How do I disable narrator forever? [duplicate]

I hate narrator. I realize it can be helpful for people that can't see well but I don't have that problem. I keep accidentally pressing whatever keys open it (I still haven't found out what it is) and losing focus on whatever program I had open. Is it possible to remove narrator from my computer forever?

Solution 1:

I deleted my Narrator.exe

I found it in the Windows\System32 folder. Before I deleted Narrator.exe I right-clicked the file, Properties. Then I took ownership and changed the permissions giving me full control.

Having changed the access control, I deleted Narrator.exe.

I checked in Control Panel - Ease of access, when I clicked on Narrator nothing happened, just what I wanted.

Solution 2:

One of following methods should work.

Method A

Navigate to System32.
Locate Narrator.exe.
Disable execution permission.

Method B

Open regedit.exe.
Create the following key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Image File Execution Options\Narrator.exe
In that key, create a new string value named Debugger and assign it the value %1.

Reference: Disabling Narrator.

Solution 3:

I disabled Narrator for a while on Windows 8 (by finding 'Narrator.exe' and adding an access-control entry to deny 'Read & execute' permission for the built-in principal 'Everyone'), because I hated it too. However, when I upgraded to Windows 8.1 Narrator became enabled again. It was then that I found a better solution to the problem of being annoyed by Narrator:

Open Narrator Settings (the modern version; search Start)
Enable Narrator using the slide-bar
Select voice 'Microsoft Zira'
Slide the pitch to minimum
Slide the speed to minimum
Disable Narrator using the slide-bar

Now, when I accidentally press Windows+Enter I can laugh at the funny voice, which means I don't get annoyed. The best part is pressing Windows+Enter again to disable Narrator. Slow Zira's valediction cracks me up every time.

Solution 4:

For a less extreme alternative, follow Guy Thomas's answer, but instead of deleting narrator.exe just rename it, e.g. to narrator_REMOVED.exe. Now it's undoable.

Solution 5:

After several weeks of suffering with the persistent Narrator, I stumbled on this forum but was inspired to take an untried approach that worked for me, by doing the following:

Go to Control Panel > Ease of Access > Ease of Access Center > Use the computer without a display to show the main Ease of Access config settings.
In the Hear text read aloud section, turn off all Narrator / Audio Description settings.
Exit Ease of Access / Control panel then go back to the Narrator main screen and simply exit.

Turning it on is the same process - just enable in Ease of Access.

Hope this is helpful for Windows 10 users - not sure if 8.1/8/7 have the same Ease of Access settings.