select the correct port (ie. COM, GamePort or VEC USB) from Express Scribe Settings" ³.

Two details in the same NCH article matter for older pedals:

• Game-port pedals need their own drivers. Without them, Windows may install only a generic joystick device, and NCH says the pedals will not work with Express Scribe.
• USB pedals that need drivers should have them installed from the Windows CD that came with the pedal. NCH says Express Scribe must be run again after those drivers are installed ( NCH's pedal setup article).

Other programs use their own names for this setting, such as a foot control or pedal section in the preferences. The menu names differ by product and version, so use the maker's guide for your version rather than a generic one.

Test whether the pedal sends keystrokes

A keyboard-style pedal sends ordinary key presses, and that makes it easy to test. The OM System AS-2700 foot switch is HID keyboard compatible and can be customized with a free Windows configuration tool ⁴.

This test is our suggestion, not a manufacturer's procedure. Open a plain text editor, press each pedal control, and watch for characters or a key action:

• If keys appear, the pedal works. The fault is in the transcription software's mapping or its port setting.
• If nothing appears, the fault is in the pedal, its cable or its driver. Recheck the connection order and drivers, then try a different USB port or a different pedal.

Use the keyboard when the pedal is not supported

Some pedals will never work with a particular program. NCH says that a few pedals do not work with Express Scribe ⁵, so a pedal that fails after every check may be unsupported. Check the model against the software's list of supported pedals before you buy a replacement.

You may not need a pedal at all. NCH says Express Scribe uses hot keys or a foot pedal to control audio playback ⁶. Playback can run from the keyboard, so a broken pedal does not have to stop your transcription. Whether a pedal is required for a particular job, such as legal transcription, is covered in the question on foot pedals for legal transcription.

What to do, in order

1. Disconnect everything, then reconnect the pedal to its docking station first, and connect the docking station to the computer last.
2. Confirm the USB port has enough power, using the supplied power supply or a self-powered hub if the maker asks for one.
3. Open the software's pedal settings, run its setup wizard if it has one, and select the correct port.
4. Test the pedal in a plain text editor. Keys appearing means the pedal works, so look at the software.
5. If the pedal still fails, check whether its model is supported by the software. If it is not, use keyboard controls or buy a supported pedal.

The fix depends on the kind of pedal you own. A dedicated transcription pedal is usually a driver and port problem, while a keyboard-style pedal is usually a software mapping problem. A pedal that was never supported by your software will not work however it is connected. For the difference between a foot pedal and a microphone-based dictation device, see what a SpeechMike is, and for the broader question of devices that type what you say, see whether a device can type what you say. The term is defined in the dictation foot pedal glossary entry, and the device set is covered in the dictation machine guide, part of dictation and voice typing.