I'm writing this request here because the issue I am about to discuss primarily affects my Skype scripts, though it can also affect forms mode in browsers, possibly some older web site specific scripts, and scripts for other 32-bit applications.
The following may apply to you if you experience several of the following symptoms, especially the last one: - In a Skype chat window, JAWS says, "These scripts do not support this Skype version." - In a Skype chat window, attempting to read chat messages with Alt+numbers produces several beeps. - When the beeps stop, Alt+numbers are simply silent. - Forms mode behaves oddly on a few web sites in any browser. - All of these symptoms can come and go at will, usually near the time of a Windows update or the installation or removal of a browser plugin.. If these apply to you, read on, and please help me assess how widespread this issue may be by answering some questions at the bottom of this message. I am crafting test scripts to work around this issue, and I want to know enough to decide whether to publish them, how to test them on other machines, what other apps are affected, etc. The problem, from what I have managed to determine over quite some time, is a corruption of the Windows MSAA support for 32-bit applications. UIA is not affected, which is why the built-in JAWS Skype scripts still work. (UIA is only possible starting in JAWS 14 or 15 though, and my Skype scripts still support JAWS versions back through 11.) The problem can apparently impact any 32-bit application that has multiple windows. When the problem occurs, a small number of JAWS scripting functions return invalid results. My evolving workaround will make JAWS use UIA to obtain the MSAA objects that JAWS can no longer obtain normally. This does mean my solution will only work on JAWS versions 14 and later. Questions for anyone who wants to contribute to this effort: 1. What are your JAWS and Windows versions? 2. What applications are affected for you? I predict Skype, possibly Firefox or IE, and sometimes other apps. 3. What circumstances seem to cause the symptoms to start or stop? For me, doing a Windows update that requires a restart causes the issue to go away sometimes, or to restart at other times. The change is not always immediate; it can occur on my next reboot after the one for the Windows update. I've seen my machine absorb Windows updates just fine, restart for that and continue working, then reboot two days later and suddenly exhibit this problem until my next Windows update. Thanks any and all for your input. -- Doug Lee [email protected] http://www.dlee.org SSB BART Group [email protected] http://www.ssbbartgroup.com "Is your cucumber bitter? Throw it away. Are there briars in your path? Turn aside. That is enough. Do not go on to say, `Why were things of this sort ever brought into the world?'" --Marcus Aurelius Thanks for posting to the skype english list. to contact skype support with any questions regarding your account email [email protected] To access scripts for the latest version of skype go to http://www.dlee.org/skype To contact the list owner send a message to mailto:[email protected] and for a searchable archives page go here. https://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected] to modify yoru subscription visit the list info link at the bottom of this email, or click the link in the email you receive with your list password each month. thanks and have a wonderful day. _______________________________________________ Skypeenglish mailing list [email protected] http://lists.tffppodcast.com/listinfo.cgi/skypeenglish-tffppodcast.com
