cc @jcsteh It would be great if you could look into it.
alpha-29899 appears to have included #15754. This PR failed to fix this.

I created a demo add-on that reproduces the issue. It is derived from some functions in real projects.

Steps to reproduce:

Reproduce the following steps using 2023.3 or the latest Alpha version, as these versions have WASAPI enabled by default.

1. Download and install the demo.
2. Restart NVDA and press:
   • nvda+ctrl+l
   • nvda+ctrl+h

Actual behavior:

You will notice that NVDA is temporarily lagging.
You'll also notice the following in the log.

DEBUG - watchdog._waitUntilNormalCoreAliveTimeout (13:06:04.105) - watchdog (14208):
Recovered from potential freeze after 3.002258599999891 seconds.
DEBUG - watchdog._waitUntilNormalCoreAliveTimeout (13:06:04.435) - watchdog (14208):
Potential freeze, waiting up to 10 seconds.

Expected behavior:

NVDA should not potentially freeze.

NVDA logs, crash dumps and other attachments:

System configuration

NVDA installed/portable/running from source:

Installed

NVDA version:

2023.3 and 2024.1alpha-29899,cb356535

Windows version:

Windows 10 22H2 (AMD64) build 19045.3448

Name and version of other software in use when reproducing the issue:

None

Other information about your system:

None

Other questions

Does the issue still occur after restarting your computer?

Yes

Have you tried any other versions of NVDA? If so, please report their behaviors.

This cannot be reproduced if WASAPI is disabled or tested under 2023.2 (without WASAPI enabled).

If NVDA add-ons are disabled, is your problem still occurring?

No, the problem needs to be reproduced using a add-on, I can't find any other way to reproduce it.

Does the issue still occur after you run the COM Registration Fixing Tool in NVDA's tools menu?

Yes