How to fix
Speech to Text not working: how to fix error code 0x80049dd3
on Windows

Hi, every time I try to use my mic on Windows for speech to text, it doesn't work and returns the error 0x80049dd3. Please help me fix it.

Modern technologies are constantly improving, which increases the ease of use of our digital devices. Speech to text is one of many useful Windows features that can be used for controlling your computer, although it is mostly used to dictate the text in a window where users would have to type otherwise. The feature saves a lot of time, especially for those who are slower at typing or those who simply can't type due to one reason or another.

In order for speech recognition to work, users need to enable their microphone and enable the feature via Windows settings - a keyboard shortcut Win + H could then automatically trigger the function. Those who had been using it for a while were content; unfortunately, suddenly, users were left with speech to text not working on Windows with error code 0x80049dd3, and many were baffled due to the reasons why.

The error message is relatively generic and reads as follows:

Something went wrong

Please try again later

0x80049dd3

Unfortunately, trying again later does not yield any results, and users are still left with speech-to-text not working. The message also provides no other solutions to the problem, so people are looking for ways to fix this problem.

The issue may occur on Windows 10 and Windows 11 machines, although people using Windows 11 encounter it by far the most commonly. Some users claimed that 0x80049dd3 showed up out of the blue, while others said it happened right after Windows updates were applied.

When it comes to fixing the problem, Microsoft is now aware of it and is likely working on a fix - there are many users affected by it. Nonetheless, you can try several steps listed below that should tackle the problem as of now. Before proceeding, we recommend using [d1] to make sure that no system file corruption or other underlying Windows issues are causing the speech-to-text error.

Fix 1. Update Windows

Depending on when you are facing this problem, it may have already been fixed by Microsoft. Thus, we recommend you apply all the updates available:

• Type Updates in Windows search and press Enter
• Here, press Check for updates
• Wait for Windows to install the available updates
• If you see any optional updates - install them too
• Restart your device.

Fix 2. Reinstall your audio drivers

Corrupt audio drivers could be the reason for voice and audio problems. You can try reinstalling them:

• Press Win + R to open the Run dialog
• Type in devmgmt.msc into the field and press enter or click OK
• In the Device manager, expand the Sound, video, and game controllers section
• Here, look for your audio driver - it could be Nvidia, Realtek, or other (depending on your system configuration)
• Right-click on the driver and select Uninstall device
• When uninstall prompt shows up, tick the Delete the driver software for this device and press Uninstall
• Reboot your PC.

Once you uninstall your drivers, you can use the Windows update feature (as explained in the previous fix) to install the latest drivers. Note that Windows may sometimes fail to download the latest driver, so we recommend using specialized software [rev id= "DriverFix"].

Note: you can follow our more extensive guide on how to reinstall audio drivers correctly.

Fix 3. Create a new user account

Creating a new account helped most users to resolve the situation. If you already have another Microsoft account, you could simply swap it. If not, create a new one as follows:

• Select Start/right-click Start and pick Settings
• Go to Family and & other users
• In the Other users section, click the Add someone else to this PC option
• Select I don't have this person's sign-in information, and then pick Add a user without a Microsoft account.

Fix 4. Reset your internet connection

If your internet connection is disrupted, you can try resetting it to see if that fixes the issue.

• Type cmd in Windows search and hit Enter
• When User Account Control shows up, click Yes
• Copy and paste each of the following commands, pressing Enter every time:
  ipconfig /flushdns
  ipconfig /registerdns
  ipconfig /release
  ipconfig /renew
  netsh winsock reset
• Reboot your system.

Other relevant articles:

• Voice recognition not working: Windows says no internet connection is available
• Windows could not start the Windows Audio Service on local computer error
• Fix no sound, PC audio problems after Windows update.