Windows language not completely changed

Language packs are getting better,in Windows 10 they are if you ask me, using several language packs, they are as close to perfect as possible.

That being said, deep down some elements remain in original language. A good example in addition to those details you mentioned is Local Users and Groups manager (lusrmgr.msc); in screenshot you can see that although I have changed original German to English with a language pack, all user groups are still in German:

This means that if I for instance would like to add a user to Remote Desktop Users, I would need to use group's German name Remotedesktopbenutzer instead.

To completely change system and display language on an existing installation keeping your user account, personal files and installed applications, you need to force Windows to run the setup (OOBE) again. To do this, open Run dialog and type %windir%\system32\sysprep\sysprep.exe to open Sysprep:

Accept defaults, click OK to start Sysprep:

Sysprep will restart your PC, going through setup once again. After restart you will be asked which language you want to use to setup Windows, listing the original language (German in this case), and all installed languages (language packs, UK English in this example case). Select your preferred language:

Set region and language preferences, click Next:

Skip the product key, it will not be needed. An activated Windows will remain activated when sysprepped:

You need to set up a temporary account, I in these cases set up a local account called Dummy:

You can't use any existing user name; as I had a local user Kari before Sysprep, setup will not accept it:

That's it. When on desktop, sign out from temporary Dummy account, sign in to your original account and remove Dummy account.

Looking the Local Users and Groups manager now you will see that even those group names have been changed to English:

The two Start tile section headers are still in original language, change or remove them, as will be a few live tiles of native Windows apps. They will change to English when you start using them, or you can remove these tiles if they are not needed.

Everything else is now in English. Don't forget to backup Windows before starting!

Kari

I'm in the same predicament, and will give @Kari's advice a shot.
I tried doing a repair install to see if that would work, but....
It wouldn't let me keep my programs, just my data, so I thought I would just have to "deal with it", because I have way too much software to reinstall, and Office 365 would have been a PITA in my case.

Yes I know the problem of having to use the exact same ISO for languages, but one can always try, right?

So my Macrium image just finished and I'll give it a shot and post my results.

Only one question on Kari: When this completes and works, will I then be able to use the US-EN ISO for repair installs?

Kari!
You are a Windows Geek God, I am not worthy to even dust off your keyboard.
Thanks!!!

Cliff S said:

Only one question on Kari: When this completes and works, will I then be able to use the US-EN ISO for repair installs?

No.

Windows install language is the language Windows was originally installed. If no language packs is installed it is also the system language. Display and system languages can be changed with a language pack, the Sysprep trick as told above adds a method to change setup language to any of installed language packs.

However, there's no valid method to change install language. The in-place upgrade / repair install media must match the language of the Windows install language.

If you have originally installed German Windows, you need to use German install media for in-place and repair, however completely you have changed display and system languages. It is also recommended to run in-place and repair installs from a user account using the original language, in your case German.

A good way to setup your now English Windows is to add a local Admin account, setting it to use original install language German. Whenever a repair is needed, sign in to that account to do it. I do this on systems with changed system language, deactivating the local admin account in original install language, activating it only when needed.

Cliff S said:

You are a Windows Geek God, I am not worthy to even dust off your keyboard.
Thanks!!!

LOL you are welcome :)

Kari

OK, I'm downloading the German ISO now, thanks again.

Like this?

Exactly like that Cliff.

As a preventive measure to keep that additional local admin account in original install language clean, I use net user "German account" /active:no to hide it (using the profile name as in your screenshot as an example).

I don't want to copy any my personal stuff there, I really need it only with repair and in-place installs, maybe occasionally for DISM. When needed I activate the account, sign out from other accounts and sign in to it, reversing the process and deactivating it again when no longer needed.

Kari

Asuza said:

Hi Kari,

When I run sysprep, I cannot choose a desired language and also I can't even create an account. It only shows an account named "System".
Do you know what might be the cause?

Are you possibly using Windows 10 with built-in admin account, which of course is never recommended? When Sysprep is run from built-in admin account in an existing installation, that's what happens.