Narrator Keeps turning on on login screen

Question

Recently, I have found that every time I restart or lock my computer, Narrator turns on when the login screen shows up.

Using Caps+Esc or going to the "Ease of Access" Menu -> "Narrator" and choosing "Exit" both work to turn off Narrator. However, if I do not turn off narrator, it stays open in the taskbar after I have logged in, but without a settings window - the only way to close it is from Task Manager.

I have never to my knowledge pressed the Win+Enter combination that starts Narrator, and all of the relevant settings in the "Ease of Access" control panel are turned off.

I saw these questions, but neither of them really has the same symptoms and I don't want to permanently disable narrator because I want to be able to use it in the future.

Why does my computer do this? How can I fix it?

Solution 1

After opening a "Windows Modern UI" Application, and seeing a flash of the blue Narrator-is-reading-this-box-of-text border, I realized that I should also check the full-screen Settings application in addition to the regular Ease of Access Center.

I found that, in addition to the settings in the traditional Ease of Access Center, there is also an Ease of Access Center in the modern settings. Here, Narrator was somehow turned on.

After I turned off Narrator here, I had to restart the computer in order for the change to take effect.

Solution 2

I had a similar issue and found that Narrator wasn't enabled in either the Desktop or Modern UI, yet whenever I locked/logged out Narrator would start speaking to me. I eventually got it to stop by doing this:

1. Search Ease of Access Center and open it
2. Click "Change sign-in settings" in the left sidebar
3. Next to "(Narrator)", check the box under the "At sign-in" column
4. Press [Apply]
5. Uncheck the same box, then press [Apply] again
6. Close the window and then lock your computer

If you don't hear the Narrator then congrats it worked.

Solution 3

If you find that Narrator still kicks in when logging in, even when all the settings indicate that it is off (as per previous answer) and you can't find it in start-up or services in the task manager, then this may be your only route. This was executed on a Windows 8.1 x64 desktop system. If you do follow the procedure below then it is at your own risk. If you are unsure of your abilities to carry out this procedure then look elsewhere.

A warning notification along the lines of "Are you sure..." will appear at times during this procedure. Click on "OK" when it does.

1. Log on in to an account with administrator rights
2. From a file manager or via "This PC" navigate to "C:\windows\system32"
3. Find the file "Narrator", right click and from the menu select "properties"
4. Select the "Security" tab and then click the "Advanced" button
5. Click on the word "Change" (in blue), on the same line as the "Owner"
6. In the "Enter the object name to select (examples)" box type the name of the account with administrative right that you are using.
7. Click on the "Check Names" button and if all is well then click on the "OK" button. If not then check your spelling.
8. Click on the "OK" button on the "Advanced Security" box.
9. Reboot computer.
10. Do steps 1 - 3 and again select the "Security" tab.
11. Click on the "Edit" button and then click on "Administrators (General-Windows\Administrators)"
12. In the "Permissions for Administrators" box click on the "Modify" "Allow" check box. A tick should appear. Click on "OK".
13. Click on "OK" to close the "Properties" box.
14. Rename "Narrator" to something else (try and give it a name you will remember as you might need it at a later date).
15. Go back into the "Properties" box and click on the edit button to remove the "Modify" and "Write" permissions. Then the "OK" buttons on both boxes.

Hopefully, as with my system, the problem will be gone. Remember the Narrator program may reappear with future updates.

Comments

[Moshe Katz]

Not only did you repeat the exact same instructions from the two answers I linked to in my original question - where I explicitly said that this is not what I want to do, your version of those answers has a completely unnecessary reboot of the computer in the middle.

[ColinC]

You are right. I am new to this site and after searching for a solution and only finding ones showing how to turn off Narrator when my system setting for Narrator was already was set to off, I worked this procedure through myself. I've now checked out the links given and will be trying out the registry advice. Thank you.

[ColinC]

Just one more thing that might help somewhere. If I turn on Narrator I get two Narrator voices.

[charlie arehart]

I had this problem, and this seems to have solved it. In my case, the issue was that my password had a "u", and when I typed that, the narrator would kick in. What's the connection? Windows-U is related to the narrator and ease of access settings by default. Somehow it was like the Windows key was stuck on (virtually) during login. I have implemented the change above, and so far so good. Hope it may help others.

[tbone]

Just tried this, didn't work for me (on windows 10)