Resolved by CochranRobotics!
Hey guys.
I have asked this question in another thread, but I decided to create a new "assistance required" thread as my issue relates to Windows 8, where as the other thread was really related to Windows 7, plus I'm still having problems. I really hope someone can help with this.
The issue
I'm in the middle of a transition from moving from a Win 7 to Win 8 laptop, and I'm having a real pain in the butt issue using speech synthesis voices with the new Windows 8 machine and new ARC install.
As Richard may remember, I mentioned in the other thread that I copied the .exe file for a Cepstral voice from my Win 7 machine, reinstalled it on to the Win 8 laptop, and added the activation key. The voice worked on Narrator and other 3rd party apps such as screen readers, but it never worked on ARC so I thought that was the problem. I have since reset the laptop back to the "Out of the box" state, and started again.
My new Windows 8 Toshiba Satellite laptop comes with three pre-installed voices, but only one of them works with ARC. I have installed a fresh version of a trial Cepstral voice and a 30 day trial of an Ivona voice, and neither one works with ARC either.
I have tried each and every variation of the "Speech synthesis" settings for each voice and they have made no difference whatsoever, and keeps using the one Windows voice. The only thing that does change is the "Rate".
Have any of you guy's faced this issue with Windows 8, and/or does anyone know what can be done so I can use the voices I want to use? I really want to get this working and I don't see why I'm having these problems, as using Cepstral with ARC on Windows 7 was no problem at all. Please help. confused
Many thanks.
Steve.
@Steve seriously Thanks.... I hate asking for help.... You don't have to, but you can send whatever via paypal to [email protected] .... Again, I am not trying to solicit help and I feel really bad as the cat is my responsibility and was my choice to help him... I just couldn't let him die.... I would have never forgiven myself...
I owe you buddy....
@Richard.
Hey, no worries dude. I love cats myself and would love to help. I can't afford much but every little helps right? I know what vet bills are like when I had my dog a while back (a real one that is)
). Robot dogs are much cheaper to treat and I can do the surgery myself, except his voice that is eyeroll 
@Steve that is great to hear! I am glad everything worked out.
@Richard what an amazing story. Good for you guys! That story was great to read, I am so glad Patches found you two! I sent a few $ over to Sue.
@Aislinn... I don't know what to say... except thank you so much... Tell DJ I said you need a raise...
@Steve... You didn't have to but Sue will be very happy to hear that you guys have given something... thanks so much...
Your welcome Richard.
@Richard. ..
Yes this thread has been highjacked a bit with your story!
BUT its quite amazing story and we are a big cat lover in our family, in fact our 'British Blue' cat named Saffy is treated in our house better than the kids!
I'll too will make a donation and send some money over to Sue.
@Cem... I realize that... so sorry Steve... I owe Steve for not only his donation but because I did highjack his thread... It's hard to un-ring the bell....
@Cem... thank you so much.....
The thing is I wasn't trying to solicit donations, didn't even occur to me until Steve offered...... I do feel bad for highjacking Steve's thread... so I owe him some Canadian beer or some other gift...
We had everything set up on facebook (Sue does facebook, I don't) as Sue has more friends than I can keep track of... We were expecting a fair bit of help from them, so I wasn't even going to mention Patches plight on here... Funny, only a couple of her so called friends stepped up to help so far... I don't want to seem ungrateful as I am fully aware I am going to foot most of the bill and I am of course ok with that... But you guys who barely know me are way more generous and kind... I am a little bit (ok a lot) of a cynic, but when I say that the people on the ez robot forum are the best in the world, I even believe now...
Again thanks
Hey, this is MY thread, and I say... It's all good.
. And at least it keeps the thread alive for anyone facing the same issues on the main topic. Err, what was it about again? ? ?
EDIT:
I just read the rest of your last post. A small gift you say... Well I've always fancied a Roli. But a Canadian beer sounds just as good, IF I'm ever over your neck of the woods.