Windows 10: Switching Japanese Windows with English menus

I have just reinstalled my PC with Japanese Windows (it's the only way to enable the full use of a Japanese keyboard - special keys etc.). However, I want my system language to be English (menus etc.). So far I have tried the following:

Settings:
Installed English language pack
Made English default language

Power menu (not sure of proper name - win_key-x):
Tried to switch language to English but does not appear in the menu.

Suggestions greatly appreciated!

Thanks,

Mike

:)

 

Switching Japanese Windows 10 Pro to English Menus

I wanted to use my Japanese keyboard on Windows 10 "properly" so I just reinstalled Windows 10 Pro, replacing my English one with a Japanese (not the single language version - I think!).

I thought that I could change the admin/menu language to English. So far I have downloaded and installed the English Language Pack and have set English to the default language in the control panel.

Going to the other control panel for languages (Win_Key-X) I looked at the top selection box which I think changes the system language but did not see English as an option.

Am I missing something?

Many thanks,

Mike

 

Switching Japanese Windows 10 Pro to English Menus

Hi Mike,

For us to have a better grip on your concern, we'd like to ask for additional information about the issue. Please answer the following:

• Just to clarify, are you trying to switch the language to English but would like to keep the keyboard to Japanese?
  
• Can you please show us a screenshot of the Control Panel settings where you are unable to view English as an option?
  

For initial troubleshooting, we also suggest that you check the solution provided by
Anju Thekkethil in this thread.

We will wait for your quick response.

 

Here's one guide:
http://www.thewindowsclub.com/instal...ges-windows-10

Language - Add, Remove, and Change in Windows 10 Windows 10 General Tips Tutorials
Change Cortana Language in Windows 10 Windows 10 Apps Features Tutorials

Try e.g.
Win key + X, Control Panel
Language




Here I have a US installation, with an English language pack, so the same pattern should apply.
Then you can see Advanced Settings




When you have also downloaded the appropriate speech pack (there's more to do!) check if Cortana is happy. You have to get several things right for that to be so.

MS hasn't made this simple.

 

Changing the display language of a user account does not change Windows system language. Some items in Start, device names, notifications, dialog and error messages remain in system (install) language.

To change system language, you need first install a language pack. In this example I have downloaded and installed Swedish language pack in originally English (EN-GB) Windows 10 PRO version 1703 wanting to change system language to Swedish. Next step is to run Sysprep (Windows System Preparation Tool).

To do that, first close all open applications. Press WIN + R to open Run dialog, type following command and press Enter or click OK to run it:

%windir%\system32\Sysprep\Sysprep /oobe /reboot





(Notice: above command can also be run from Command Prompt instead of Run.)

Sysprep will now prepare Windows for OOBE (Windows Welcome):





When done Windows will restart and after a minute or two will start OOBE (Windows Welcome) as if this was a new PC started first time. You can now select a new system (install) language, setup listing all installed languages including original install language plus all installed language packs, in my case now original English and Svenska (Swedish). I select Swedish and click Yes (Ja in Swedish):





Same screen in English:





Setup goes through Windows Welcome, asking your region, keyboard layout and such. You also have to create a user account. Notice that you cannot use any existing user accounts, in screenshot here I have tried to use username but as that account already existed when I run Sysprep, system does not accept it. In my example case now system tells me "Ange ett annat användarnamn" (In English: Use another username):





Same screen in English:





Instead of using any existing username (including possible existing Microsoft, domain or Azure AD accounts) I will create a temporary local account Dummy and when signed in to desktop, sign out from that account, sign in with my original account (local, Microsoft, domain or Azure AD account) and finally remove the Dummy account.

That's it. Now the system language has been completely changed. All existing user accounts and installed software remain intact.

 

I still have to do the Cortana switch over but otherwise it worked - thank you both so much!

The main problem I had (other than trying to decipher Japanese menus to get to the settings in the first place - a matter of "it's one of the 5 I can't even begin to read so try them all") was that you have to load the language pack from the Advanced Settings panel, not just the normal control panel... why is that?!? I completely misunderstood some of the Japanese and so was struggling to see how to get there and do it.

Anyway, once I'd got past installing the language pack it was really simple.

As I said at the start, help greatly appreciated, thank you!

Mike

 

If by special keys you mean those additional keys on Japanese keyboard near space-bar and in place of "~" key below ESC. That is not true at all you can change keyboard to Japanese layout (and I don't mean just MS IME input on US layout) on English Windows install.
I have done it many times.

 

Yes, I do mean those keys. I tried just switching to Japanese keyboard, as you suggested, but those keys didn't work. Also, the selection key is normally the spacebar in Japan but I could only get IME to work with the Tab key (for those who aren't familiar with Japanese typing: you type in Roman characters, then press a selection key and it steps you through a list of options for the word you are typing in Japanese characters). Did you get the special keys to work as they do in native Japanese mode?

It may well be that I was missing something, although I did try every option I could think of. In any event, as I said, I gave in and now have Japanese Windows running with English menus and everything seems to be working perfectly.
Thanks,

Mike