How to Control Your PC With Your Voice Using WSR Macros

You've been talking to (or screaming at) your Windows PC for years, but unless you were willing to shell out hundreds of dollars on pricey software, chances are it wasn't listening to a word you were saying. With Microsoft's new freeware tool, Windows Speech Recognition Macros, the days of you talking into your computer's unsympathetic ear are over. Not only is it listening, but it's up to the task of doing whatever you want it to.

Steps

1

Assuming you're running a WGA-validated copy of Vista, you can head to the WSR Macros Technical Preview page to download and install the latest version.
2

Set up your microphone. Although WSR Macros with a dedicated headset and a webcam's built-in mic both work, the dedicated headset performs much better.
3

Decide if you want your software to 'listen' to your email. The installation wizard will also ask you if you want it to spy on your email and documents to learn new words and improve its performance with your vocabulary. This sounds a bit creepy, but the software doesn't send any of this information back to Microsoft, so it might be worth a go.
4

Run through the WSR Macros tutorial once you finish the installation. It steps you through all the basics and familiarizes you with common commands, and despite a 1998-era vibe that only Microsoft can pull off in 2008, it's worth your time—if only to teach WSR how you speak.