Windows Live Captions stuck “Setting up live captions

Hello TB_2025

Welcome to the Microsoft Community.

It seems you’re encountering an issue with the Live Captions feature on your Windows 11 laptop, where the setup process gets stuck at the “Setting up live captions” stage. 

This can happen due to several reasons, including system configuration, missing updates, or software conflicts. Let’s go through some troubleshooting steps to help you resolve this issue. 

Right now, we recommend you first have a try for the suggestions from Behnam_3144 above, which could be very worth trying. However, if it does not work, there are some other possible options you can consider:

1. Check for Windows Updates 

Ensure your Windows 11 is fully up-to-date. Sometimes, missing updates can interfere with the functionality of new features like live captions. 

Steps:

1. Open Settings: Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. Go to Windows Update: Select Windows Update on the left sidebar.
3. Check for updates: Click Check for updates and install any pending updates.
4. After the updates are installed, restart your laptop and try setting up live captions again.

2. Enable Live Captions Manually 

Live Captions might need to be manually enabled in Accessibility Settings. 

Steps:

1. Press Win + I to open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Accessibility > Hearing > Live Captions.
3. Make sure that Live Captions is turned on.
4. Under the “Language” section, ensure that the language is set to English (or your preferred language).
5. If it was already turned on, try turning it off and back on to reset the feature.

3. Check Internet Connection 

Live Captions with translation requires an active internet connection to work, as the system may be trying to download necessary components or communicate with online services. 

Steps:

• Ensure your internet connection is stable.
• Try switching to a different network environment.

4. Clear Temporary Files 

Corrupted or conflicting temporary files can prevent features like live captions from functioning properly. Clearing them might help. 

Steps:

1. Press Win + R, type temp, and hit Enter.
2. Delete all files in the Temp folder (you might need admin rights to do this).
3. Press Win + R again, type %temp%, and hit Enter.
4. Delete all files in the second Temp folder.
5. Restart your laptop and try setting up live captions again.

5. Check for Audio Issues 

Live captions rely on your system’s microphone and audio settings. If there’s an issue with the microphone or sound settings, it may prevent live captions from functioning correctly. 

Steps:

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to System > Sound.
3. Ensure your microphone is properly set up and not muted.
4. Test the microphone by speaking into it to confirm it’s working. You can use the Test your microphone feature in the Sound settings.

6. Reinstall Speech and Language Features 

Windows 11 uses language packs and speech recognition features that may need to be reinstalled or repaired. 

Steps:

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to Time & Language > Language & Region.
3. Under Preferred languages, click on English (United States) (or your language), then click Options.
4. If Speech isn’t listed, click Add a language, search for English (United States) or your preferred language, and install the speech recognition feature.
5. Restart the laptop and attempt to set up live captions again.

7. Use Troubleshooter for Speech Recognition 

Windows has built-in troubleshooters that might help identify and fix issues with speech recognition or live captions. 

Steps:

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to System > Troubleshoot > Other troubleshooters.
3. Run the Speech troubleshooter to identify any issues with your microphone or speech features.

8. Reboot in Safe Mode (If all else fails) 

If none of the above solutions work, there could be a conflict with other installed software. Booting your system in Safe Mode can help eliminate such conflicts. 

Steps to Boot into Safe Mode:

1. Open Settings (Win + I).
2. Go to System > Recovery > Advanced startup and click Restart now.
3. After the restart, select Troubleshoot > Advanced options > Startup Settings > Restart.
4. After the system restarts, press 4 to enter Safe Mode.
5. Try setting up live captions in Safe Mode.

9. Contact HP Support

If none of the above methods work, the issue could be more specific to your HP OmniBook or Windows 11 installation. You may want to reach out to HP Support for more targeted troubleshooting. 

Summary: Try updating Windows, ensuring your region and language settings are correct, and making sure the microphone is working. Also, check for any internet connectivity issues or audio conflicts. If problems persist, clearing temporary files or reinstalling language/speech features might help. 

Let me know how it goes or if you need further assistance! 

Best Regards,

William.Y | Microsoft Community Support Specialist

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