Dear Esther and All,
I have finally got my Voceover back!!! I'm delighted, relieved and very very
excited at the quality of the default voice in Leopard. A sighted friend of
mine came over a couple of hours ago, and using the mouse, activated
Voceover in the system preferences. It works!
The other problem I produced by trying to switch my Mac off without
Voiceover active was that I somehow managed to get an Itune screen up which
for some reason was preventing me from switching the computer off. He sorted
that one for me too.
He also helped me with the internet connection via my cable modem. All that
I had to do was to switch the modem off in the mains, then plug it into my
Macbook, switch it on again and it all went smoothly. One of you had
suggested it before. I would have got there myself had I had Voiceover
active in the first place. I think previously I just unplugged the Ethernet
cable from the windows machine and plugged it into my Mac without switching
the modem off in them mains. This meant that my modem remembered the IP
address of my windows machine and therefore wouldn't connect to my isp. It's
all so easy with Mac. Naturally, it's a mac!!!
I'd like to thank you all for the time you took to guide me through the
various options. I feel quite secure with you all at your computers. To be
able to draw on your experience is very reassuring.
Well, I suppose till next time! But for now, I must de-stress, have some
wine, food, and an early night before the early start tomorrow. 6AM I
reckon!
With best wishes
Simon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 12:30 PM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Hi Simon,
If Anne's hypothesis that your problems may be due to the upgrade CD are
correct, this may be moot. But let me finish these answers.
On Dec 13, 2007, at 02:07AM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
No, I didn't have to enter my password in Tiger. The Macbook would just
boot
and Voiceover would start. Unfortunately, if I remember correctly, I
off-loaded Voiceover with command+f5 before continuing with the
installation
with my friend. After we finished the installation, the Mac presentation
started, and as it was already late, my friend came out of it but I
actually
didn't check whether voceover was working. We just switched the machine
off
after it had updated itself. I wish I had now. I was using my friend's
wireless connection to download and install the updates.
OK, I think this probably means that you don't have to enter your
password in
Leopard, either. Maybe David or someone else can check me on this if I'm
wrong, But I believe you may only have had to enter your password as
Administrator to allow the update
I think we must have booted into my account after the installation because
Leopard also updated itself and to install the update I had to enter my
password. But that's all.
Just supposing for a minute that I do get the login screen, does it open
with the cursor in user name? Do I then press tab once in order to get
into
password field? I suppose I could try this and see provided I know where
the
cursor is located as the computer boots up.
If there is only your one account on the machine, then when the login
screen
comes up, the cursor will be in the username field. When you press tab
you should be taken to the password field.
If these fields have text in them, you will need to hold down the delete
key
to clear your earlier entries. I'm afraid I may have generated confusion
with my suggestion that the num lock setting might have been engaged
by your inadvertantly pressing the F6 key, since I didn't realize at the
time that you had checked the box to use software function key settings.
Just a side question. I think I may have switched my Macbook off
incorrectly
doing it blind so to speak, and now I cannot switch it off. Is there a way
of doing it blind, if only somewhat crude?
I think that I would not worry about this. It does occur to me that if you
cannot
now use the fast shutdown key sequence of control-command-option-eject,
we will know that you have the num lock key set on. You can try pressing
FN+F6 and seeing whether the control-command-option-eject now works
to do a fast shutdown.
Cheers,
Esther
Simon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:50 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Dear Simon,
On Dec 13, 2007, at 01:27AM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear Esther,
Do you think that after the installation as I described it, I may be
being
presented with some kind of a welcome screen or option screen whichp
prevents me from using vo commands? Is there a login screen that comes
up
first? What's single userr mode?
Simon
Let me ask you, if your installation of Leopard was completed, I assume
that your friend left you with your machine running and in your account?
Otherwise you could not tell that the volume and other hardware keys
were working.
If your installation is as you described, you could either have been
left
at
the login screen, or with your system already logged on.
Before your Leopard Upgrade did you need to enter a password to
enter your system once you powered on your computer? If so, and
you were left in the login screen, then you may need to enter your
user name and password.
David, and others. I don't remember. If VoiceOver was turned off
before,
and
not turned on at boot up, does Simon have to log into his account first
before
he can activate VoiceOver?
Simon, single user mode is one of various options for restarting the
system
from the CD. I don't think you need to use it here. I was asking the
others
whether in this mode, we could start VoiceOver using system default
values,
since then we would know how to begin. Apparently, the answer is that
it is not clear this would help here.
Cheers,
Esther
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X
by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 11:19 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Hi David and Simon,
I think that Simon's situation is as he described yesterday --- a
Leopard
install was done by a sighted friend, but VoiceOver was turned off
while
this was performed, and he hasn't been able to bring it up.
Additionally, there was some confusion on our part that he was not
using the FN key to turn on VoiceOver on his Macbook. But this was
because he had checked the Systems Preference Box to use Software
settings for the function keys by default, and made this change before
the update.
Richie was, I think, trying to respond to my question about whether
there
was an easy way to get VoiceOver started at boot time --- perhaps by
using the install disk (not to install, but to override) and boot into
single user mode with default settings. Do you know whether we have
some option like this?
Cheers,
Esther
On Dec 13, 2007, at 01:09AM, David Poehlman wrote:
What install path did you take? If you upgraded unless you are
hanging
on
some screen, you should have gotten vo to talk by now.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Simon Cavendish" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS
Xby
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 5:21 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Dear Esther,
I hear no boing sound when pressing fn+f6. The only fundction keys
that
produce a sound is f9 f10 and f11 without pressing the fn key and f11
will
produce a boing sound with or without pressing the fn key.
I've tried starting vo presentation by presssing control+option+shift
f8
but
that hasn't started anything either. I've tried messing about with the
control+option+command left/right arrow and then arrow up but to no
avail.
I still haven't been able to find anybody who could look at the screen
for
me. A friend promised he might be able to call later on this afternoon
if
I
haven't resolved the issue. I'm sorry to be such a bore. I've been
using
computers for over 10 years, and here I am feeling like a silly child.
Bear
with me, guys.
Simon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac OS X
by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, December 13, 2007 1:07 AM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to Leopard
Dear Simon,
Let's assume that you have a working VoiceOver installation, and
that your Function keys are turned on to use software function
instead
of hardware function. If your volume is turned up (from pressing
FN + F5) then when you press F6 you should hear a kind
of "boing" sound (I think they call it "funk"). Press FN+F6 once.
You should not hear any sounds at all. Now try pressing Command
and F5. Does VoiceOver come on? If not, press FN+F6 a second
time and try Command + F5 again.
The "funk" sound occurs whether or not you have VoiceOver running.
Please believe that it is unlikely you could have done anything to
the VoiceOver installation. It's just a question of getting it
properly
started. And nothing that you've done isn't something someone
else hasn't already had problems with already.
Cheers,
Esther
On Wednesday, December 12, 2007, at 02:31PM, "Richie Gardenhire"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The one thing I learned from that experience, to try those steps
Esther outlined; Leopard has audible cues that will indicate when
VoiceOver is turned on, given all things have been tried. Thanks
again, Esther. Richie Gardenhire, Anchorage, Alaska.
On Dec 12, 2007, at 3:18 PM, Esther wrote:
Dear Simon,
Is it possible that you pressed FN+num lock by mistake? The most
likely things are: (1) you don't have the volume up high enough to
hear the VoiceOver voice or (2) you accidentally managed to
press the num lock (F6) key so that your keyboard is not sending
the characters you expect. (Item 2 happened to Richie Gardenhire,
and is a particular problem to be aware of if you press keys while
VoiceOver is not running).
If you switched hardware and software functions for the Function
keys. I think you need to press FN+F6 to toggle the num lock.
I'm sure there is no problem with your VoiceOver install. I think
it is one of the two problems I mentioned above. Make sure you
(now) use FN+F5 to put your MacBook at maximum speaker
volume before you try anything else.
Cheers,
Esther
On Dec 12, 2007, at 02:10PM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear Esther,
Tried it all to no avail. Before installing Leopard, I had
changed
the
keyboard setting to desktop to avoid having to press the FN key
all
the
time, and that setting seems to have been kept by leopard. I know
that
because when I press FN with the functions keys, I hear various
funny noises
which I recgonise as changing volume or brightness. I've tried
hitting the
f6 key but I don't know now whether it's on or off. I've tried
various
combinations and VO is still silent. Does it sound serious to
you?
Simon
----- Original Message -----
From: "Esther" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "General discussions on all topics relating to the use of Mac
OS X by
theblind" <[email protected]>
Sent: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 11:54 PM
Subject: Re: SOS: can't get mu VO to work after upgrading to
Leopard
Hi Simon,
Remember that on a Macbook you need to hold down the FN key as
well as
the Command and F5 keys to get VoiceOver to start up. You may
also want
to hold down the F5 key on the Macbook for a while before
turning
on
VoiceOver, since I think it's the hardware Volume up key on the
Macbook.
(The top row should be Escape, F1, F2, F3, F4, F5. )
The other possible gotcha if your VoiceOver was not turned on
before your
friend left is that you hit the F6 (num lock) key on the
keyboard
instead
of
F5. If so, try to press F6 again to toggle num lock off, and
issue your
command
of FN+Command+F5 to turn on VoiceOver.
Hope this helps.
Cheers,
Esther
On Wed December 12, 2007, at 01:42PM, Simon Cavendish wrote:
Dear All,
I've just installed Leopard on my new Macbook. it turned out
that
it came
with Tiger installed, and leopard on a CD. So I've just had it
installed
with sighted assistance, as I'm not that experienced in VO yet.
All went
smoothly and my friend has gone now. But when I tried to get my
VO to
start with the usual combination of keys Command+f5 so that i
could use my
Macbook, nothing happens. Does anyone know what might have
happened? This
command worked perfectly well in tiger.
S O S from desperate simon!
