Sprecho records nothing, Settings shows Not reachable for every microphone, but Teams, Zoom or the Windows Sound Recorder record fine on the same PC? Then the microphone is not broken. In almost every case a security program is blocking microphone access because it does not (yet) trust Sprecho.
How to recognise it
- Under Settings → General → Microphone every device shows Not reachable: 0x80070057 with the Windows text for "the parameter is incorrect", or 0x80070005 (access denied).
- When you dictate, the notice Microphone blocked appears.
- Test microphone (right below) shows an error in every row, usually 0x80070057.
- Other programs record normally with the same microphones.
Unfortunately Windows does not report the block as "blocked" but as "the parameter is incorrect". That is why Sprecho tries several ways of opening the microphone. If Windows refuses every one of them for every device, the cause is not a driver problem but a rule that applies to Sprecho only.
Kaspersky
In Kaspersky Endpoint Security the cause is the Host Intrusion Prevention component (called Programm-Überwachung in the German interface). It refuses audio capture to programs in a restricted trust group. The steps below were confirmed on a German installation; the German labels are in brackets.
- Open Kaspersky and go to Host Intrusion Prevention → manage applications (Programm-Überwachung → Programme verwalten).
- Find Sprecho in the list.
- Move Sprecho to the Trusted group (Vertrauenswürdig).
- Also go to Exclusions → Trusted applications (Ausnahmen → Vertrauenswürdige Programme), add Sprecho.exe and enable Do not monitor application activity (Programmaktivität nicht überwachen).
- Quit Sprecho from its icon in the notification area and start it again.
Dictation works straight away afterwards. You can check with Test microphone: the rows now show OK.
If Kaspersky is managed by your IT department from a central console, these settings are often locked. Your IT then has to allow Sprecho.
Other security software
ESET, Bitdefender and other security suites have comparable features, just with different names and in different places. Look in your security software for one of these areas:
- Microphone or webcam protection, or privacy protection: allow Sprecho there.
- Application control, HIPS or behaviour monitoring: mark Sprecho as trusted or add it as an exclusion.
- A history or log of blocked actions: if Sprecho shows up there, you can usually lift the block right from it.
Where exactly the setting lives depends on the product and version. The vendor's help finds it fastest with a search such as "allow application microphone access".
Windows privacy settings
Windows itself can block access too, typically with 0x80070005 (access denied). Open Settings → Privacy & security → Microphone (Windows 10: Settings → Privacy → Microphone) and check that microphone access is on and Let desktop apps access your microphone is enabled.
Still not working?
Click Test microphone under Settings → General → Microphone, then Copy, and send us the result or a screenshot. It shows us at a glance which way of opening the microphone Windows refuses, and with which error.