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Change the language for pre-installed Windows 10 Pro

Anonymous
2019-11-27T17:16:48+00:00

Hello Support,

I have a Thinkpad laptop with a German version of Windows 10 Pro pre-installed. Originally the laptop had Windows 8 (and a license key for it in the BIOS) and this was updated by the seller.

What I want to do is change this installed Windows 10 Pro to English. Changing language settings only changes a few things but most things like buttons, dialogs, menus etc remain in German ... i.e. it is still a German version of Windows. What would be the best way to change this to English?

My plan was to re-install an English version of Windows 10 Pro over the top using a downloaded ISO image on a USB stick. Would this be possible seeing that the original key in the BIOS is originally for Windows 8? Or is there another way to do this?

Thanks in advance.

Jan.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Install and upgrade

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  1. DaveM121 869.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2019-11-27T18:29:34+00:00

    Hi JMULDR

    Don't worry about version No. your licence entitles you to install the latest version . . .

    You should backup your data, then boot form the USB stick to clean install Windows 10, you cannot clean install Windows 10 from inside the previous version by running Setup.exe . . .

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  1. Anonymous
    2019-11-28T17:36:33+00:00

    I have successfully managed to re-install Windows on my laptop and it is in English. I can't see if it is activated or needs any further steps to do so (as was the case in Windows 7) so fingers crossed it is all done. Thanks very much for your help.

    Jan.

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  2. Anonymous
    2019-11-27T20:50:30+00:00

    Thanks. I shall try this tomorrow and report back.

    Jan.

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  3. Anonymous
    2019-11-27T18:24:35+00:00

    Hi Dave,

    Thanks for your answer.

    > Make sure you install the same Edition of Windows 10 (Pro)

    > you previously had installed to avoid Activation 

    The Laptop has Windows 10 Pro 64 bit ... is there a further version number I need to look out for or are there different versions of W10Pro?

    I don't have a copy of the original installation/setup files. Only what I downloaded from Microsoft (using the Media Creation Tool) ... I selected W10Pro64.

    I used Media Creation Tool to make a boot USB with W10Pro 64 bit. Do I need to boot from the USB stick or should I boot the laptop Windows and re-install using the setup.exe on the USB stick?

    Sorry for adding another question on top of the first but it just occurred to me that there were two paths. Thanks in advance.

    Jan.

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  4. DaveM121 869.7K Reputation points Independent Advisor
    2019-11-27T17:23:08+00:00

    Hi Jan

    Yes, re-installing Windows 10 would be the best option, that will ensure consistency of language across the operating system . . .

    You can reinstall Windows 10 at any time, you do not need to worry about activation or a product key and it will not cost you anything !

    Since you previously had Windows 10 installed and activated on that PC during the installation process skip the steps which ask for a product key and select the option 'I am Reinstalling Windows 10 on this PC', and activation will not be an issue, your PC will have a digital entitlement stored on the Microsoft Activation Servers

    Make sure you install the same Edition of Windows 10 (Pro) you previously had installed to avoid Activation issues

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