Windows XP & multiple languages
Discussion
Stepdaughter got a shiny new laptop for christmas, which I now have the pleasure of configuring 
It's an Acer something or other running XP media centre edition. Initial boot gave a choice of languages for install - English, Swedish or Finnish. I had read a little on the MS site and got the impression I could change & add languages after install so I went ahead and ran the initial setup in English (not a hope in hell of me configuring the bugger in Finnish). Now I finally got it up and running, patched with the inevitable 80+ "critical" security updates, antivirus installed, firewall configured, Cyberpatrol filtering software etc. etc. comes the time to set her user profile to use Finnish language....
Turns out I can only change the input locale, keyboard settings etc. Despite there being a box that lets me add "Finnish" as a language it seems to do bugger all. All of the menus, dialog boxes etc. remain in English
Checked back on the MS site and apparently this can only be done using some "Multilingual interface kit". Tried to track that one down and found it's only available to "volume license customers" and will only work with XP professional. Arse.
Do I have any other options or do I have to try to restore this thing to it's initial pre-configured state and go through the above all over again in a language I barely understand?
It's an Acer something or other running XP media centre edition. Initial boot gave a choice of languages for install - English, Swedish or Finnish. I had read a little on the MS site and got the impression I could change & add languages after install so I went ahead and ran the initial setup in English (not a hope in hell of me configuring the bugger in Finnish). Now I finally got it up and running, patched with the inevitable 80+ "critical" security updates, antivirus installed, firewall configured, Cyberpatrol filtering software etc. etc. comes the time to set her user profile to use Finnish language....
Turns out I can only change the input locale, keyboard settings etc. Despite there being a box that lets me add "Finnish" as a language it seems to do bugger all. All of the menus, dialog boxes etc. remain in English
Checked back on the MS site and apparently this can only be done using some "Multilingual interface kit". Tried to track that one down and found it's only available to "volume license customers" and will only work with XP professional. Arse. Do I have any other options or do I have to try to restore this thing to it's initial pre-configured state and go through the above all over again in a language I barely understand?
Considering the laptop is not in a useable state it's unlikley anyone has put anything important on it (documents, e-mail).
Look through the manual for the section on "Factory Restore" i'll involve some arcane keypress or using a CD but it will get the laptop to how it was just before you first turned it on.
Look through the manual for the section on "Factory Restore" i'll involve some arcane keypress or using a CD but it will get the laptop to how it was just before you first turned it on.
Good plan! Unfortunately after buying some blank DVDs and spending a few hours going through the Acer "factory restore" process (burn DVDs & reload HD from them) it seems that Acer's idea of "return to factory defaults" is really "restore to factory defaults and the point just after you chose English as the install language". So I'm now worse off than when I started (XP in English minus my added patches, security updates, firewall, antivirus, etc. etc.)
Excuse me for a second...
Arse. Should have got her the Barbie horse instead...
Excuse me for a second...
Arse. Should have got her the Barbie horse instead...
It created an ISO of itself and wrote that to disk???? That... really does suck.
This any help: www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/win2k/setup/changeUI.mspx ?
ETA: If that won't work... phone Acer up. Or return it to the shop as none functional and get a new one
This any help: www.microsoft.com/globaldev/reference/win2k/setup/changeUI.mspx ?
ETA: If that won't work... phone Acer up. Or return it to the shop as none functional and get a new one
Edited by ThePassenger on Sunday 31st December 00:12
Thanks, but my problem with that one was:
How can I acquire Windows MUI?
The Windows XP/2000 MUI is sold only through Volume Licensing programs such as the Microsoft Open License Program (MOLP / Open), Select, and Enterprise agreement (or with a new computer as an OEM version at customer request). It is not available through retail channels.
We'll contact Acer after the New Year holidays, hopefully they can do something. Meantime she can continue playing with the mobile phone she was given, which seems to have no issues changing languages at the press of a button or two
How can I acquire Windows MUI?
The Windows XP/2000 MUI is sold only through Volume Licensing programs such as the Microsoft Open License Program (MOLP / Open), Select, and Enterprise agreement (or with a new computer as an OEM version at customer request). It is not available through retail channels.
We'll contact Acer after the New Year holidays, hopefully they can do something. Meantime she can continue playing with the mobile phone she was given, which seems to have no issues changing languages at the press of a button or two
Just one last rant...
Only way to restore the system to it's "real" straight from the box settings is to pay €35 to Acer for a custom set of restore disks since I've "already selected Windows in English" and can't change my mind (even though the system ships with three language versions on the disk). So no choice, had to agree. To be fair to Acer they did respond quickly and were very helpful but in the future I'll be extra careful, maybe try to clone the disk before I do anything just in case Lesson learned.
Only way to restore the system to it's "real" straight from the box settings is to pay €35 to Acer for a custom set of restore disks since I've "already selected Windows in English" and can't change my mind (even though the system ships with three language versions on the disk). So no choice, had to agree. To be fair to Acer they did respond quickly and were very helpful but in the future I'll be extra careful, maybe try to clone the disk before I do anything just in case
Lesson learned.Gassing Station | Computers, Gadgets & Stuff | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff