The default language changes to English (U.S.) when you type text in PowerPoint 2003

Consider the following scenario. You use the Microsoft Office 2003 Language Settings tool to set the default language for all Office 2003 programs to English (U.K.). You then set the Choose the language that defines default behavior in Microsoft Office applications option to English (U.K.). You start Microsoft Office PowerPoint 2003, and then create a blank title slide. The status bar indicates that the default language is English (U.K). However, when you type text into the text frame, the default language on the status bar changes to English (U.S.).

Note English (U.S.) is the default keyboard language setting.

This issue occurs because PowerPoint 2003 does not use the language settings that are set in the Language Settings tool to determine the keyboard language setting (the language of text that is entered when you type). The settings that are set in the Language Settings tool alter the user interface (such as menus and dialog boxes), change the language in which Help topics appear, and perform other language behavior that is not related to text that you enter by using the keyboard.

By default, PowerPoint 2003 determines the keyboard language setting, and then sets text that you enter by using the keyboard to the keyboard language setting.

To work around this issue, use one of the following methods.

Method 1: Set the default language for the presentation

You can set the default language for the presentation after you open or create the presentation. To do this, follow these steps:

1. On the Tools menu, click Language.
2. In the Mark selected text as list, click the language that you want to use as the default language.
3. Click Default, and then click Yes.
4. Click OK.

Method 2: Configure the "Regional and Language Options" settings

You can configure the settings in the Regional and Language Options dialog box so that the default input language for your computer is the same as the language setting for Office 2003. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type intl.cpl, and then click OK.
2. Click the Languages tab, and then click Details.
3. On the Settings tab, click Add.
4. Select the language that you want in the Input language list, and then click OK.
5. Select the language that you want in the Default input language list.
6. Click OK two times.

Method 3: Change the PowerPoint 2003 language registry key

Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.

You may want to work around this issue throughout an organization. One way to do this is to write the default language setting for PowerPoint 2003 to the registry as part of the deployment of PowerPoint 2003. When you do this, you can change the locale ID (LCID) language code for PowerPoint 2003 to the LCID that corresponds to the language that you want PowerPoint 2003 to use.

To do this, follow these steps.

Note The following steps describe how to make the same changes that Method 1 makes. However, in this case, you modify the language registry setting manually instead of using the Language dialog box in PowerPoint 2003.

1. Exit PowerPoint.
2. Click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.
3. Locate and then click the following registry subkey:
   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\PowerPoint\Options\Language ID
4. Right-click Language ID, and then click Modify.
5. In the Value data box, type the hexadecimal LCID value for the language that you want PowerPoint 2003 to use, and then click OK.
   
   Note For a complete list of Office 2003 LCIDs, see the "More Information" section.
6. On the File menu, click Exit to exit Registry Editor.

The following table lists the languages that are supported by Office and lists the corresponding LCID language codes. The LCID column provides both the decimal and the hexadecimal version of the language code.

Note The hexadecimal version is in the (&H###) format. When you use the hexadecimal version of the LCID, use only the numbers. Do not use the "&H."