"Read Aloud isn't available because something is preventing it from starting"

Question

Is there any nice fix for this innocuous error msg?

"Read Aloud isn't available because something is preventing it from starting"

It is preventing the use of both Read Aloud and Speak.

I am using Office 365, Word  2016 on Win10 Pro 64bit.

I have done an Office Repair and with no change in the error msg.

Thanks

Answer 1

Thank you, Jenicel.

I await your deliberations.

Fred

Answer 2

Hi,

I have uninstalled Office 365 and reinstalled it and have no joy.

Anymore thoughts?

Thanks

Fred

Answer 3

Thank you for your quick response. To isolate the issue, may we ask if you already tried using your speaker to a different application? If yes, is it working properly?

Now, since you already repaired the application, the next step that we need to perform is reinstalling the application. However, if you're Office product is preinstalled to your computer, it is better to contact your computer manufacturer for assistance on reinstalling Office. Once you've uninstalled Office, it may ask for a product key to be able to reinstall it to your computer. Your computer manufacturer might have the product key for the Office product since it is preinstalled. For reference, you may check the link below:

Uninstall Office from a PC

Download and install or reinstall Office 365 or Office 2019 on a PC or Mac

Update us with the outcome.

Answer 4

Your concern about Read Aloud and Speak feature in Word that isn't working properly is under investigation and we are coordinating with our Internal support team to get this addressed as soon as possible. We’ll let you know once we reach a resolution. Please standby.

Regards.

Answer 5

Hi Fred,

The challenge you're encountering on using the Read Aloud and Speak feature on Word 2016 might be due to a compatibility issue. It would be great if you can tell us more about your concern. Please answer the following questions:

• When is the first time that you experience this issue?

• Did you notice any app setting changes prior to the issue?

• Are the affected documents created in Word 2016?

• What does it say under the large Office icon at the top of the screen under Product Information. Does it say something like Subscription Product or Microsoft Office 365 ProPlus? For reference, you may also check this article: About Office: What version of Office am I using?

To notify us and have us get back to you, simply reply to this post.