For those of us running Windows and NVDA, take heed when updating to the latest version of NVDA, version 2026.1. NVAccess has finally made NVDA a 64bit application. In doing so, there are 2 issues to consider.
• This update will absolutely kill most, if not all of your add-ons. Furthermore, forcing them to load will not work, as they are all 32bit.
• There are some new security features in the latest build of Windows 11. These new features will flag the 64bit of NVDA as a trojan, and you will have an awful time of things trying to, undo, the situation.
I just wanted to give a heads-up as both of the aforementioned issues happened to me, and it took some work for me to restore my laptop in order to make NVDA work again. Note, simply uninstalling NVDA v2026.1 will not matter. Once the new security system flags NVDA.exe, you are screwed, and while I am grateful we have Narrator, it is dreadful as a daily driver.
HTH.
Comments
Have not had these problems
* Regarding addons: I have several addons that have not been updated but they still work fine if you override the incompatibility warnings. There are quite a few that don't, since the changes this time around are quite large, but to say that this affects almost all addons is to overstate the problem.
* Regarding getting flagged as a trojan: Have not happened to me and haven't seen NV Access mention this anywhere. Also, if it happens, and you have at least one account on your computer with administrative privileges, you can override this in Windows Defender. False positives are not uncommon but are often fixed within a day or so with new definitions from Microsoft.
Have been through this
I updated and Most of my Ad-ons became incompatible. Even togglign allowing incompatible ad-ons did not get those incompatible ad-ons to work. Luckily developers started to seed updates to the ad-ons and most of them work for me now.
I've not had any issues.
I don't use many addons but eliquence works fine for me for anyone wondering. i'll say this, hopefully without getting into trouble, it isn't the code factory one, it's not paid that's all I'l say on that.
no, had not had any issues
No had not any issues with state computers, mine worked fine on my end
no problems, but
the 64 bit license told us that bestspeech synthesizer, the kind you get on the brailleNote is not in list, but the winTalker that uses old Mac voices works
No issues
I updated my work laptop, my personal laptop and my personal desktop to NVDA 2026.1 and I didn't experience any issues. Unigramplus is flagged as incompatible but after force-enabling the addon everything in Unigram worked just fine. All of my systems have all the latest Windows updates BTW.
Regarding getting flagged as a trojan...I haven't experience this too. On my work laptop Cisco itself didn't flag anything relating to NVDA 2026.1, and on both my personal laptop and my personal desktop Windows Security also didn't flag anything relating to NVDA 2026.1.
No problems
Other than addons showing up as incompatible, no issues here. Up to date on all Windows updates, and all the addons I really care about updated promptly. Sorry to hear that you did have these issues though. That sucks. Thankfully it sounds like your case is the exception, not the rule.
had none of these issues
Yeah I don't know. Had none of these issues. Please if you're gunna tell us that a lot of addons are not, going to be compatible ya might wanna tell us what, because everything is compatible here on my system accept, for one. A lot, is an overstatement. I'd be careful with blowing this out of proportion as this seems to be doing just that. I understand you've had issues but I've not heard but one other person having the same issues and it's on this same thread. Plus I've not heard NVAccess mention any of this accept for the incompatible addons.
Response
So, in my apparently unique situation, I was running the Preview build of Windows 11, I cannot remember now if it was Preview build 26h2, or 27h2, but it downloaded/installed as an update automagically, so I unfortunately did not catch that it was a Preview build until much later. There are some vids on YouTube about the new security features in this new build of Win 11, that explains Microsofts goal of a more secure OS.
I understand that no one has, as of yet, made any kind of official statement from NVAccess. I was trying to explain my own experience in the hopes that others would be forewarned.
Also, I never once said that every single add-on was affected. I implied that most would be due to their 32bit architecture. Obviously if independent add-on developers update their architecture for their add-ons then this is not a problem.
Again, I was just reporting on my own experiences so that (hopefully) others would not experience the same thing as I did.
For those that did not understand my original thread what happened to me, once the Preview update of Windows installed, was that something popped up on my screen that neither NVDA nor Narrator was capable of reading. Possibly a Command Prompt window. All I know was that the window in question lasted a few seconds, and then from that point on NVDA would not load. No matter how many times I clicked on the .exe file, and even with Admin privileges.
For the person who suggested running as admin, thanks, but that was a bust. Appreciate the tip however...
For the person who asked for clarity as to, why, an add-on would not work with NVDA 2026.1, it is because the older add-ons are running 32bit architecture, while the new NVDA is running on 64bit architecture. After reading up on the changes to the new NVDA, it seems the devs decided to end 32bit compatibility.
Finally, for everyone who did not have any issues with the update. Kudos to you all. Again, this was just a warning based on my own experience, and the situations that lead up to my restoring my device to get back to the previous build of Win 11.
So sorry if that offended any of you... 🙄
Re: Response
Running an insider build of Windows 11 might be why you're having those issues. I, and probably many of us, are running Windows 11 25H2, not one of the insider builds. Insider builds aren't meant for production environment, they're meant for people who are willing to test upcoming features and changes, on like a spare machine or a VM or something.
Very true
Oddly enough, I'm not running Windows Insider. This Windows preview was actually in a list of Windows updates that were available on my system, so when I clicked on the "Download and Imstall" button, that one installed as well. It's labeled as Windows 26 Preview, and will likely show up on other users machines as well, regardless of your Windows Insider Settings. That's what tripped me up, even though I don't run Windows Insider, I still got what was essentially an Insider update.
Go figure…
Not running it now, as I restored back to 25H2, and NVDA 2025.3.3.
Audio Docking
Any idea why I get 'Audio ducking not supported' message when trying to modify its settings? I have latest NVDA and latest Windows 11.
Maldalain
• Audio ducking is no longer supported for Microsoft Speech API version 4 or 32-bit Microsoft Speech API version 5 voices. (
This is from The, "What's New in NVDA, 2026.1. Hyperlink below.
https://download.nvaccess.org/releases/2026.1/documentation/changes.html
It will be under the, "Changes", heading.
SAPI 5 64
I also tried audio docking with SAPI 5 64 and I am getting the same audio docking issue.
Re: Very true
What was the exact build of Windows 11 you were using at the time? Mine is on Windows 11 build 26200.8328.
@Maldalain
Don't know what to tell you. I copied the bit about the Audio Ducking directly from the 2026.1 User Guide. 🤷
@Nut
Version 25H2
OS build 26200.8246
Edit: unfortunately, that build you are running, Nut, is the Windows Preview Build 26H2. If it is working out for you though, kudos to you.
HTH. 🙂
Glad you were able to roll back
Glad you were able to roll back, and thanks for the heads up. Thankfully as I said above, no issues here, but appreciate the thread nonetheless.
@Justin
Thank you for your words. I appreciate it.
Re: @Nut
Well, I didn't know that it is the preview build; I just installed it since it shows up as some kind of optional update.
But yeah, I didn't notice any strange behaviors with NVDA since I installed build 26200.8328. When I run winver it still says Windows version 25H2 though, not 26H2.
Fair enough
Yeah, it shows up in my windows update as, "Windows Preview Build 26, 26200.8328", or something to that effect. Hey, if it's working OK for you, then no worries. I honestly cannot tell you exactly what happened with my installation, other than the weird unreadable pop-up window, and the fact that NVDA.EXE absolutely stopped loading, no matter how many times I clicked on it. I would say it was almost as if it was running without any audio, but that doesn't exactly feel right either.
Regardless, I was able to revert back to the previous version of Windows, the build I posted above, and also thankfully had a portable copy of NVDA version 2025.3.3, Which I always keep on a thumb drive, for times when I am doing IT work on PCs that are not mine.
Thank the powers that be, for being able to run NVDA on a portable thumb drive. 😀
Regarding the windows update preview
To some of you who are confused with the "Windows update preview" and "Windows insider build preview". For normal users, which I assume most of you do, myself included, that are running the windows 25h2, you get update twice a month. One is released every second Tuesday of each month, which Microsoft calls it "Patch Tuesday", and it is a mandatory, thus you should install it as soon as it is appears in your windows update. The other update that Microsoft usually releases, mostly at the end of each month are those update previews, which most of you in this thread are confusing with the insider previews. Essentially, those update previews are optional updates that Microsoft is rolling out to give users a glimpse of what's coming in the upcoming month patch Tuesday, thus it is an optional update. So, unless you've consent to receive windows insider builds by clicking join windows insider programs from the settings, Microsoft wouldn't just pushes out Windows insider preview builds for no reasons.
Hope that clears the confusions, and sorry for my English.
Re: Regarding the windows update preview
Thank you for the explanation. It is appreciated.
not installing the windows prview
In case the next batch of updates offers this Windows preview, how can I avoid installing it and just keep the version of Windows 11 I'm using now?
Re: Not installing the Windows preview
To prevent your Windows from installing preview updates, make sure to turn off the option called "Get the latest updates as soon as they're available" from the Windows update, in settings. That way you'll only get the important security updates, not optional. Unless you manually check for update yourself, Windows update will pulls down the latest optional updates again.