Extra Characters in MS-DOS Session with Voice Pilot Active (117136)

SYMPTOMS

Extraneous characters appear while you are typing at an MS-DOS command prompt or in an MS-DOS-based application within Windows. For example, a period (.) or a carriage return appears without any keyboard input.

CAUSE

This behavior occurs when the Windows Sound System Voice Pilot (VP) is active. VP 2.0 does not automatically turn the microphone off when you run an MS-DOS session in Windows. It continues to recognize words from both a vocabulary associated with MS-DOS sessions (or the default vocabulary, if there is no vocabulary associated with MS-DOS sessions) and the global vocabulary. The global vocabulary is always active when the microphone and VP are active.

RESOLUTION

To avoid this behavior, put the microphone into sleep mode or turn the microphone off prior to running the MS-DOS session. To put the microphone into sleep mode, say "go to sleep" before you start, or from within, the MS- DOS session. To turn the microphone off, choose the Microphone button on the Voice Pilot tool bar or press the CTRL+ALT key combination from anywhere in Windows (not from within the MS-DOS session).

MORE INFORMATION

Windows Sound System 2.0 Voice Pilot operates correctly in an MS-DOS session in Windows. For example, you could train each letter of the alphabet so that you could type by simply saying the letters. When the Voice Pilot picks up background noises or misinterprets a voice command, extraneous characters may appear.

Steps to Reproduce Behavior

Select Voice Pilot.
Turn on the microphone.
Choose the MS-DOS Prompt icon.
Say "cut" to generate a period or "enter" to generate a carriage return.

"Cut" maps to SHIFT+DEL; therefore, saying "cut" in MS-DOS sends a SHIFT+DEL key combination, which translates to a period, to the MS-DOS- based application. "Enter" translates to a carriage return as expected. This behavior is by design.