Microsoft Corporation
Updated: October 1998
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If you have difficulty running Microsoft® Agent on your machine, please refer to the following list of symptoms and try the suggested steps to isolate and solve the problem. If these suggestions don't resolve the problem, let us know by sending us a bug report.
Contents
Page Loading or Installation Problems
Output Problems
Speech Input Problems
Page Loading or Installation Problems
- When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, nothing happens.
- When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, I get the message, "Unable to initialize Microsoft Agent."
- When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, I get a scripting error: "Microsoft VBScript Runtime Error, Object required."
- When I attempt to install Microsoft Agent on Microsoft Windows NT®, I get a message indicating that I need to be an administrator.
- When I attempt to install Microsoft Agent, I get one of the following errors:
- Process (Regsvr32 /s windows\msagent\AgentCtl.dll). Error while creating this file. Cannot find this file.
- A required DLL MSVCRT.DLL was not found. Error creating process <c:\windows\msagent\agentsvr.exe /regserver>. Reason: One of the library files needed to run this application cannot be found.
- When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, I get the message, "The component has been digitally "signed" by its publisher, but the signature does not match the component. Is it possible that this component has been damaged or tampered with? Do you want to continue?"
- When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent using Netscape Navigator (or other Internet browsers), I get errors.
- Does Microsoft Agent work in Internet Explorer 4.0?
Output Problems
Speech Input Problems
Page Loading and Installation Problems
When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, nothing happens.
This can occur if one of the following conditions exists:
- Check your browser's security options. Your browser must be set to enable the loading of ActiveX® scripts and playing of ActiveX controls.
- If you are accessing pages scripted with Microsoft Agent and using Microsoft Internet Explorer, you must have version 3.02 or later (download the latest version of Internet Explorer
). In Microsoft Internet Explorer, open the View menu, choose Options, click the Security tab, and select all the Active Content check boxes.
- A Java applet on the page can also cause this error. To run Microsoft Agent on the same page as a Java applet requires version 2.0 of the Microsoft Virtual Machine (VM). For more information, see our Technical Notes.
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When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, I get the message, "Unable to initialize Microsoft Agent."
This usually occurs when you don't have Microsoft Agent or some other control that page uses installed, and choose No when you are prompted to install the control. Try refreshing the page, though the page may work only if you install all the components it requires.
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When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, I get a scripting error: "Microsoft VBScript Runtime Error, Object required."
One of the following conditions may cause the message to display:
- Your security options for Microsoft Internet Explorer must be set to enable ActiveX controls and plug-ins. Check your browser's security page. In Microsoft Internet Explorer, open the View menu, choose Options, click the Security tab, and make sure the Enable ActiveX Controls And Plug-Ins check box is checked.
- You are running on a dual-boot Windows® 95 or Windows 98/Windows NT system and you have installed Microsoft Agent on one operating system but are trying to access the page from the other operating system. Although the operating systems may share directories and files, the registry information used by Microsoft Agent is not shared, so you must install Microsoft Agent on the operating system you use to access Web pages scripted with the character.
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When I attempt to install Microsoft Agent on Microsoft Windows NT, I get a message indicating that I need to be an administrator.
Because Microsoft Agent writes files to your system directory when it installs, you must have administrator (not user) privileges to install.
Back to list of problems
When I attempt to install Microsoft Agent, I get one of the following errors:
- Process (Regsvr32 /s windows\msagent\AgentCtl.dll). Error while creating this file. Cannot find this file.
(Note The directory location cited in the error message varies depending on how you installed Windows.)
- A required DLL MSVCRT.DLL was not found. Error creating process <c:\windows\msagent\agentsvr.exe /regserver>. Reason: One of the library files needed to run this application cannot be found.
(Note The directory location cited in the error message varies depending on how you installed Windows.)
Installation of Microsoft Agent requires the proper installation of Regsvr32.exe, Msvcrt.dll (the Microsoft C run-time library), and up-to-date OLE dlls DCOM update . The best way to ensure that all the correct system files are present is to install Internet Explorer 4.0 or later .
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When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent, I get the message, "The component has been digitally "signed" by its publisher, but the signature does not match the component. Is it possible that this component has been damaged or tampered with? Do you want to continue?"
This may appear if you attempt to install Microsoft Agent on Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.02. You can either continue with the installation or update your browser to Internet Explorer 4.0 or later.
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When I attempt to load a page scripted for Microsoft Agent using Netscape Navigator (or other Internet browsers), I get errors.
Microsoft Agent is implemented using ActiveX interfaces. You can use it only with a browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer) that supports embedding ActiveX objects through script on a page, and only on systems running Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0 (or later). If you are not using Microsoft Internet Explorer , check with your browser vendor for further information on ActiveX support.
Does Microsoft Agent work in Internet Explorer 4.0?
Please note that Microsoft Agent will not run in Internet Explorer 4.0 Platform Preview, due to a bug in the Internet Explorer 4.0 Preview version. Install the final release version of Internet Explorer 4.0 .
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Output Problems
The character leaves images or trails behind when it moves.
When an Agent character animates, it requires the application windows behind the character to update themselves on a timely basis. When the character moves across the screen, it is normal to sometimes see some residual images that disappear quickly (depending on the speed of your PC and the applications you are running). If they don't, the following may be the cause:
- Your system does not meet the minimum system requirements for Agent. Check Agent's system requirements with your system.
- The application window behind the character does not process updates in a timely fashion. Try dragging the character over the desktop or a folder window, or shut down some of your applications. If you see a noticeable improvement, the problem may be unavoidable.
- You may not have the official release of the Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (or later) installed. Early pre-release versions of Internet Explorer 4.0 did not handle updating the screen correctly. This would result in residual images of the character remaining on the screen. To fix the problem, install the latest official release of the Internet Explorer .
- There may be a problem with your system's screen drivers or hardware. Make certain you have the latest drivers for your graphic hardware. If the problem still persists, you may want to contact your PC vendor.
Back to list of problems
The character doesn't produce any audio output when it speaks.
This symptom could have several causes. Try the following to isolate the problem:
- Verify that your speakers are plugged in and your sound card is compatible with Windows. It is a good idea to test them with another sound application to confirm that audio output is working properly.
- Verify that the Agent-enabled application or Web page supports speech input. Not all sample pages support speech input. Press and hold the Listening key (typically this will be the Scroll Lock key unless you changed it). A pop-up window should appear under the character. The text in the tip will tell you the listening state of the character. If no tip appears, either the application or Web page does not support speech input or you don't have a compatible speech engine installed. If the tip does appear and indicates the character is listening, Speak one of the character's voice commands. If you do not know what voice commands are available: release the Listening key and right-click the character, then choose Open Voice Commands Window from the pop-up menu. If the command does not appear, speech support is not available for the application or Web page you are using. If it does appear, press and hold the Listening key again. If the Listening tip appears under the character and indicates that the character is listening, speak one of the commands listed in the window. If the character does not respond, go to the next step.
- Verify that no other application is currently using the audio output device.
- Verify that the character you are using has been configured for spoken output. (You may need to check with the Web site or application supplier.)
- Verify that your Microsoft Agent settings are enabled for spoken output using the following procedure:
- Open the Try Out Microsoft Agent link on the Microsoft Agent home page. When the character appears, right-click it and select Advanced Character Options from the pop-up menu.
- When the property sheet appears, select the Output page.
- Set the Play Spoken Audio option and click OK.
- If the character uses a text-to-speech (TTS) engine to produce spoken output, verify that you have installed a compatible TTS engine. For example, when installed as an Internet Explorer 4.0 add-on component, only the core components of Microsoft Agent are installed. The core components do not include a text-to-speech engine. Without this TTS engine (a Microsoft Speech API-compatible engine), Microsoft Agent sample characters will not produce spoken output. Compatible engines can be found on the Microsoft Agent Downloads page.
- Verify that Microsoft Agent's use of MIDI is not blocking the audio channel (see the next topic, Applications that play MIDI have no audio output when Microsoft Agent is running).
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Applications that play MIDI or interferes with speech input, have no audio output when Microsoft Agent is running.
Microsoft Agent uses MIDI to play a tone when you press the Listening key. If you find that this interferes with other applications that play MIDI, or interferes with speech input, you can turn off the Play Tone When You Can Speak option in the Microsoft Agent properties using the following procedure:
- Open the Try Out Microsoft Agent link on the Microsoft Agent home page. When the character appears in the taskbar, right-click it and choose Advanced Character Options from the pop-up menu.
- When the property sheet displays, select the Speech Input page.
- Uncheck the Play Tone When You Can Speak option and click OK.
Back to list of problems
I get the following message.
- An outgoing call cannot be made since the application is dispatching an input-synchronous call.
This message may occur under the following circumstances.
When a Web page including Microsoft Agent is closed (by right clicking the page's taskbar entry and choosing Close from the pop-up menu), this may occur. This is due to a timing problem between Agent and the browser when they are shutting down at the same time. The error is harmless. Click OK to dismiss the message.
What occurred was the Agent-enabled Web page (or application) attempted to request a specific text-to-speech (TTS) engine. Speechapi.dll was not installed. Try installing the Speech control panel from the Downloads page .
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Speech Input Problems
The character does not respond to my spoken input.
This symptom may be caused by a number of problems. Try the following to isolate the problem:
- Verify that your microphone is correctly plugged in. It is a good idea to test it with another sound input application to ensure that it works properly.
- Verify that a compatible speech engine is installed. Under Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT 4.0, open the Control Panel. If you find the Speech object there, open it, and it will list the speech engines available and installed on your system. If the Speech object is not present, install it from the Microsoft Agent Downloads page. You can install the Microsoft Command and Control speech recognition engine from the Microsoft Agent site.
- Verify that your sound card is compatible with Microsoft Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows NT.
The best way to do this is to run the Sound Recorder application that comes with Windows. It can usually be found on the Start menu. Click the Start button, click Programs, click Accessories, click Multimedia, and then click Sound Recorder. When the Sound Recorder window displays, click the Record button and talk into your microphone. The line in the window should animate in response to your voice input.
If the Sound Recorder application doesn't work on your system, contact the sound card manufacturer's technical support department for assistance. Your sound card may not be compatible with Windows or there may be a problem with the software drivers for your sound card.
- Verify that your sound input for speech input is set properly.
- Open the Speech input object in the Control Panel. If the Speech object is not present, install it from the Microsoft Agent Downloads page.
- Select the speech input engine you have installed.
- Choose the Microphone Settings Wizard button. If this button appears disabled, a compatible speech engine is not installed or the speech engine you installed may not support automatic adjustment.
- Verify that the Agent-enabled application or Web page supports speech input. Not all pages or applications support speech input. Press and hold the Listening key. Typically this will be the Scroll Lock key unless you changed it. A pop-up window should appear under the character. The text in the tip will tell you the listening state of the character. If no tip appears, either the application or Web page does not support speech input, or you don't have a compatible speech engine installed. If the tip does appear and indicates the character is listening, speak one of the character's voice commands. If you do not know what voice commands are available, release the Listening key and right-click the character. Then, choose Open Voice Commands Window from the pop-up menu. If the command does not appear, speech support is not available for the application or Web page you are using. If it does appear, press and hold the Listening key again. If the Listening tip appears under the character and indicates that the character is listening, speak one of the commands listed in the window. If the character does not respond, go to the next step.
- Verify that no other application is currently using the audio output device.
- Verify that Microsoft Agent's use of MIDI is not blocking the audio channel (see Applications that play MIDI have no audio output when Microsoft Agent is running in the Output Problems section).
- If you followed the steps above but still have problems with speech input, verify that your sound card and driver software is compatible with the speech engine you are using. Check with the technical support for your sound card and your speech engine manufacturer.
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I don't hear a tone when I press the Listening key.
- Verify that the Web page or application you are using supports speech input. Also, verify that speech input is working by following the suggested steps for "The character does not respond to my spoken input."
- Verify that your MIDI volume is set loud enough.
- Open the Volume Control window by right-clicking the speaker icon in the taskbar or opening the Multimedia object in the Control Pane. Click the Volume button in the Playback section of the Audio page.
- Increase the MIDI volume by moving the slider up.
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Reduce the MIDI volume using the following steps.
- Open the Volume Control window by right-clicking the speaker icon in the taskbar or by opening the Multimedia object in the Control Panel. Click the Volume button in the Playback section of the Audio page.
- Decrease the MIDI volume by moving slider down.
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The character does not respond to voice input, but I can hear my voice through my speakers when I talk into my microphone.
Your sound card is not set up properly for use with Microsoft Agent. Choose the Microphone Settings Wizard on the property sheet of the Speech object in the Control Panel. See "The character does not respond to my spoken input." for information on how to access this button.
