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How to change system language everywhere?

Anonymous
2022-10-21T11:58:49+00:00

I have a Windows 10 Pro installation providing only the Italian language, I tried to switch it to English.

This is what I did:

First, I performed the following steps:

  1. Open the application Settings;
  2. Added English US among the "Preferred languages" flagging "Set as my Windows display language";
  3. Reboot

Second, after rebooting I did also the following steps:

  1. Open Control Panel
  2. Select "Clock and Region"
  3. Select "Region"
  4. Select tab "Administrative"
  5. Click "Copy settings"
  6. Tick "Welcome screen and system accounts"
  7. Tick "New user accounts"
  8. Click ok
  9. Click on "Change system locale"
  10. Select "English (United States)"
  11. click ok several times
  12. reboot

Despite all these steps, I still find Italian strings in some places:

  1. After I sign in, I read "Benvenuto" instead of "Welcome"
  2. If I click the Windows logo (lower left corner), the names of the app categories are in Italian: "Produttivita`" instead of "Productivity", "Esplora" (see screenshot)
  3. Some strings in the old language appear basically everywhere.
  4. It is a mess.

I was not able to get only English text, so I reinstalled the OS. What was I supposed to do?

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Settings

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  1. Anonymous
    2022-10-21T12:41:31+00:00

    How to change system language everywhere?

    The truth is that you cannot change an Italian version of Windows into an English version.

    Microsoft offers very many language packs that will translate the main elements of the interface to English. And they work very well. (No bugs.) But you still have an Italian version of Windows, so it's not going to be completely English. If you want a truly English version of Windows, i.e., English in every way, then you have to purchase and install one of the native English versions of Windows.

    In addition to being completely in the English language, the native English version of Windows identifies your computer as English to websites and to software, so you'll see the English version of websites and when you install software (and updates thereto) you'll be installing the English version. And there's more:

    The native English version of Windows incorporates the styles and idioms of the English-speaking country whose version of Windows you are installing. There are three native English versions of Windows of which I am aware: United States, Australia and Canada. So, for example, if you were to install the English-US version of Windows you would see US expressions rather than English translations of Italian expressions.

    If you decide to install a native English version of Windows, I recommend that you purchase a keyboard designed for that language. That way you'll avoid typing one thing and seeing a different thing on your monitor, which can sometimes happen when the languages are mixed.

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  2. Anonymous
    2022-10-21T15:24:53+00:00

    That is what I thought. I simply re-installed Windows 10 Pro selecting "English" during the installation.

    Notice that the Pro versions of Windows 10/11 support all the languages, there are no single-language licenses of Pro.

    3 people found this answer helpful.
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  3. Anonymous
    2022-10-21T15:20:11+00:00

    I did these:

    The following seems to work for most:

    • Press Windows key+i to open the Settings.
    • Click Time & language.
    • Click Region & language.
    • Under Languages, click Add a language.
    • Choose the language you want to add.
    • Select the new language, then click Set as default.

    They are not enough.

    I cannot exactly replicate your steps in my current Windows 10 Pro installation since I cannot find the exact titles and apps you mentioned: are you using Windows 10?

    However, I think I did all those steps in my previous attempts. Some parts were not translated.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2022-10-21T12:34:12+00:00

    Hi lord thistle,

    I am Dave, I will help you with this.

    There is a known bug in windows 10 when changing the Windows Display language that some parts of the operating system will remain in the old language and the method yo used (re-installing Windows in the correct language) is the only working method to fully switch the interface language.

    2 people found this answer helpful.
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  5. Anonymous
    2022-10-21T16:49:25+00:00

    Notice that the Pro versions of Windows 10/11 support all the languages, there are no single-language licenses of Pro.

    This I did not know - thanks!

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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