Windows 8.1
Add a language
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
- Tap or click Time and language, and then tap or click Region and language, and then tap or click Add a language.
- Browse for the language you want, and then tap or click it to add it to your language list.
Download and install a language pack
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
- Tap or click Time and language, and then tap or click Region and language.
- If the language says Language pack available, tap or click Options. Note
If you don't see Language pack available, you might be able to download the language pack at the Download Center.
- Tap or click Download. The download process might take a while, depending on your PC and the size of the language pack.
Set a language as your primary language
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
- Tap or click Time and language, and then tap or click Region and language.
- Tap or click the language that you want to see Windows in, and then tap or click Set as primary. The Will be display language after next sign-in message will appear under the language.
- Tap or click Set as primary to move the language to the top of the list. If the language can become your Windows display language, you'll see Will be display language after next sign-in appear under the language.
- Sign out of Windows, and then sign back in.Warning
When you change your primary language, your keyboard layout might also change. When signing back in to Windows, make sure you're using the right keyboard layout for entering your password. Otherwise, you might not be able to sign in. You can change your keyboard layout on the sign-in screen by tapping or clicking the language abbreviation button in the lower-right corner.
Change the keyboard layout or other method you use to type
Whenever you add a language, a keyboard layout or input method is added so you can enter text in the language. If you want to use a different keyboard layout or input method, you can add a new one or switch between the ones you have.
Add a keyboard layout or input method for a language
- Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, tap Settings, and then tap Change PC settings. (If you're using a mouse, point to the lower-right corner of the screen, move the mouse pointer up, click Settings, and then click Change PC settings.)
- Tap or click Time and language, and then tap or click Region and language.
- Tap or click the language you want to add a keyboard to, and then tap or click Options.
- Tap or click Add a keyboard, browse the input method list for the one you want to use, and then tap or click it.
Switch between keyboard layouts or input methods
Language abbreviation button in the touch keyboard
Language abbreviation button in the desktop taskbar
You can enter text with different keyboard layouts or input methods by switching between them. There are a few different ways to switch between keyboard layouts or input methods:
- On a hardware keyboard, press and hold the Windows logo key , and then press the Spacebar to cycle through your input methods.
- If you have a touchscreen, you can switch your touch keyboard layout by tapping or clicking the keyboard icon, and then tapping or clicking the keyboard layout you want to switch to.
Language abbreviation button in the touch keyboard
- On the desktop taskbar, tap or click the language abbreviation in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar, and then tap or click the keyboard layout or input method you want to switch to.
Language abbreviation button in the desktop taskbar
Change the default keyboard layout or input method
Your default keyboard layout or input method is the one that’s automatically used with the language you see Windows in (for example, the QWERTY keyboard for American English). If you want to keep your Windows language the same but use a different keyboard automatically, follow these steps:
- Open Control Panel by swiping in from the right edge of the screen, tapping Search (or if you're using a mouse, pointing to the upper-right corner of the screen, moving the mouse pointer down, and then clicking Search), entering Control Panel in the search box, and then tapping or clicking Control Panel.
- Enter Add a language in the search box, and then tap or click Add a language.
- Tap or click Advanced settings.
- Under Override for default input method, choose the keyboard layout or input method you'd like to be your new default, and then tap or click Save.Note
If you don't see the keyboard layout or input method you want, then you haven't added it to your input method list. For instructions, see the Add a keyboard layout or input method for a language section.
Windows 7
Install or change a display language
You can change the language Windows uses to display text in wizards, dialog boxes, menus, and other items in the user interface. Some display languages are installed by default, while others require you to install additional language files.
To install a display language
To install a Language Interface Pack (LIP), double-click the file to open the setup program. To install a language pack, follow these steps:
- Open Region and Language by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Clock, Language, and Region, and then clicking Region and Language.
- Click the Keyboards and Languages tab.
- Under Display language, click Install/uninstall languages, and then follow the steps. If you're prompted for an administrator password or confirmation, type the password or provide confirmation.NoteThe Display language section will be visible only if you have already installed a Language Interface Pack or if your edition of Windows supports a language pack. Language packs are available only in Windows 7 Ultimate and Windows 7 Enterprise.
To change your display language
When you change the display language, the text in menus and dialog boxes for some programs might not be in the language that you want. This happens because the program might not support Unicode.
- Open Region and Language by clicking the Start button , clicking Control Panel, clicking Clock, Language, and Region, and then clicking Region and Language.
- Click the Keyboards and Languages tab.
- Under Display language, choose a language from the list, and then click OK.
Note
If you don't see the list of display languages, you need to install additional language files.
Change your keyboard layout
To change the keyboard layout
- On the Language bar, click the Input language button, and then select an input language.
- Click the Keyboard layout button, and then select a keyboard layout.
Note
If you don't see the Language bar, right-click the taskbar, point to Toolbars, and then click Language bar.
To change the keyboard layout on the Welcome screen
On the Welcome screen, click the Keyboard layout button 
, and then select a keyboard layout.
Note
If you don't see the Keyboard layout button, you might not have more than one input language, or your regional and language settings might not be applied to reserved accounts.