GWKB1083 : Windows Vista Causes Window-Eyes To Crash When Navigating The Contacts Folder

Product: Window-Eyes
Author: Raul Gallegos
Date Added: 09/19/2007
Last Modified: 09/19/2007
Applies to: Window-Eyes version 6.1 only. Windows Vista, (Any 32-bit version.)

Symptom: Window-Eyes crashes and you lose speech when you open the Contacts folder and press arrow keys to navigate it.

Cause: There is a problem with the way Microsoft sends Window-Eyes the necessary information through MSAA while using the Contacts template in this folder. This crash also happens if narrator is used.

Solution: To avoid this crash, you must set the folder template to the "All" setting instead of the "Contacts" setting. Also, this issue has been fixed post Window-Eyes 6.1.

Steps: The following steps will give instructions necessary to change the template in the Contacts folder.

  1. Open the Contacts folder. This can be done either by typing "contacts" at the Start menu search edit box, and pressing enter, or by pressing Control-Shift-C from Windows Mail.
  2. It is important that if doing this while Window-Eyes is running, that you do not press any of the arrow keys or this will trigger the crash.
  3. Press Alt-V, followed by F to open the folder options dialog. The combo box will be focused on the "Contacts" choice.
  4. Press Up-Arrow once to select the "All Items" option.
  5. Press Enter.
Now that the Contacts folder is set to using the "All Items" template, Windows Vista should not cause this crash with Window-Eyes.