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Changing an admininstrator user language is pretty straight-forward, but it does not change the language of the Boot screen, Welcome screen, Login screen, etc...

Pretty much anything that's not on the desktop remains in the original language of the installation so it can look really ugly (for example, having a menu label in Spanish, and the menu items in English, etc.)

How to change that?

I've Googled this for hours and could only find answers about how to change the user language, which is completely irrelevant for this issue.

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There is a great, but not really obvious option that can do this. It will work for Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10.

Here are the steps:

  • open Control Panel
  • open Region
  • open the Administrative tab
  • click the button Copy Settings

On this screen you can copy your current language (of course, make sure your user language is set to the one you want to use everywhere) to the system account which will cause everything to show up in the language you choose. You also have an option to set it as default for new users.

Changing the settings will require a system restart.

This answer is inspired by Kari's answer on sevenforums.

enter image description here

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  • 6
    Since I have had an impact on 1 million users and the fact this has to be the single best answer to a question I have seen in the last 4 years, I am going to issue a bounty to this answer, this question has been asked dozens upon dozens of times and I have never seen anyone actually answer it. – Ramhound Aug 1 '15 at 1:02
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    @Ramhound Thank you so much! I'm actually glad to hear I'm not the only one who spent hours on this. :) – Shomz Aug 1 '15 at 1:04
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    4 years and I have never seen anyone actually know how to answer this question. – Ramhound Aug 1 '15 at 1:05
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    Bounty awarded. You should make every answer you submit this good. – Ramhound Aug 6 '15 at 1:32
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    You've probably figured it out by now (as it took me like 15 seconds to find it), the identical menu exist under "Region". Everything else is the same. @576i – Shomz Jan 28 '17 at 19:02
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On Wnidow-10, now it is not enough to only "Copy Settings" as it instructed in the answer of Shomz.

You have also to set a different input method for each app window setting.
Otherwise you'll be getting the last selected by you language on your Lock/Welcome Screen.

I mean the following

  • You select a language different from English
  • You lock you screen (Win + L).
  • You always get a language different from English when you're trying to type you password to unlock Windows 10.

You will find different input method setting in following places.

On Windows 10 after 2018
Start/Windows button > Settings icon (a gear above the power icon) >
Devices > Typing (in the left bar) >
Advanced keyboard settings (at the bottom of the window)
Select "Let me set a different input method for each app window" checkbox.

Let me set a different input method for each app window

On Windows 10 after 2016
Control Panel > Clock, Language, and Region > Language
Advanced settings (in the left bar)
Select "Let me set a different input method for each app window" checkbox.

Let me set a different input method for each app window

By the way, I really dream to find a method to always have "English only" on my Welcome/Lock screen but with unchecked Let me set a different input method for each app window setting checkbox.
And I slightly hate Microsoft guys for torturing me that way one more time.))
You can imagine how many people have to endure this silently, around the globe.

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