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Languages overview

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Note

To add a language to your personal PC, go to Settings > Time & Language > Language, and choose a language to install. Learn more.

You can add languages and regional support to Windows 11 (except for Home Single Language and Home Country Specific editions) and Windows Server.

Language components

Windows installations start with at least one language pack and its language components. You can add:

  • Language packs: Localization packages for Windows.

    • Delivered as a .cab file, for example, Microsoft-Windows-Client-Language-Pack_x64_es-es.cab.
    • Includes UI elements like text for dialog boxes, menu items, and help files.
    • Five LIP languages (ca-ES, eu-ES, gl-ES, id-ID, vi-VN) are available as cabs and usable for imaging. The remaining 47 LIP languages can be acquired using the Settings app after logging in, but can't be used for system imaging.

  • Language features: Language features include language:

    • Basics (like spell checking)
    • Fonts
    • Optical character recognition
    • Handwriting
    • Text-to-speech
    • Speech recognition.

    You can save disk space by choosing not to include some language components in your image. While this reduction in image size can be helpful when creating images for devices with limited storage, it does lead to an incomplete language experience. Delivered as .cab files, for example, Microsoft-Windows-LanguageFeatures-Basic-fr-fr-Package.cab.

  • Recovery languages: UI text for the Windows Recovery Environment (WinRE). Delivered as .cab files. Example: lp.cab, WinPE-Rejuv_fr-fr.cab, and more.

Get language resources: Languages and Optional Features ISO

  • OEMs and System Builders with Microsoft Software License Terms can download the Languages and Optional Features ISO from the Microsoft OEM site or the Device Partner Center.

    • In Windows 11, the number of language pack-supported languages has increased from 38 to 43 to include 5 LIP languages (ca-ES, eu-ES, gl-ES, id-ID, vi-VN). The remaining 47 LIP languages will be available only as .appx packages and can be acquired using the Settings app after logging in.
    • WinRE language packs are distributed on the Languages and Optional Features ISO. Don't use the WinPE language packs that ship with the ADK.

  • IT Professionals can download language packs from the Microsoft Next Generation Volume Licensing Site.

  • After Windows is installed, users can download and install more languages by selecting Settings > Time & language > Language > Add a language.

    Note

    Starting with Windows 11, non-administrator user accounts can now add both a display language and its corresponding language features.

Note

  • Language components must match the version of Windows. For example, you can't add a Windows 10, version 1809 language pack to Windows 10, version 1803.
  • Windows Server: Full language packs are not interchangeable with Windows 10 or Windows 11.

Considerations

  • Install languages, then updates and apps. If you're adding languages to an image that already contains apps or updates (for example, servicing stack updates (SSU) or a latest cumulative update (LCU), reinstall the apps and updates.

    Important

    After you install a language pack, you have to reinstall the latest cumulative update (LCU). If you do not reinstall the LCU, you may encounter errors. If the LCU is already installed, Windows Update does not offer it again. You have to manually install the LCU.

  • Care is required when installing languages to an image that includes FODs with satellite packages. When FODs have satellite packages, the localized text for the feature may be carried in a satellite package rather than the language pack or primary FOD package. Specific steps must be followed when adding languages to an image that includes these FODs.

    • New in Windows 11: You can either use the Languages and Optional Features ISO as a FOD and language repository, or create a custom repository as a source when you add languages. This ensures that already-installed FODs get the appropriate satellite FOD packages when you add a language.

  • Servicing changes starting Windows 11

    • The number of language pack supported languages has increased from 38 to 43 and now includes 5 LIP languages (ca-ES, eu-ES, gl-ES, id-ID, vi-VN).
    • All languages (43 LP languages) supported for manufacturing will be serviced by LCU. LIP languages were not serviced by LCU previously.

  • Size and performance

    • You can install multiple languages and components onto the same Windows image. Having too many affects disk space, and can affect performance, especially while updating and servicing Windows.
    • When creating Windows images, you can remove English language components when deploying to non-English regions to save space. You'll need to uninstall them in the reverse order from how you add them.
    • In Windows 11, the default System UI Language set by DISM is left unaltered on all editions except the Home edition. For all commercial editions the language chosen during the Out of Box Experience (OOBE) is set as the System Preferred UI language and Windows will be displayed in this language and for Home SKU the language chosen at OOBE will continue to be the default System UI Language.
    • Some time after OOBE, any pre-installed languages that haven't been used are removed automatically.

  • Cross-language upgrades are not supported. This means that during upgrades or migrations, if you upgrade or migrate an operating system that has multiple language packs installed, you can upgrade or migrate to the system default UI language only. For example, if English is the default language, you can upgrade or migrate only to English.

To save space, you can remove English language components when deploying to non-English regions by uninstalling the language components in the reverse order from how you add them.

Block language component cleanup

In managed environments, IT admins might want to prevent cleanup of unused Language Packs and/or Language Feature on Demand packages.

Block cleanup of unused Language Packs

A background cleanup task (Microsoft\Windows\MUI\LPRemove) removes language packs that aren't actively used, such as languages not selected during OOBE or languages removed through the Settings app.

You can block unused language pack cleanup through Group policy or a registry key change:

Registry key:

Configure the following registry key to block the unused language pack cleanup task from removing unused languages:

Registry key property Value
Path HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\International
Name BlockCleanupOfUnusedPreinstalledLangPacks
Type REG_DWORD
Value 0x1

Group policy:

Configure the following Group policy object (GPO) to block the unused language pack cleanup task from removing unused languages:

Policy Setting
Control Panel/Regional and Language option/BlockCleanupOfUnusedPreinstalledLangPacks Yes

Block cleanup of unused Language Feature On Demand packages

A background cleanup task (Microsoft\Windows\LanguageComponentsInstaller\Uninstallation) removes language Feature on Demand packages that aren't actively used, such as the packages that support languages that weren't selected during OOBE or languages removed through the Settings app.

You can block unused Feature on Demand packages cleanup task through Group policy or a registry key change:

Registry key:

Configure the following registry key to block the unused language Feature on Demand packages cleanup task from removing unused language Feature on Demand packages:

Registry key property Value
Path HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\TextInput
Name AllowLanguageFeaturesUninstall
Type REG_DWORD
Value 0x0

Group policy:

Configure the following Group policy object (GPO) to block the unused language Feature on Demand packages cleanup task from removing unused language Feature on Demand packages:

Policy Setting
Windows Components/Text Input/AllowLanguageFeaturesUninstall 0 ('Not allowed')

Build a custom FOD and language pack repository

Tip

In Windows 11, you can use a mounted Languages and Optional Features ISO directly as a repository and don't need to create a custom repository.

If your image contains FODs with language resources in satellite packages you can build a custom FOD and language pack repository before adding language packs to ensure the language resources for each FOD are pulled in. If you fail to do this correctly, these features will not be localized. This includes features such as Notepad, WordPad, Paint, and PowerShell ISE included in the image by default.

  • Starting with Windows 11, you can use a mounted Languages and Optional features ISO as a FOD and language pack repository and don't need to manually create your own. You only need to follow the steps in this section if you're:
    • Working with a previous version of Windows that includes satellite FODs, or
    • You want to build a custom FOD and language pack repository.

Consider the following when creating a custon FOD and language pack repository.:

  • If the size of the repository is not a concern, simply copy the entire contents of the FOD ISO and all language packs into the same directory.
  • For a minimally sized repository, use the /export-source switch with DISM to export just the FODs included in your image that have satellite packages and any other FODs you'd like to add. Copy all language packs of interest into the same directory.

In the following example, we'll build a minimally sized FOD and language pack repository.

  1. Mount the Language Pack ISO and the Features on Demand ISO with File Explorer. This will assign them drive letters.

  2. From a Command Prompt, use DISM to export all FODs included in your image that have satellite packages, from the FOD ISO. If you know which languages you intend to add, you can include the associated language features too:

    dism /image:"C:\mount\windows" /export-source /source:d: /target:c:\repository
/capabilityname:App.StepsRecorder~~~~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Microsoft.Windows.MSPaint~~~~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Microsoft.Windows.Notepad~~~~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Microsoft.Windows.PowerShell.ISE~~~~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Microsoft.Windows.WordPad~~~~0.0.1.0
/Capabilityname:Print.Fax.Scan~~~~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Print.Management.Console~~~~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.Basic~~~fr-FR~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.Handwriting~~~fr-FR~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.OCR~~~fr-FR~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.Speech~~~fr-FR~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.TextToSpeech~~~fr-FR~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.Basic~~~lb-LU~0.0.1.0
/capabilityname:Language.Handwriting~~~lb-LU~0.0.1.0

    Where D:\ is the mount location for the Feature on Demand ISO

  3. Copy the language packs of interest into the local repository. In this example, all language packs are copied.

    copy E:\x64\langpacks\* c:\repository\

    Where E:\ is the mount location for the Language Pack ISO

You now have a custom FOD and language pack repository that you can use a source when you add FODs to your image.