I have Windows 10 and Window key H for speech to type no longer works.

Scott Jones 0 Reputation points
2026-09-05T23:54:18.4666667+00:00

I have Windows 10 and Window key H for speech to type no longer works. Since I am mostly blind and paralysed, this was an important feature for me.

Windows for home | Other | Accessibility
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  1. Norah-L 10,490 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
    2026-09-06T04:08:03.9066667+00:00

    Dear Scott,

    I’m sorry this important accessibility feature has stopped working.

    First, press the Windows key by itself. If the Start menu does not open, the key may be locked. On some keyboards, pressing Fn + Windows key unlocks it.

    If the Windows key works, press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager and look for “CTF Loader.” This Windows component supports alternative text input. If it is missing, restart the computer and test again.

    As a temporary alternative, open Start and search for “Windows Speech Recognition.” Follow its setup wizard, then use it to dictate text and control parts of the computer by voice. See more: Use voice recognition in Windows

    If you use Word, Outlook, or OneNote with Microsoft 365, you can also use the Dictate button inside the application while Windows dictation is unavailable.

    Please let me know how it goes after trying these steps, and I'll be glad to continue looking into it with you.

    Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

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