Recovering 'lost' .dau files from Express Dictate and Pocket Dictate

In the event that the computer hard drive crashes or something else seriously goes wrong with the machine, you can recover the internal 'dau' files to recover unsent recordings.

Follow these steps if using Express Dictate for Windows or Mac OS X:
  1. Rename the file extension from .dau to .raw.
  2. Download the free version of WavePad Sound Editing Software from www.nch.com.au/wavepad.
  3. Open the files. Use the settings 16 bit PCM (Intel Endian) and Mono. The sample rate is commonly either 11025 or 22050 (depending on settings), but may be lower - trial and error might be needed. If the playback is too fast, try a lower sample rate. If the file is static, try changing "16 bit PCM (Intel Endian)" to "16 bit PCM (Big Endian)" or visa versa.
  4. Save the raw files as wav files to send or reload into Express Dictate. For this wav file use PCM format, with attributes of "16-bit, Mono" and the same sample rate as the raw file was opened with - e.g., for 11025 use 11.025kHz.

Follow these steps if using Pocket Dictate for Pocket PC:
  1. Rename the file extension from .dau to .gsm.
  2. Download the free version of WavePad Sound Editing Software from www.nch.com.au/wavepad.
  3. Open the files.
  4. Save the raw files as wav files to send or reload into Pocket Dictate. For this wav file use PCM format, with attributes of "16-bit, Mono" and the same sample rate as the raw file was opened with - e.g., for 11025 use 11.025kHz.

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