Unlock all Windows 10 TTS voices system-wide to get more of them
Microsoft's Windows 10 operating system comes with a set of voices for each language installed on the device. Only some of the installed voices become available system-wide so that third-party software and services may make use of them as well. The majority of voices are restricted to internal use, e.g. for Cortana or other areas.
If you open Settings > Ease of Access > Narrator and select the "choose a voice" menu there, you get a list of voices that are available.
When you open a third-party program that uses voices on the Windows PC, only some of these are provided.
The screenshot above shows how many voices are available when you select the voice picker in Narrator.
The third-party program Balabolka displays only three voices that you may select even though you know that more are available on the device: frustrating.
There is a way, however, to unlock all Windows 10 text-to-speech voices so that they become available to any program or app that uses the voices that Windows provides.
Note: The method requires Registry editing. I suggest you create a backup of the Registry or even your system before you make any modifications to the Windows Registry so that you can restore the initial state if things don't go as planned.
Here is how that is done:
Step 1: Open the Windows Registry Editor
- Activate the Start menu of the operating system.
- Type regedit.exe to launch the Registry Editor.
- Confirm the UAC security prompt that is displayed.
Step 2: Open the list of available voices
- Go to the Registry key Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens
It lists all the voices that are available (except for Cortana voices, more about that later).
Step 3: Export the voices
You need to export the voice information in the Registry in the first step.
- Right-click on a key in the Registry Editor, e.g. MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM and select Export.
- Type a name for the new Registry file, e.g. markm, and select save from the dialog.
4. Modify the exported Registry file
Open the saved Registry file. It needs to be modified so that its values are added to two other locations in the Registry.
- Copy all information except for the first line (Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00) and paste the information below the content of the file.
- Replace the location in the first data set with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens
- Replace the location in the second data set with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens
Note: Each set includes two paths that you need to replace. Take a look at the following modified Registry file to better understand the process (for the U.S. voice Mark):
Original File:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM]
@="Microsoft Mark - English (United States)"
"409"="Microsoft Mark - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
"LangDataPath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,\
00,70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,\
65,00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,\
00,5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,55,00,53,00,5c,00,4d,00,53,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
4c,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,6e,00,55,00,53,00,2e,00,64,00,61,00,74,00,00,00
"VoicePath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,\
70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,65,\
00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,55,00,53,00,5c,00,4d,00,31,00,30,00,33,00,33,00,4d,\
00,61,00,72,00,6b,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM\Attributes]
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"Gender"="Male"
"Language"="409"
"Name"="Microsoft Mark"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"Version"="11.0"
Modified File:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM]
@="Microsoft Mark - English (United States)"
"409"="Microsoft Mark - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
"LangDataPath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,\
00,70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,\
65,00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,\
00,5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,55,00,53,00,5c,00,4d,00,53,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
4c,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,6e,00,55,00,53,00,2e,00,64,00,61,00,74,00,00,00
"VoicePath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,\
70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,65,\
00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,55,00,53,00,5c,00,4d,00,31,00,30,00,33,00,33,00,4d,\
00,61,00,72,00,6b,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM\Attributes]
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"Gender"="Male"
"Language"="409"
"Name"="Microsoft Mark"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"Version"="11.0"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM]
@="Microsoft Mark - English (United States)"
"409"="Microsoft Mark - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
"LangDataPath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,\
00,70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,\
65,00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,\
00,5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,55,00,53,00,5c,00,4d,00,53,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
4c,00,6f,00,63,00,65,00,6e,00,55,00,53,00,2e,00,64,00,61,00,74,00,00,00
"VoicePath"=hex(2):25,00,77,00,69,00,6e,00,64,00,69,00,72,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,\
70,00,65,00,65,00,63,00,68,00,5f,00,4f,00,6e,00,65,00,43,00,6f,00,72,00,65,\
00,5c,00,45,00,6e,00,67,00,69,00,6e,00,65,00,73,00,5c,00,54,00,54,00,53,00,\
5c,00,65,00,6e,00,2d,00,55,00,53,00,5c,00,4d,00,31,00,30,00,33,00,33,00,4d,\
00,61,00,72,00,6b,00,00,00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_MarkM\Attributes]
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"Gender"="Male"
"Language"="409"
"Name"="Microsoft Mark"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"Version"="11.0"
Step 5: Import the new data
Importing is straightforward. Just double-click on the Registry file that you have modified and accept the warning prompt.
Note that you need to switch users, sign off and on again, or restart the PC before you may see the new voice in other programs.
Also, you need administrative rights to add data to the Registry using .reg files.
Bonus Step: Cortana
Cortana's exclusive voices are referenced in another location in the Registry.
- Go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.windows.cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Isolated in the Registry Editor.
- You find a number of random character values there. Follow one of them to \HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens
- On my test system, I went to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.windows.cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Isolated\ohDO1Sgy3MzgdEgEb4WYfDS4eikKwN2EBJ1Cyr7HTF0\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens
- Note that the actual voices need to have LangUpdateDataDirectory listed when you select the folder.
- Export the data just like you have before.
- Copy the data of the Registry file so that it exists three times (not two) in the exported Registry file.
- Replace the first set up to Tokens with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens
- Replace the second set up to Tokens with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens
- Replace the third set up to Tokens with HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens
Here is an example using the U.S. Cortana voice Eva.
Original File:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.windows.cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Isolated\ohDO1Sgy3MzgdEgEb4WYfDS4eikKwN2EBJ1Cyr7HTF0\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM]
@="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"LangDataPath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\MSTTSLocenUS.dat"
"LangUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"VoicePath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\M1033Eva"
"VoiceUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"409"="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppContainer\Storage\microsoft.windows.cortana_cw5n1h2txyewy\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Isolated\ohDO1Sgy3MzgdEgEb4WYfDS4eikKwN2EBJ1Cyr7HTF0\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM\Attributes]
"Version"="11.0"
"Language"="409"
"Gender"="Female"
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Name"="Microsoft Eva Mobile"
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"PersonalAssistant"="1"
Edited File:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM]
@="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"LangDataPath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\MSTTSLocenUS.dat"
"LangUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"VoicePath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\M1033Eva"
"VoiceUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"409"="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech_OneCore\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM\Attributes]
"Version"="11.0"
"Language"="409"
"Gender"="Female"
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Name"="Microsoft Eva Mobile"
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"PersonalAssistant"="1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM]
@="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"LangDataPath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\MSTTSLocenUS.dat"
"LangUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"VoicePath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\M1033Eva"
"VoiceUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"409"="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Speech\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM\Attributes]
"Version"="11.0"
"Language"="409"
"Gender"="Female"
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Name"="Microsoft Eva Mobile"
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"PersonalAssistant"="1"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM]
@="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"LangDataPath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\MSTTSLocenUS.dat"
"LangUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"VoicePath"="%windir%\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US\\M1033Eva"
"VoiceUpdateDataDirectory"="%SystemDrive%\\Data\\SharedData\\Speech_OneCore\\Engines\\TTS\\en-US"
"409"="Microsoft Eva Mobile - English (United States)"
"CLSID"="{179F3D56-1B0B-42B2-A962-59B7EF59FE1B}"
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SPEECH\Voices\Tokens\MSTTS_V110_enUS_EvaM\Attributes]
"Version"="11.0"
"Language"="409"
"Gender"="Female"
"Age"="Adult"
"DataVersion"="11.0.2013.1022"
"SharedPronunciation"=""
"Name"="Microsoft Eva Mobile"
"Vendor"="Microsoft"
"PersonalAssistant"="1"
You can download the Registry files to add the Cortana voice Eva and the voice Mark system-wide: windows-10-voices-add.zip
Repeat the steps for any language that you may have installed, the process is always the same. (via Reddit)
What mental age of reader are you targeting with the first sentence? 10?
Why not write an article on how to *avoid* upgrading from W10 to W11. Analogous to those like me who avoided upgrading from 7 to 10 for as long as possible.
If your paymaster Microsoft permits it, of course.
5. Rufus
6. Ventoy
PS. I hate reading these “SEO optimized” articles.
I used Rufus to create an installer for a 6th gen intel i5 that had MBR. It upgraded using Setup. No issues except for Win 11 always prompting me to replace my local account. Still using Win 10 Pro on all my other PCs to avoid the bullying.
bit pointless to upgrade for the sake of upgrading as you never know when you’ll get locked out because ms might suddenly not provide updates to unsupported systems.
ps…. time travelling?
written. Jan 15, 2023
Updated • Jan 13, 2023
This happens when you schedule a post in WordPress and update it before setting the publication date.
Anyone willing to downgrade to this awful OS must like inflicting themselves with harm.
I have become convinced now that anybody who has no qualms with using Windows 11/10 must fit into one of the following brackets:
1) Too young to remember a time before W10 and W11 (doesn’t know better)
2) Wants to play the latest games on their PC above anything else (or deeply needs some software which already dropped W7 support)
3) Doesn’t know too much about how computers work, worried that they’d be absolutely lost and in trouble without the “”latest security””
4) Microsoft apologist that tries to justify that the latest “features” and “changes” are actually a good thing, that improve Windows
5) Uses their computer to do a bare minimum of like 3 different things, browse web, check emails, etc, so really doesn’t fuss
Obviously that doesn’t cover everyone, there’s also the category that:
6) Actually liked W7 more than 10, and held out as long as possible before switching, begrudgingly uses 10 now
Have I missed any group off this list?
You have missed in this group just about any professional user that uses business software like CAD programs or ERP Programs which are 99% of all professional users from this list.
Linux doesn’t help anyone who is not a linux kid and apple is just a fancy facebook machine.
Microsoft has removed KB5029351 update
only from windows update though
KB5029351 is still available from the ms update catalog site
1. This update is labaled as PREVIEW if it causes issues to unintelligent people, then they shouldn’t have allowed Preview updates ot install.
2. I have installed it in a 11 years old computer, and no problems at all.
3. Making a big drama over a bluescreen for an updated labeled as preview is ridiculous.
This is probably another BS internet drama where people ran programs and scripts that modified the registry until they broke Windows, just for removing stuff that they weren’t even using just for the sake of it.
Maybe people should stop playing geeks and actually either use Windows 10 or Windows 11, but don’t try to modify things just for the sake of it.
Sometimes removing or stopping things (like defender is a perfect example) only need intelligence, not scripts or 3rd party programs that might mess with windows.
Windows 11 was a pointless release, it was just created because some of the Windows team wanted to boost sales with some sort of new and improved Windows 10. Instead, Microsoft cannot support one version well let alone two.
Windows 11 is the worst ugly shame by Microsoft ever. They should release with every new W11 version a complete free version of Starallback inside just to make this sh** OS functionally again.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released a statement regarding the “unsupported processor” blue screen error for their boards using Intel 600/700 series chipsets & to avoid the KB5029351 Win11 update:
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/MSI-On–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–Error-Message-of-Windows-11-Update-KB5029351-Preview-142215
check out the following recent articles:
Neowin – Microsoft puts little blame on its Windows update after UNSUPPORTED PROCESSOR BSOD bug:
https://www.neowin.net/news/microsoft-puts-little-blame-on-its-windows-update-after-unsupported-processor-bsod-bug/
BleepingComputer – Microsoft blames ‘unsupported processor’ blue screens on OEM vendors:
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/microsoft/microsoft-blames-unsupported-processor-blue-screens-on-oem-vendors/
While there may be changes or updates to the Windows 10 Store for Business and Education in the future, it is premature to conclude that it will be discontinued based solely on rumors.
My advice, I left win 15 years ago. Now I’m a happy linux user (linuxmint) but there is Centos, Fedora, Ubuntu depending on your needs.
motherboard maker MSI has recently released new BIOS/firmware updates for their Intel 600 & 700 series motherboards to fix the “UNSUPPORTED_PROCESSOR” problem (Sept. 6):
https://www.msi.com/news/detail/Updated-BIOS-fixes-Error-Message–UNSUPPORTED-PROCESSOR–caused-BSOD-on-MSI-s-Intel-700-and-600-Series-Motherboards-142277