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Enable Multilingual user to use Vista on preferred language UI

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I have some ESL (English as Second Language) friends. Very often the question I have asked is: “How could I enable my Mom use my computer? She does not know English? Well it is quite challenge to buy localized OS in the market here in United States”

Well, it is true that not many localized OS are available in today’s market. But we havew solution here.

Started Windows 2000, Microsoft has developed new technology which allows product share the core product code with different resources files. It is MUI. It stands for Multilingual User Interface. This technology allows application installed multiple interface languageson a single system.Usually we MUI means actually package which contains 1 or more language interface . On a system with MUI, each user would be able to select his or her own preferred display language.

On Vista, MUI technology has been improved more. Currently if user has Vista Ultimate and Vista Enterprise, there will be MUI packages available for user to free download.

Go here to learn more about MUI technology.
Go Windows Update site or download center to download MUI packages for your Vista Ultimate and Vista enterprise system.
Go here to learn how to install and switch UI on your system.

Note 1: MUIs will only work on a genuine copy of Windows Vista.  
Note 2: MUI pcakge is sensitive with your version of OS. For example, Vista SP2 MUI can be applied on previouse version of Vista, not backwards.

Comments

  • Anonymous
    July 27, 2009
    Hi chzhao, Thanks for this post. I had a question detailed below-
  1. Microsoft provides language ISOs for installing various languages' OS e.g. to Install Vista Ultimate Spanish- it can be done using a Spanish language ISO.
  2. Microsoft also provides users with the flexibility of using MUI packs e.g. if a user as Vista Ultimate German installed on his PC and if we wants to change to Spanish OS for some reason, he can use MUI pack for Spanish over German OS and change the language to Spanish. My question is

  • what would be the difference in above 2 types of installation to get the Spanish version ?

  • If i am testing a product e.g. Microsoft Word on International languages. Would it really make a difference if i test the product on MUI pack for a language under test installed over any other language or i use specific language ISO for the language under test ? Please let me know if i am not quite clear in explaining things above.

  • Anonymous
    October 06, 2009

  • what would be the difference in above 2 types of installation to get the Spanish version ? [chzhao]There won't be much differences from end user perspective. Language ISO version is single package of OS. All resource files are identical with MUI package

  • If i am testing a product e.g. Microsoft Word on International languages. Would it really make a difference if i test the product on MUI pack for a language under test installed over any other language or i use specific language ISO for the language under test ? [chzhao]This could be bigger topic. To be simple, testing on MUI system would give you more opportunity to find issues than test on single language system. Especially for global designed software like Microsoft Word, it should be able running on any locale system. If you only limit on 1 single language, you may miss bugs.