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Windows 10 will guide you through configuring your preferred language during the initial setup, but if you didn’t select the correct option or use a device already configured with a different language, you don’t have to struggle when your requirements are different, nor do you have to reinstall the operating system.
If you have to change the device’s default language settings, you can do this using the Settings app without reinstalling Windows 10.
In this how-to guide, I will walk you through the steps to change the system’s default language on Windows 10.
How to change default system language on Windows 10
If the incorrect language is configured on Windows 10, you can adjust the system settings to configure the correct language without reinstallation.
Disable language sync
On Windows 10, when using a Microsoft account, some of your preferences (including language) will sync across the device. If you only plan to change the settings on the computer, you should turn off the option to sync your language settings to prevent changing the same settings on other devices.
To disable language preference sync on Windows 10, use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Accounts.
- Click on Sync your settings.
- Under the «Individual sync settings» section, turn off the Language preferences toggle switch.
Once you complete the steps, you can change the language settings without affecting the other devices connected with the same Microsoft account.
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Change system language settings
To change the system default language, close your apps, and use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Time & Language.
- Click on Language.
- Under the «Preferred languages» section, click the «Add a language» button.
- Search for the correct setting using the language or country name.
- Select the package from the result.
- Click the Next button.
- Check the «Install language pack» option.
- Check the «Set as my Windows display language» option.
- Check the additional features as needed — for example, «Text-to-speech» and «Handwriting.»
- Click the Install button.
- Click the «Yes, sign out now» button.
- Sign back into the account.
After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 language will change across the experience, including the Sign-in screen, Settings app, File Explorer, Desktop, apps, browser, and websites you visit.
Change system region settings
You will also have to change the region settings if you need to adjust the language settings because you are in a different region.
To change the local region settings, use these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on Time & Language.
- Click on Region.
- Under the «Region» section, select the current location with the «Country or region» drop-down menu (if applicable).
- Under the «Regional format» section, select the formats for the region’s date and time with the «Current format» drop-down menu (if applicable).
- Click on Language.
- Under the «Related settings» section, click the «Administrative language settings» option.
- Click the Administrative tab.
- Under the «Language for non-Unicode programs» section, click the «Change system locale» button.
- Select the new system locale language with the «Current system locale» drop-down menu.
- Click the OK button.
- Click the Copy settings button in the «Administrative» tab.
- Under the «Copy your current settings to» section, check the «Welcome screen and system accounts» and «New user accounts» options.
- Click the OK button.
- Click the OK button again.
- Click the Restart now button.
Once you complete the steps, the settings will apply, and the computer will use the correct region settings.
You rarely have to change or add other languages on Windows 10. However, changing these settings may come in handy in organizations working with people who need to use different preferences. It’s also a helpful feature to match the locale settings if you relocate to another region or when buying a new laptop that ships from a different country.
The only caveat with changing the region settings is that it will also change the settings for the Microsoft Store, which may block access to certain apps and services, depending on the location. In the same way, you can change the region settings to access an application from the Microsoft Store that is only available in a specific region.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 and Windows 11, visit the following resources:
- Windows 11 on Windows Central — All you need to know
- Windows 10 on Windows Central — All you need to know
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
February 16, 2017 updated by
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The system locale allows you to use the specified language for non-Unicode programs. If your Windows system uses a default en-US locale, the Japanese text in a game won’t display correctly. In this tutorial we’ll show you how to change system locale in Windows 10, using Control Panel or Command Prompt.
Note: You must log into Windows 10 as administrator to set a different system locale. Changing system locale doesn’t affect the language in menus & dialog boxes for Windows or other programs that do use Unicode.
Method 1: Change System Locale in Windows 10 Using Control Panel
- Open the Control Panel in Large icons view, click Region.
- In the Region dialog that opens, select the Administrative tab and then click Change system locale.
- Select the desired language from the Current system locale drop-down list, and click OK.
- Restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
Method 2: Change System Locale in Windows 10 Using Command Prompt
-
Open Notepad (or any other text editor), then copy and paste the following text into it. Replace en-US with the language tag for your desired system locale. To see all supported language tags in Windows, please refer to this article.
<gs:GlobalizationServices xmlns:gs="urn:longhornGlobalizationUnattend">
<gs:UserList>
<gs:User UserID="Current" CopySettingsToDefaultUserAcct="true" CopySettingsToSystemAcct="true"/>
</gs:UserList>
<!-- system locale --><gs:SystemLocale Name="en-US" />
</gs:GlobalizationServices>
- After editing, save the file as a .xml file. Let’s say D:\locale.xml.
- Open the Command Prompt in administrator mode. Copy and paste the following command line and press Enter.
control.exe intl.cpl,, /f:"D:\locale.xml"
- Reboot your computer to apply the new system locale settings.
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Read this article to find out how to change the language of Windows 10 interface without having to reinstall it, what system languages can be installed and what settings should be modified for that purpose.
Introduction
In Windows 10, people usually choose the preferred language for the entire operating system when they install it. However, if the language settings were wrong, or people have to use computing devices with certain language preferences, there are some settings to be modified in order to bring them in line with your personal likings.
So if you ever need to change language preferences in Windows 10, this can be done in a quick and easy way with the help of the Settings app and without having to reinstall the operating system.
In today’s article, we will show you how to change the default display language into any other, including doing it for new and existing user accounts.
How to change the default display language in Windows 10?
If you have to move to a different region or you need to use a display language different from the default choice, or the initial language settings for the computing device have been wrong, there is absolutely no point in reinstalling Windows 10. All you need is to modify a couple of system settings to enjoy the experience of using your operating system in the right language.
Disable language synchronization
If you are using a Microsoft account, the language settings will apply to all devices linked to such account. If you plan to change regional and language settings for one computer only, you need to disable synchronization of such settings before you proceed.
This is how you disable language sync in Windows 10.
Open the main system application, Settings. You can do it in any way you prefer. For example, click on the Start button in the lower left corner of your desktop, on the Taskbar, and open the main Windows menu. Use the scroll bar or the mouse wheel to search the list of all programs and applications installed on this computer and find the line Settings, or click on the Settings button in the left side of the user menu, and the application will open.
In the main Settings window, scroll down if necessary and choose the tab Accounts.
In the left panel, go to Sync your settings.
In the right panel, find the section Individual sync settings and the line Language preferences, then set the slider to the Off position (disabled).
When these steps are taken, you can start changing language settings for the copy of Windows 10 installed on this computer, without worrying that this can affect similar settings in other linked devices.
The steps to take if you want to change the display language
To change the display language of your Windows 10, you should close all running applications and do what is described below.
Use any method you prefer to open the Settings application. For example, right-click on the Start button that you can find on the Taskbar, in the left lower corner of the desktop, or press the key sequence Windows + X instead to open the context menu, and select the line Settings. The application will start immediately.
Use the scroll bar or the mouse wheel to navigate the Settings window, and find the tab Time and language.
In the left panel, go to Language.
Now look to the right and find the section Preferred languages, where you can prioritize language settings, and click on the button Add a preferred language, with a + (plus) symbol on it.
In the new window Choose a language to install use the scroll bar or the mouse wheel to find the language you need, or start typing its name in the search field above.
Choose the language pack you are planning to use in Windows 10 from the list.
When the language is chosen, hit Next.
In the next page Install language features check the box for Install language pack to confirm your choice (the box with the tick will become blue, i.e. active).
Click Install below.
Changes will take effect after the language package is installed, which usually takes several minutes only. In some cases, restarting your Windows 10 may be required, and then the corresponding language settings will apply to all system elements. The changes will affect the sign-in screen, the Settings app, Windows Explorer, desktop, all applications, preferred browsers and websites you visit. From now on, they will use the new language by default. Besides, Windows 10 may suggest reviewing your current privacy settings.
Changing region settings
If you change the display language for Windows 10 because you move to a different region, then regional settings should be modified too.
Changing them in Windows 10 is easy enough: just follow the steps below.
Open the main system application, Settings, using any way you prefer. For example, press the keyboard shortcut Windows + I to access the app directly.
In the main window of the Settings app, find and select the tab Time and language.
In the left panel, select Region.
In the right panel, find the section Region and use the nested menu Country or region to specify your new location if it differs from the current settings.
In the section Regional format use another nested menu to select proper formats to display date and time in Windows, if these differ for your time and region.
Now look at the left panel and jump to the tab Language again.
Use the scroll bar or the mouse wheel to find the section Related settings and click on the link Administrative language settings.
In the new pop-up Region window, jump to the tab Administrative and in the section Welcome screen and new user accounts hit the button Copy settings.
The new window will show you corresponding screen and account settings. In the section Copy your current settings to check the boxes for each option: Welcome screen and system accounts and New user accounts.
Click ОК.
Click ОК one more time, and then restart the computer.
After all these steps, your computer will display proper regional settings specified according to your physical location.
Most of the time, people don’t change or install additional languages regularly for their personal needs. This opportunity to change language packs quickly is more often required in small or large companies that need to deal with customers having various language preferences.
Besides, this option would be useful for people who have to move to a different region and would like their regional settings to comply. Another scenario is buying a computer from another country when the required configuration is not available locally.
Also, you should remember that modifying language settings may disable some functions like Cortana because this service is not supported in certain regions.
Conclusion
Preferred display language is one of the easily customizable things in the operating system. If you ever need to change the language settings, use one of the methods described here to replace the language pack currently used by Windows 10 without having to reinstall it.
See the full article with all additional video tutorials. If you still have any questions, please ask in a comments. Also visit our Youtube channel, there are over 400 video tutorials.
Generally, locale refers to language and region along with any special variant preference that a user suppose to see in the user interface. In Windows, system locale is there, which specifies the default language that will be used in non-unicode programs. Non-unicode programs uses American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Application Program Interface (API). This implies that any string Windows passes to such programs is a sequence of bytes and not of the unicode characters.
System locale defines which code pages and system fonts are to be used by default. Note the system locale is different than user locale. User locale setting is referred to time/date format, number currency and calendar settings. Hence, not be confused between these two locale terms.
Okay, so when you need to change system locale settings in Windows? Well under following situation, an user will need to change system locale setting:
- If the non-unicode program/application not working correctly in current system locale setting
- When you’ve to use different code pages other than default ones
Now let’s see how to actually change system locale settings in Windows 10.
How To Change System Locale In Windows 10
1. Right click Start Button or press + X keys and select Settings.
2. In the Settings app, navigate to Time & Language > Date & time.
3. Next, click on Additional date, time & regional settings link. Then in Control Panel window so open, click Change date, time, or number formats link under Region.
4. Moving on, in the Region window, switch to Administrative tab. Click Change system locale button. If you’re prompted for credentials, provide them.
5. Finally, in the Region Settings window, change the locale to that one, which you want to use. Click OK and then click Apply followed by OK in above shown window.
Though you may not be prompted to reboot, but still you must reboot at your end. After restarting the machine, new system locale settings should be in effect.
That’s it!
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Changing the system language of the OS you are using is very simple. However, when you change the system display features, Windows 10 settings may be confusing.
Before moving with the steps of adding a language pack to the system, you need to verify whether the Update service is running from its services.
Press Windows Key + R to check the service. Immediately afterward, type services.msc in the Run window and press Enter. Please find it in the Services window. Finally, after double-clicking on it, you should see the “Running” output in the Status section.
If it is not running, you need to enable this service to Automatic.
How to Add a New Language Pack on your Windows 10 Computer
Make sure that the service is OK. Then, to change your OS locale, you first need to open Settings. To do this, click on the Win Key and type Settings in the search field, then find the task and run it.
To make its settings, follow the steps below.
Step 1
Open your system’s Settings and go Home / Time & Language / Region & Language. Click Add a Language in the section to add the package you wish to use.
Step 2
As soon as you press the Add button, you will see multiple options. Now, type the display package you want to use in the search box and select it.
If the regional speech related to the package you selected is listed in this step, make a selection for the location you live in. For example, English (USA) or English (CA)
Step 3
After configuring the vocabulary you want, click the Set as Default button.
Next, you need to download the system locale you configured from the Internet. First, select Additional date, time, & regional settings.
Step 4
In the Clock and Region window, continue with the related option.
Step 5
In the Change Your Preferences window, click Options.
Step 6
After clicking on Options, the service will run and start downloading the selected package, as you can see in the image below.
In this window, the pack will be downloaded to your OS. After downloading it, when you restart your PC, you can see that your locale tongue has now changed.
How to Download and Install the System Locale Pack ⇒ Video
If you want to know how to change your system tongue, watch the video below. Also, if you’re going to support us, you can subscribe to our YouTube channel!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- What is System Locale?
System Locale is the language for all the menus, dialog boxes, and other things you use in your operating platform. So, in short, they are the display texts of all elements. Additionally, let me state that it also corrects the font for non-Unicode programs. After all, it’s the first setting you set when installing your OS.
- How can I change the language of my OS to English?
If you want to change the tongue of your PC, first of all, you must be able to access Microsoft servers. So, your Windows Update service should be active. So, it would be best if you wrote English in the relevant box, saying to add a package to your OS. Next, the wizard will automatically download the package you selected from the target servers. Finally, of course, you should restart your PC and select it as the default display setting.
- Can I change the Windows lang pack without reinstalling it?
Yes, you don’t need to reinstall Windows. You can access these settings from your OS and download and install a Pack. Additionally, you can choose between English or Chinese among the packages.
Conclusion
To change the system language from one to another on your Windows 10 OS, you must see that the Microsoft task is OK and that you are connected to the Internet. Thanks for following us!
TolgaBagci
Hi, I’m Tolga, a computer expert with 20 years of experience. I help fix computer issues with things like hardware, systems, networks, virtualization, servers, and operating systems. Check out my website for helpful info, and feel free to ask me anything. Keep yourself in the loop about the newest technologies!