Topic: Windows XP in other language

[jg]

Hi,

I would like to change the interface (menu's, dialog boxes, etc) of my Windows XP to Spanish rather than English. The help file of Windows says that you can do this in the "Regional and Language Options" in Control Panel. However you need a "Windows Multilingual User Interface Pack" for that.

How can I get this? I have found something on the Microsoft website but this is far to technical for me. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/Embedded/xp/downloads/mui/default.asp

I have also downloaded the spanish file in the following page, but this gives me an .sld file, whatever that may be. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=E1310D06-F663-4897-9951-5D70A108D104&displaylang=en

Any suggestions?

[Adept]

Hi jg

Those two links are for a different version of XP called XP Embedded. AFAIK you simply have to change the "Regional and Language Options" in Control Panel as you said. This may well prompt for information from the original XP CD-ROM, but that is all.

[jg]

Thanks for the reply but I am afraid it is not that simple. The help file of my own Win XP installation says that there should be an option called "Language used in menus and dialogs" in the Languages tab. However this option simply does not appear in my installation of XP (maybe it does in yours?).

This help file goes on to say: "This option is only available in the Windows Multilingual User Interface Pack. If you are interested in this product, please contact the Microsoft office nearest you for more information."

I was just wondering if I could get this done somehow without going through the trouble of contacting Microsoft.

[Adept]

Hmmm... I always thought that XP was multilingual out of the box

[Simon]

Mine is the same.  You can change the Regional Options, but that doesn't covert the whole interface to a particular language, which is what it seems JG wants to do.  It only makes changes to Time, Date, Currency, etc.  The 'Language' tab only gives an option to use either UK or US English.  This is the Home edition, maybe XP Pro is different?

[Adept]

No, you are right Simon - I misunderstood the question

I found this article on TechNet. It may help