Changing the language on Windows Vista

I bought a new computer, but it has a German OS. Is it possible to change the language in Vista from German to English. We have called HP and Microsloth and no one has a real answer. I am sure there should be some sort of language support short of getting a new OS. The shop we bought it from (Conrads) says it will take 3 months to get an Enlgish version of Vista. I can not beleive this. Microsloth says we have to buy Vista again...NO WAY!

Any computer gurus out there with any ideas?

It is not possible, unless you have Vista Business or Ultimate, and even then you need to buy the language packs.
If must reinstll the OS using an English Vists CD, however you can reuse your serial/key and don't have to buy vista again.
You only need to borrow someones vista CD.

Vista is also a super crap OS, I suggest you Upgrade to Windows XP Pro..

Hmm, if Vista runs as XP did (and I suspect it does) then you're sadly out of luck when it comes to localisation.

I don't think there is a language alteration capability in Vista, there certainly wasn't on XP. Buying a completely new English OS might be your only option - short of muddling through with the default German version.

In future, you might want to go through Dell when you buy a new computer. Simply call Dell.de and they will deliver a system, made to order... which includes all English software from OS down to Word, Office, Excel, etc. No extra charges.

-Stevie

WRONG...

Windows Vista Business, Ultimate, Windows XP Pro, and all versions of MS Office since Office XP all have language changing capabilities.
You only need to apply the correct language pack. The problem is the language packs are made to be applied to and English ver. of the OS.

This won't help the OP, as his OD is in german and the ver. of Vista on the laptop is prob. Vista Home.

It doesn't matter what language of the OS you install, the CD Key should work for all languages. MS stopped making Lang. specific
Keys back with Windows 2000.

As for Dell.de and English systems, Yes they will send you a system with English software, but only if you call them and place your order.
There is no option to select English software on their website (As a Private person), However if your were buying 5-10 systems for
a business then the option would be avail. Ordering over the phone may also disqualify you from discounts and specials which are
only avail. via a web based order.

@Alittlegreen
Borrow somebodies English Vista CD and reinstall the OS, using the Key from the sticker on the bottom of your laptop.
Make sure you select the correct ver. of Vista during setup and things will be just fine. DO NOT buy another copy of Vista..

Vista also has a Downgrade licensing function/clause. If you want to run Windows XP and your PC came with Vista, then
call Microsofts activation line and get an XP key from them.. All free

I could change my German Vista's language to English easily. As others mentioned, if you have Vista Ultimate, Business or Home premium edition, simply download the language pack from Microsoft website (about 1GB though for every single language you wish).

Unlike what others said, you can apply English language pack to German Vista.

Next time do some research..


Direct link to Microsoft

and looking at the MS Language download site you will see that many languages (packs) are avail., however NONE of them are english..

For full details on how MUI/LIP packs work read the MSDN article

Ok Anyone have a Vista OS disk in Englsih I can borrow? It is Vista home premium. I will check the website.

I do, or you can download it directly from Microsoft...
All Vista CD's are actually 120 trial versions until you enter a valid key, Unlike previous versions of windows. Same goes for Office 2007.

I have a new laptop with Vista Home Premium and upon the first power on you are asked which language you want to install in. Mine is a German laptop but I could pick English and did so. You cannot change this later (apart from options already mentioned.) I would suggest a new install from either the recovery partition or CD and then selecting your language.

I just re-installed Vista from the recovery CD on my new laptop and it asked me what language I wanted to install in, so I now have Vista in English on my German laptop

OMG a new install would be a pig. We only have the one computer and it would need a total backup before a new install. We will have to talk about it. The problems is, we did not know enough German to choose the right language...

1. A full back up via a backup tool would take a total of 10-15 min.
2. You wouldn't need to "Understand German", if you used an English install CD..

Your making it sound worse than it really is, if you don't know much about computers
then find a local computer geek.

Can you give me more details about selecting the english language? I'm just installing Vista Home Premium on my new HP laptop and even if I selected everithing I coud find to be in english I didn't found any option for setup in english language (i've found just the usual stuff related to region, keyboard, time).
Another question: is really needed to be conected to internet when installing Vista?
Thanks!

Hi !
Did you resolved the problem?
I have an HP Pavilion notebook and at the OS instalation I couldn't find any option to choose the installation language even if in the user manual it said that I "may" be asked to choose one...

Have just checked my Fujitsu Siemens recovery disc (from which I re-installed in English) and it clearly says on it that it is multilanguage (German, English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian and Finnish). I guess that's why I could change language. Does your recovery disc say anything like that?

Actually HP didn't bothered to put any recovery disc in the notebook package. I've found instead just a printed piece of paper where it said that there is no disc and how can I make my own recovery disc. I did one exactly as they said and there is no option to choose english installation.
I'm really thinking to return the notebook to the store (Conrad).

I've searched a lot on the Microsoft's website and did not found any trial versions. Can you give me a link? Thanks.

My 2 cents worth. I also bought a laptop with Vista Home Premium in German so the language packs do not apply to that version. Ended up buying the English version of Home Premium and tried to use my "German key" as Dark Knight suggested how it refused to work. So I used the "English Key" that came with the disc and it worked. SUCKED big time paying twice for the cr@p OS but unfortunately the key trick did not work for me.

But every cloud has a silver lining...

You now have a set of Valid Keys that you can sell!!

You cannot change the OS language settings unless you install it freshly again. I had this problem when I got my DELL Notebook. I ordered that in English, but they sent the German one. I raised a complaint later and they told they will send me a new Vitsa OS CD in English and they did. So, I had to re-install that again.


How can you borrow when it aint legal? I suppose that this Vista Home Premium is valid only for a single box. And Microsoft has several built-in mechanism's now, to identify piracy and all that stuff. They cant identify if you aint connected to internet, but if you are connected to internet directly or indirectly (through a network), you are busted.

So, just call those folks from where you got the computer and ask for a 'English' version.

Have you not read any of the previous posts? The CD is just the media on which the software is delivered and the software can be installed as many times as you like on as many computers as you like, and will run as a trial version until you enter a valid licence key (e.g. the original key for the German version which came with the hardware) at which point you have a perfectly legally licensed install, so long as you meet the conditions of that license key (usually that it's only being used once unless it's a volume licensing key, that it's on the original hardware if it's an OEM key, that it's for the right version, etc.), regardless of what install media was used. You can also use this to upgrade to the 64-bit version of Vista since the keys are apparently valid for both the 32- and 64-bit versions (but of course not simultaneously!). Microsoft will even send out install media without a licence key for the cost of postage (about 4€)!

I guess that Windows is now officially shareware!

This was indeed true ages back, but now with all the piracy and other illegal stuff happening, there are many innovative ways (just by using technology) to allows installation on a certain number of computers (It can be 1 too) and block the rest. If a license says that you can install it on only one machine, then you are supposed to. Otherwise, you gotta pay a small fortune in fines (if they happen to find that out).

Also, when I said 1 box..Yes, its true! There are different ways to block a CD from using it on a different computer. When they provide you with a Key (Its a public key) and they have a private key stored somewhere which will authenticate your access to that. This way, it can block access to using it on other boxes. You can achieve all this stuff with Public-Key Infrastructure (PKI). Ultimately. the number of boxes on which you can install depends on the license that you have. I suppose thats true for Vista. Otherwise, Entschuldigung!

EDIT: When I said 1 box, it implies "One Vista OS on one box" ("one vista OS cant be used on more than 1 box").

Following link says that it is only possible with Vista Ultimate or Enterprise, not with Vista bussiness.

http://windowshelp.microsoft.com/Windows/e...ab5ecc1033.mspx

Well then its out of date. I have installed 4-5 Vista Business with additional lang. packs.
At work we just rolled out 50 test workstations with Vista Business and all of them have
both the German and French Lang. packs installed. (Base OS is English)

Think about it.. Vista Business is made for "Businesses". Its the replacement for XP Pro.
Why wouldn't it support Multiple lang. packs...

Vista "Enterprise", is really Vista Business. The only difference is that the License key management
system is changed to allow for managing 1000's of workstations in a Business Domain/Active Directory.

Hi,

OK, but is it possible to download English MUI from Microsoft website or any other third party site?. Because I dont see these MUI packages when I perform windows update.

I have a Medion laptop bought from Aldi. It is XP. For months I tried various ways to find if English was available. I was given all sorts of crap info. Then an aquaintance told me to buy an English OS disc, which I was able to get from a German online company for less thn £30. He installed it and BINGO, all is great now. The keyboard is slightly different, but easily mastered.

Good idea. Wish I'd though of that...

Just answered another post some well else and thought it might be usefull to post here as well
I installed Vistalizator on my German laptop a couple of months ago which enables you to switch language on all versions of Vista. Only downside is you have to switch back to origanal language
to install microsoft updates, then switch back afterwords(take a couple of mins 2 restarts needed)

link: http://www.froggie.sk/

Topics merged by admin

Relevant parts of this article:




How sh!t is that? And even if you get Windows into the language you want you then have to worry about localised versions for every individual application, not really a problem for English speakers but imagine being German and actually wanting a computer setup for Deutsch - what a mess! Not wanting to start flame-war here but other OSes actually do do this better

The Language pack actually work quite well. Theose companies that install langauge pack on their PC's are usually quite large.
They also get there licenses and media from the MS Openselect website. These installs are almost always in English, as this is
the main (Or Only) default install for english/XP that will accept other languages.

I have not yet seen a German Base install of XP that would accept say a French Language pack. There is also no
English Language pack.

HI

I have read all the postings but need an idiots guide help!!

I bought a Samsung laptop yesterday with a German Windows Vista Home OS... that I cannot change to English... please help!!! my laptop is all nice and shiney and waiting to be used and I just stare at the screen with a gormless look on my face... this serves me right for being impulsive and impatient!!

Thanks

Topics merged by admin

One word - Vistalizator

Look at the CD that came with the Laptop..

Does it have "Multi lingual" written on it?

If it does, then insert the disc and start to re-install in English...

Spiderpig.... no the disc does not have multi lingual on it.

I am tempted just to return it to Media markt and ask for my cash back... would they take it back?

Samsung Laptops usually use the "Samsung Recovery Solution" to restore the system. There is no CD (DVD) - you boot into a special partition from the BIOS to restore the complete operating system, and Vista-Home does not include multi-lingual variants.
They are not obliged to take it back - there is nothing wrong with it. They MIGHT take it back but charge you a repackaging fee as you are sure to have damaged/opened packaging and by turning it on will have initialised elements of Windows

Not True..

My Laptop came with a DVD and it has "Multilingual" written on it.

I shoved in the D drive and low and behol it loaded in English!

Yorkshirelad

Ok I could try vistalitztor and i have read it and it looks straight forward... however my new laptop is still not connected to the internet.... (although my old one is on windows xp) ... so how can i download and install the program?

Connect your new one to the internet!

Job done!

yes... understood... however thats full circle to the problem... my "supermarket" german means I cant really understand how to get connected properly... but I'll give it a try....

worst case senario... can i use my windows xp disc from my current laptop and just install that.... over riding the vista?

You will need some way of downaloading/transferring the files. If you can't/won't connect the new system to the internet then you'll need to use another and a memory stick or burned CD to transfer the data for example.

That will be technically much more complicated and you will need to find XP drivers for the hardware (if they exist). You would also break the terms of your XP licensing.

Hey.... guess what... i managed to get connected to the internet.... downloaded vistalizator and now I have English... yahoo!!! the keys on the keyboard are still out of sinc but hey i can live with that... this laptop is 8 times as fast as my old one and half the weight!!!

thanks for all your advice... spiderpig!

Should you wish, you can always change the language layout on your keyboard: Change your keyboard layout

Vista Home is NOT available as a multilingual product but some manufacturers provide multiple languages of the complete operating system. The difference is that your approach required re-installation of the entire operating system, takes time, and may loose existing data and applications (which need re-installing) whereas the real multi-lingual OS (Ultimate and Enterprise) simply allow you to change language on the fly, as does Vistalizator, once installed. It also takes less than 5 minutes to do.