How to turn off Narrator permanently. Disable Narrator feature

Now we will tell you how to disable Narrator. Many PC users have already tried Narrator using the accessibility features of Windows. As it turned out, the screen reader can be turned on without much difficulty, but when turning it off, difficulties arise, because... It's not entirely clear how it can be disabled.

Actually, the need to disable Narrator arises due to the fact that it automatically loads when the computer boots, and each time the following message appears on the screen:

Launch Narrator automatically

After clicking the Close button, another window appears:

In the second window, you have to click the Exit button to turn off Narrator. Over time, all this begins to become annoying, especially when it comes to using the Vista OS, which slows down even without loading the screen reader.

So, using Vista as an example, we will look at how to disable Narrator.

Step 1. Launch the control panel. Start - Control Panel.

Step 2. Click on the icon Accessibility Center.

Step 4. To turn off Narrator you need to uncheck the box opposite the inscription Enable Narrator.

After doing this, Narrator will not load when your computer boots.

Evgeny Mukhutdinov

Many users are not even aware of this built-in Windows feature. Who uses it and how is it useful? How to activate it and, if necessary, configure it? How can you turn off an application if, for example, it is configured to start automatically when the system boots?

"Screen Narrator": what is the application and what is it used for

Narrator has been an integral part of any type of Windows since version 2000. This classic utility was designed specifically for blind and visually impaired people. However, it can also be used by those who find it difficult to read from a monitor. The application reproduces the text of windows in audio format, reads elements when you hover over them with the mouse cursor, as well as when you click or touch (if you have a touch screen).

Narrator is also configured to read messages that appear in Windows (such as errors), websites, information about objects on the screen (such as buttons), etc. The blue box that outlines the area of ​​​​the screen shows what the utility is currently playing .

Within the blue field there is an object whose labels are currently being read by the virtual speaker

Enable and disable Narrator in Windows 10

Activation and subsequent disabling of this classic utility is possible in several system services and windows to which each PC user has access: in them he customizes the “OS” for himself.

Turn it on or off in the Settings window

In the “Windows Settings” menu, available in the “top ten”, the user can change many settings. It has a special page dedicated to the announcer. In the instructions below we will describe how to find it among all sections:

1. The Settings menu can be accessed in two ways. The fastest is to hold down two keys Win (with a sign in the form of a window like on the “Start” button in the lower left corner of the display) and I. If the combination does not work, click on the “Start” menu, and then on the gear located next to the key for turning off the device. Click on the gear in the Start menu
2. In the menu, click on the “Special Features” tile. She will be fifth from the left in the second row.
   In the Windows Settings window, click on the Accessibility tile
3. The section page will open. Here, as you can see, we need the first tab. The same page can be called up on the display using a three-key combination: Ctrl + Win + N.
4. Set the Narrator switch to On if you want to activate it. The system will immediately begin reading the text displayed in the window.
   To turn on Narrator, click the first switch
5. If you already had it turned on and want to turn it off, click the switch once to turn it to the “Off” position.
   To turn off the speaker back, you need to press the switch again once
6. In the same tab, you can configure it to automatically turn on along with loading the operating system.

Video: activating Narrator in system settings

Launch using keyboard shortcut

The Narrator utility can be launched using a small combination of three buttons on the keyboard: Ctrl + Win + Enter. Hold them down at the same time and wait a few seconds - the virtual speaker window will appear and you will immediately hear his voice. This combination is set by the system by default.

How to remove the Narrator window and thereby disable it

If you no longer need the narrator or you accidentally turned it on and you just want to turn off playback as quickly as possible, exit its window by clicking on the cross in its upper right corner. Another option is to click on the last item in the list “Exit” - the utility’s voice will no longer bother you.

In the "Run" service

The small “Run” window in any version of the operating system performs an important function: it is considered a universal tool for launching all kinds of standard Windows services. The main thing is to know the command that will open the desired window. We will tell you how to use this tool in the instructions:

We find the program through “Windows Search”

Another tool for launching built-in and third-party utilities in the “top ten” is the “Search” panel. Previously, the tool was part of the Start menu: the user entered a query into a separately created line and received the desired result. “Search” is not able to open all Windows system windows like the “Run” window (for example, “Registry Editor” cannot be launched using the panel), but it will find the “Narrator” application:

Video: opening the narrator through the “Search” panel

Launch from the Start panel

On the “Start” panel in the “ten” there is a list with various utilities installed on this PC. It has a speaker:

Activation via Command Line or PowerShell

Enabling via the “Command Line” is not the easiest and fastest method, but it is useful to know about it in case the methods above do not work:

1. Open the “Run” window again using a combination of the Win and R buttons. In the line, type the cmd request - it corresponds to the “Command Line” console.
   In the “Run” window, write the cmd command to launch the “Command Prompt”
2. In the editor, on a black background, enter the same word narrator.
   In the black editor, enter the already familiar narrant code and press Enter
3. Press Enter for the system to execute your command - launch Narrator on the PC.
4. The same code can also be entered in the PowerShell console, which is similar in functionality to the Command Prompt. To launch it, enter the appropriate query in Windows Search. Open the Windows application by double clicking - an editor with a blue background will appear. In the search bar, enter PowerShell to launch the window of the same name
5. Enter the narrator code in it and press Enter.
   Type the narrator code in PowerShell and press Enter

Enabling via “Control Panel”

The Control Panel window contains more options for fine-tuning the system than Windows Settings. The option to enable the speaker is also present there:

1. You can open the “Control Panel” system window on the screen through the same “Run” window. The code to launch the panel is control. We drive it in and click on the Enter button to execute it immediately.
   Type control in the Open field to launch Control Panel
2. In the window we already find the name of the block “Ease of Access Center”. If your list is organized according to the Small Icons value, you will find this section in the second column. He will be second from bottom.
   Find "Ease of Access Center" and click on it
3. In the next window, click on the “Enable Narrator” element. The OS will immediately start reading the text in the windows.
   Click on “Enable Narrator” to activate the voice playback feature

Video: activating the announcer through the “Control Panel”

Possible Narrator settings

The already improved narrator utility has many settings in Windows 10. The user can get to the available options both in the system settings and in the application window itself.

In the Windows Settings menu

Some settings for this classic app are available in the window where Narrator is activated. All parameters are distributed in the following sections:

1. "Speech". In the first drop-down menu you can choose a male or female voice. Using the sliders, you can change the speed at which the narrator reads the text, as well as its tone (high or low) depending on your wishes. The next option, “Suspending intonation,” allows you to make the reading extremely clear so that the user can easily understand the speech.
   In the “Speech” section, users adjust reading speed, tone of voice and enable intonation suspension
2. "The sounds you hear." In this block of parameters, you can independently determine what information to read to the announcer and what information to omit. For example, the user can disable text playback from controls and buttons. On the other hand, you can activate the reading of text or even individual characters that a person enters in any field. In the same block, it is possible to reduce the volume of open utilities against the background of the announcer's voice.
   In the Sounds You Hear block, options are available to enable reading of entered text and words on controls and buttons
3. "Cursor and Keys" Here you can make the cursor move when the narrator reads the text. You can also activate cursor highlighting while reading.
   In the “Cursor and Keys” section, you can select the cursor and activate its movement while reading text
4. Braille alphabet. This section gives every Windows 10 customer the ability to download and use a Braille display, which is designed to allow you to enter text using Braille characters.

In Narrator window

In the announcer's menu you can change more parameters. Launch a window on the display through the corresponding tab open on the “Taskbar”. You will see that they are all divided into blocks:

1. "Are common". Here you can, in addition to speaking the text you enter and reducing the volume of applications, set the time for storing notifications for later playback.
   In the "General" block, reduce the volume of applications in the background of the announcer's voice and determine the time for storing notifications for reading
2. "Navigation". In this block, configure the operation of the Narrator cursor: change the mode, enable the insertion point to move with the cursor, activate the touch keyboard buttons when you remove your finger, etc.
   The “Navigation” section allows you to configure the cursor mode and its movement while reading text
3. "Speech". In addition to tone and speed, here you can set a value for the volume of the announcer's voice itself. Using a special link, you will find other announcer voices if you do not like the ones available in the drop-down menu.
   In the “Speech” section, you can additionally adjust the voice volume along with tone and speed
4. "Teams". Here the user himself has the right to set convenient combinations for various actions in the announcer application: stopping playback, moving to the next mode, displaying a list of commands and many others.
   The “Commands” block contains a list of all actions in the application and their corresponding hotkeys that can be changed

The Narrator utility is successfully used by blind and visually impaired people to work on a computer. It is also useful for those who have poor eyesight: in order not to read everything, you can set up a speaker who will visually perceive the text for you. You can activate the mode using several methods, the fastest is by pressing the Ctrl + Win + Enter keys. In the speaker window, there are many parameters available to change: from reading speed and tone of voice to setting your own hot keys for performing certain actions in the program. This way, everyone can customize the program for themselves.

This article describes how to customize Narrator for your own needs, including changing how Narrator launches and the number of messages while you write, setting the volume of other apps to turn down while you use Narrator, and changing Narrator commands to keyboard shortcuts of your choice.

Information is also available on how to add voices to Narrator using third-party text-to-speech (TTS) software.

Narrator settings include four categories: general, navigation, voice and commands.

Note: Some options are also available in the Windows 10 Settings app. To view them, click Start, and then select items Settings → Special abilities And Narrator.

General Narrator options

• Enable a shortcut to launch Narrator. You can turn Narrator on and off by pressing the Win + Enter keys on your keyboard or pressing the Win + Enter button increase the volume on a touchscreen device.
• Lock the Narrator key (Caps Lock). You don't have to press the Caps Lock key every time to access Narrator controls. In order, for example, to go to the next link, it will be enough to press the L key instead of the Caps Lock + L keys.
• Spoken characters as you type. Narrator will immediately read the characters you type. This option can also be enabled by pressing Caps Lock + F12.
• Sounding out entered words. Narrator will read the words you type.
• Voice reading errors. The announcer will voice errors such as "next checkpoint missing" or "next item missing."
• Cursor selection. The cursor will be highlighted with a blue focus box.
• Playing audio prompts. Narrator plays a sound when you perform operations such as switching between windows, opening the Start menu, or moving to the next or previous item.
• Reading Interface Hints. The announcer reads tips regarding interacting with elements.
• Reducing the volume of other applications. Sounds from other apps are reduced in volume so you can hear Narrator messages.
• Saving notifications. Notifications can be saved for between 30 seconds and 10 minutes.

Narrator navigation settings

• Read the contents of the screen and perform operations on it using the mouse. When this setting is enabled, Narrator reads information about the elements the mouse pointer is on. To move the cursor, use the numeric keypad.
• Activate keys on touch keyboard when I remove my finger. Characters are entered when you lift your finger from the touch keyboard.
• Narrator cursor tracks keyboard focus. When this feature is enabled, Narrator tracks keyboard focus when you use the Tab key, cursor, or navigation keys.
• Enable cursor tracking through insertion point. When this feature is turned on, Narrator moves the text insertion cursor as you navigate through elements such as characters and words.
• Select cursor movement mode. Two modes are available: normal and advanced. In normal mode, Narrator navigates between different elements, such as text and tables. In Power mode, you move the Narrator cursor using four arrow keys.

Voice settings

• Speed. You can adjust the speed of speech generated by Narrator.
• Volume. You can adjust the volume of speech generated by Narrator.
• Voice pitch. You can adjust the pitch of the voice generated by Narrator.
• Choose a different voice. You can choose a different voice in your language.

Command Options

Customizing keyboard shortcuts gives you better control and makes it easy to use Narrator features:

Settings Narrator keyboard shortcuts:

1. Select a team Tune.
2. Select an item Change the keyboard shortcut for a command.
3. In the window Entering a keyboard shortcut enter the keyboard shortcut you want to use. Press any combination of modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift, Alt, Caps Lock, or the Windows logo key plus a non-modifier key. Function keys and numeric keypad keys are used without modifier keys).

Select Reset to restore default settings for all commands.

There are programs included in Windows systems that act as additional assistants, for example, Narrator. Its task is to read text displayed on the screen or loaded into the program via the clipboard.

To completely disable this utility, you need to run it, i.e. display on the screen, because the program runs in the background. In operating systems versions of Windows Seven and Windows Vista, you need to click the “Start” menu and enter the “Narrator” command in the bottom search bar. In the search results, select Narrator or press Enter.

In the window that opens, select the item “Control when Narrator starts at logon” and uncheck the “Enable Narrator” and “Enable audio description” checkboxes. To save the changes, click the “Apply” button.

For older operating systems, this action can be performed through the Start menu. To do this, go to the “Standard programs” section. In the "Ease of Access" list, find "Ease of Access Center" and launch it. In the window that appears, go to the “Use a computer without a screen” block and uncheck the “Enable screen reader” checkbox.

After you restart your computer, you should be able to watch Narrator no longer appear. To check, launch the Task Manager application and go to the Processes tab. If this process is still active, then it is in the startup list.

Press the Win + R key combination and enter the msconfig command in the empty field. Click OK to launch the System Setup applet. Go to the Startup tab and uncheck the Narrator app option. To save the results and close the current window, click the “Apply” and “Restart” buttons.

Sources:

• Narrator does not support Russian language, how to do it

Screen reader is a utility that is capable of reading text on a computer screen aloud and describing events occurring in the system and reporting errors that have arisen in operation. These features make it possible to use computers without a monitor. To enable or disable the speaker, use the corresponding Windows menu item.

Instructions

After installing Narrator, the program is integrated into the system startup list. Thus, it is automatically loaded when the computer starts, which may interfere with its use. To remove a program, you will need to remove it from the startup list and disable it through the control panel.

Go to the Start menu - All Programs. In the list that appears, select the “Standard” - “Special Features” section. Among the items in the list of utilities, select the line “Ease of Access Center”.

Using the “Using a computer” section, uncheck the “Enable screen reader” option and apply the changes. Thus, you have disabled the program and removed it from the startup list.

You can also choose not to turn off Narrator completely, but just turn off some of its features. Go to the program window (Start - All Programs - Accessories - Accessibility - Screen Display)

Which reads text on the screen loudly and describes events that occur, such as error messages, allowing you to use the computer without a monitor.

Note: This program is available in the following languages: English (US, UK, India and China), French, Spanish (Spain and Mexico), Japanese, Portuguese, Cantonese (Traditional Chinese), Korean, Mandarin (Simplified and Traditional Chinese), German, Polish, Portuguese (Brazil), Russian and Italian.

Launch Narrator

It can be launched in various ways.

Here are four methods used by many people:

• On your keyboard, press Win + Enter.
• On the login screen, click Facilitate access in the lower left corner and select Narrator.
• Quickly slide your finger inward from the right edge of the screen, tap the Settings button, then tap Change computer settings. (If you're using a mouse, select the top-right corner of the screen, swipe down, press a key, or select Settings and then Change PC settings.) Click the button Facilitate access, then the Announcer button, then in the section Speaker, move the slider to turn it on.

Adviсe:

• To get started, press the Caps Lock + F1 keys after opening Narrator, or tap the touchscreen with your fingers three times. All Announcer commands will open.
• To use the Caps Lock key to enter capital letters when using Narrator, press the Caps Lock key twice quickly.

Quitting Narrator

You can end Narrator in a variety of ways.

Here are two methods used by many users:

• On your keyboard, press the Win + Enter keys.
• On your device, press the Win key and the Volume Up key simultaneously.

New touch gestures

Note: Narrator does not support tap and hold gestures.

New keyboard shortcuts to control Narrator

Windows 8.1 also includes new keyboard shortcuts. Here are a few useful ones.

Narrator options

Below are some of the basic options that may be useful when running Narrator on Windows 8.1:

Description of screen contents

• Speaker. Use this slider to turn Narrator on and off.
• Automatic start. This setting controls whether this program will start automatically every time you log in.

Voice

• Choose a voice. From this menu you can select different types of Narrator voices, if available in the system language.
• Speed. With this slider you can change the speed of the sound.
• Voice pitch. With this slider you can change the pitch of your voice.

Sounds produced

• Read tips on indicators and buttons. This option determines whether Narrator will read tips on how to interact with common elements such as buttons, links, list items.
• Entered characters. You can specify whether Narrator should read all keystrokes.
• Entered words. You can specify whether Narrator should record and read the words you type.
• Other apps while Narrator is running. This option allows you to lower the volume of components in other applications so that you can hear Narrator better.
• Play audio prompts. This option allows you to enable or disable additional sounds played by Narrator when the user performs various actions.

Cursor and keys

• Cursor selection. This option allows you to show or hide a field that highlights on-screen text that Narrator reads.
• Narrator tracking cursor. This option allows you to show or hide the field that highlights on-screen text as Narrator reads it.
• Activate keys on the keyboard panel when you remove your finger from the keyboard. If touch mode is enabled, turning this option on allows you to write faster using the touch keyboard. With this mode, you can move your finger to find the item you want, and then lift your finger to press a key.

Keyboard commands that control Narrator

Touch commands to control Narrator

If you're using a newer computer that supports at least four touch points, you can control Narrator using touch screen commands.

Note: Narrator provides basic screen reader functionality that allows you to use Windows in situations where there is no more universal program available to use the feature. The narrator cannot read content in all apps.