Question:

How can I prevent the narrator from randomly activating and speaking when my PC is locked? I had a frightening experience where the narrator said “I love you” in a stuttering voice while I was trying to nap. What could have caused this and how can I fix it?

Answer:

How to stop the narrator from speaking when your PC is locked

If you have ever heard a voice coming from your PC when you are not using it, you might have encountered the narrator feature of Windows 10. Narrator is a screen reader that helps people with low vision or blindness to use their computer by reading aloud what is on the screen. However, some users might find narrator annoying or even scary, especially if it activates randomly and speaks when the PC is locked. In this article, we will explain what could cause this problem and how to fix it.

There are several possible reasons why narrator might activate randomly and speak when your PC is locked. Some of them are:

• You have accidentally pressed the shortcut key to turn on narrator, which is Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter by default. This can happen if you leave your keyboard unattended or if you have a sticky key.
• You have enabled the option to start narrator before the sign-in screen, which means narrator will run whenever you lock your PC or restart it. This option can be found in Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > Start Narrator before sign-in.
• You have enabled the option to start narrator automatically after sign-in, which means narrator will run in the background and speak whenever there is a change on the screen. This option can be found in Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > Start Narrator automatically after sign-in.
• You have enabled the option to lock the narrator key, which means narrator will stay on until you press the shortcut key again. This option can be found in Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > Lock the Narrator key (Caps Lock).
• You have a malware or virus infection that is triggering narrator to speak. This is unlikely, but possible, especially if narrator says something unusual or malicious.

How to fix the problem?

Depending on the cause of the problem, there are different ways to fix it. Here are some steps you can try:

• To turn off narrator manually, press the shortcut key Windows logo key + Ctrl + Enter again. You should hear narrator say “Exiting Narrator”.
• To disable the option to start narrator before the sign-in screen, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > Start Narrator before sign-in and turn off the toggle switch.
• To disable the option to start narrator automatically after sign-in, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > Start Narrator automatically after sign-in and turn off the toggle switch.
• To disable the option to lock the narrator key, go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator > Lock the Narrator key (Caps Lock) and turn off the toggle switch.
• To check for malware or virus infection, run a full scan with your antivirus software and remove any threats detected.

Conclusion

Narrator

is a useful feature for some users, but it can also be annoying or frightening for others. If you hear narrator speaking when your PC is locked, you can try the steps above to fix the problem. You can also customize narrator settings to suit your preferences, such as changing the voice, speed, pitch, and volume. To access narrator settings, press Windows logo key + Ctrl + N or go to Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator.