This is similar to what happens when you buy a laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium preinstalled.
So, there is a way to change the Windows 7 Home premium (or Professional) interface language, and turns out it is the same for Windows 8 Single Language.
You need to have a language pack lp.cab file ready. You may find language packs distributed online for Windows 8, download one for your language and extract the lp.cab file.
The method for Windows 8 is as follows:
- Put the lp.cab in some folder on your hard drive. Let's put it in C:\lp for example.
- Open command prompt in elevated mode and type:
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lp\lp.cab
Windows 8 will recommend restarting after successfully adding the package.
bcdedit /set {current} locale xx-xx (where xx-xx is the language and locale code, for example english US would be en-US)
And the last command:
bcdboot %WinDir% /l xx-xx (again xx-xx will have the language and locale code, for example en-US for english-US)
- Now without closing command prompt type regedit to launch the registry editor and navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MUI\UILanguages
and delete the folders that have language-locale codes different from the ones you need. For example ru-RU or es-ES.
Restart the machine and the UI language will be changed to the one you installed. You may still see the remnants of the original language in the tiles or other Windows features, that will go away once you change the region to your locale inside Control Panel.
----
*(Update 15.10.14)
Method for Windows 8.1:
If returning from a reboot - go into elevated prompt again.
Now we need to remove the reference to the old language pack. To do that we need to find out the exact identifier of the language pack installed. For this we need to run:
DISM /Online /Get-Packages > C:\pack.txt
Because the list of installed packages is long, the command sends it to a file called pack.txt located in the root of the C: partition. Open the file and look for:
Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package........
Status: Installed
Release Type : Language Pack
Make sure you find the identifier for your old language pack, so if we're getting rid of the English language - the identifier will have "en-US" in the name.
For example an English language pack that comes with your English based system will be something like:
Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.1.7601.17514
Note the en-US in the name.
Now let's run a command to remove the old language pack (listed in the above example):
DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.1.7601.17514
After the removal procedure is done, you will be prompted to reboot the computer. After the reboot you should be faced with the new language interface.
A big thank you goes to Irina Likhter for pointing out this method!
*Update (25.04.14):
I have uploaded language packs for certain languages for Windows 8 64bit here -
English (US)
Arabic (SA) (العربية)
German (Deutch)
Spanish (Espanol)
Finnish (Suomalainen)
Hebrew (עברית)
Korean (한국어)
Polish (Polski)
Portuguese (Brazil) (Português)
Romanian (Românesc)
Russian (Русский)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)
*Update (05.05.14):
More language packs for the following languages are available for download:
Bulgarian (български)
Czech (čeština)
Danish (Dansk)
Greek (ελληνικά)
Estonian (Eesti)
French (Francais)
Croatian (Hrvatski)
Hungarian (Magyar)
Italian (Italiano)
Japanese (日本語)
Latvian (latviešu)
Lithuianian (lietuvių)
Norwegian (Norsk)
Dutch (Nederlands)
Slovak (slovencina)
Slovenian (slovenšcina)
Swedish (svenska)
Turkish (Türk)
Ukrainian (український)
Chinese Standard (中国语文)
Chinese Hong Kong (中國語文)
*Update (07.05.14):
Working LP for Windows 8.1 will be uploaded in the near future.
*Update (02.08.14):
Here are the Windows 8.1 Language packs direct from Windows Update:
----
*(Update 15.10.14)
Method for Windows 8.1:
- Download the appropriate (for your version of Windows 8.1) language pack listed further down in this post.
- Rename the cab file to lp.cab
- Put the lp.cab in some folder on your hard drive. Let's put it in C:\lp\
- Open command prompt in elevated mode and type:
DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lp\lp.cab
Windows 8.1 may recommend restarting after successfully adding the package.
Windows 8.1 may recommend restarting after successfully adding the package.
If returning from a reboot - go into elevated prompt again.
Now we need to remove the reference to the old language pack. To do that we need to find out the exact identifier of the language pack installed. For this we need to run:
DISM /Online /Get-Packages > C:\pack.txt
Because the list of installed packages is long, the command sends it to a file called pack.txt located in the root of the C: partition. Open the file and look for:
Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package........
Status: Installed
Release Type : Language Pack
Make sure you find the identifier for your old language pack, so if we're getting rid of the English language - the identifier will have "en-US" in the name.
For example an English language pack that comes with your English based system will be something like:
Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.1.7601.17514
Note the en-US in the name.
Now let's run a command to remove the old language pack (listed in the above example):
DISM /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.1.7601.17514
After the removal procedure is done, you will be prompted to reboot the computer. After the reboot you should be faced with the new language interface.
A big thank you goes to Irina Likhter for pointing out this method!
*Update (25.04.14):
I have uploaded language packs for certain languages for Windows 8 64bit here -
English (US)
Arabic (SA) (العربية)
German (Deutch)
Spanish (Espanol)
Finnish (Suomalainen)
Hebrew (עברית)
Korean (한국어)
Polish (Polski)
Portuguese (Brazil) (Português)
Romanian (Românesc)
Russian (Русский)
Thai (ภาษาไทย)
*Update (05.05.14):
More language packs for the following languages are available for download:
Bulgarian (български)
Czech (čeština)
Danish (Dansk)
Greek (ελληνικά)
Estonian (Eesti)
French (Francais)
Croatian (Hrvatski)
Hungarian (Magyar)
Italian (Italiano)
Japanese (日本語)
Latvian (latviešu)
Lithuianian (lietuvių)
Norwegian (Norsk)
Dutch (Nederlands)
Slovak (slovencina)
Slovenian (slovenšcina)
Swedish (svenska)
Turkish (Türk)
Ukrainian (український)
Chinese Standard (中国语文)
Chinese Hong Kong (中國語文)
*Update (07.05.14):
Working LP for Windows 8.1 will be uploaded in the near future.
*Update (02.08.14):
Here are the Windows 8.1 Language packs direct from Windows Update:
Windows 8.1 32-bit (x86) MUI language packs
|
|
Arabic
|
|
Bulgarian
|
|
Chinese
- Simplified
|
|
Chinese
- Traditional
|
|
Croatian
|
|
Czech
|
|
Danish
|
|
Dutch
|
|
English
- United Kingdom
|
|
English
- United States
|
|
Estonian
|
|
Finnish
|
|
French
|
|
German
|
|
Greek
|
|
Hebrew
|
|
Hungarian
|
|
Italian
|
|
Japanese
|
|
Korean
|
|
Latvian
|
|
Lithuanian
|
|
Norwegian
|
|
Polish
|
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Portuguese
- Brazil
|
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Portuguese
- Portugal
|
|
Romanian
|
|
Russian
|
|
Serbian
- Latin
|
|
Slovak
|
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Slovenian
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Spanish
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Swedish
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Thai
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Turkish
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Ukrainian
|
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Windows 8.1 64-bit (x64) MUI language packs
|
|
Arabic
|
|
Bulgarian
|
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Chinese
- Simplified
|
|
Chinese
- Traditional
|
|
Croatian
|
|
Czech
|
|
Danish
|
|
Dutch
|
|
English
- United Kingdom
|
|
English
- United States
|
|
Estonian
|
|
Finnish
|
|
French
|
|
German
|
|
Greek
|
|
Hebrew
|
|
Hungarian
|
|
Italian
|
|
Japanese
|
|
Korean
|
|
Latvian
|
|
Lithuanian
|
|
Norwegian
|
|
Polish
|
|
Portuguese
- Brazil
|
|
Portuguese
- Portugal
|
|
Romanian
|
|
Russian
|
|
Serbian
- Latin
|
|
Slovak
|
|
Slovenian
|
|
Spanish
|
|
Swedish
|
|
Thai
|
|
Turkish
|
|
Ukrainian
|
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Hi Serge. I live in China and plan to buy a laptop, but they all have Single Language here (obviously Chinese). So your advice should be very helpful to me. A simple question: can Single Language Windows 8 be upgraded to 8.1?
ReplyDeleteYes Craig, I tested it and it updates to 8.1 just fine retaining the language properties. Just don't forget to change the regional settings to US after you do the language replacement procedure.
DeleteWell Serge , now your suggestion or tip does not work.
DeleteI tried on my lenovo yoga 2 ( brand new ). i got an error something like "mui error"
can't boot. so i have to recover using my recovery software.
Hope you can guide me how to overcome this problem.
I can't use chinese . i am stuck now
Thanks
Thanks Serge. One more question: if I change from Chinese to English in Windows 8 SL, will it still be a "legitimate" (legal) version? Will I still be able to get Windows Updates? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteYes it will retain it's activation, same as Windows 7 would in this case of language pack replacement.
DeleteThank you. Keep up the good work on your blog.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome :)
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteCan you please share the language pack link again. your's is expired.
Thanks
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteHey Serge! Can't tell you how happy I am to find your blog! Looks like this will sort my spanish windows out once and for all! But, I'm in Guatemala and with this connection I would probably have to wait a month or two before 3,5 gb file will reach my drive. Will any language pack work or is this method specifically for the torrent you have linked too above?
ReplyDeleteThank you very much!
Regards
Peter
I just uploaded the Windows 8 x64 English US language pack. Link is in the post^
ReplyDeleteThank you so much .... it worked like a charm, at first try i missed up the windows, then i installed another clean windows ... tried your solution with the right steps n Voila, everything went well. Thank you again n god bless you.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Attaher. Thank you for the kind words!
ReplyDeleteWhen I enter the first command I receive this error:
ReplyDeleteError al intentar arbir: C:\Ip\Ip.cab Error: 0x800700003
Any advice? Thank you.
Make sure the lp.cab file is in fact inside that folder, also make sure it is compatible with your system.
DeleteHi! Serge
Deletei have this error too my pc is x64 i downloaded it and renamed to lp.cab and put into the folder and opened cmd with administrator entered first command i got this error. What should i do
Just rename downloaded cab-file to "lp" without .cab (because format of the file was hidden in your system) and repeat instruction of Serge
DeleteEres lo mas grande mundo Serge! Pude cambiar el idioma de Ruso a Ingles \o/ Gracias!
ReplyDeleteDe nada :) Estoy encantando de ayudar
DeleteHi serge
ReplyDeleteI bought a notebook with windows 8.1 single language pre-installed, as i started the notebook for the first time the menu popped up for the languages there where a few to choose from, i accidentally choose the wrong one (I choose French instead of English) as i was very busy. I followed this link to the T,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqQsQFabMUk&feature=youtu.be
but at the end where you have to download/install the language, there is no option like the one on the video, all it said was, after loading is that its, NOT AVAILABLE ON THIS EDITION OF WINDOWS
I even went to advance setting to change the option to "list of recommended languages”
Can you assist please as iam have given up hope already.
Thanx
Hi Kevin,
DeleteYou're not giving me the brand and model of your laptop, however I can tell you that it would be easy for you to just revert the laptop to factory defaults. Google how to restore your laptop to factory defaults. Or you can use this post to change the language, which takes a bit of an effort. But yes, in your case you can only select your language once, when you initially set up your laptop for the first time.
can you please upload the english language pack for windows 8 (64 bit) my laptop is HP intel core i7 processor and the one you have uploaded doesnt seem to install on my laptop it says the language pack is for AMD processors only :( i really really got bored of turkish i cant do anything on my windows i need english
ReplyDeletealso it gives me this error code( Error: 0x800f081e)
DeleteWhat is your Windows 8 version exactly? If you have Windows 8.1 installed I'm not sure these language packs would work for you.
DeleteHi serge its a Toshiba Satrllite L50 - A0376.
Deletei followed this as well.
Download a CAB file (language pack) for your language. Then rename the file to lp.cab and put it into C:\ drive folder.
Then run a command line (cmd, command prompt) as administratior and run this command there:
dism /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lp.cab
Then when iam in the Command Prompt - it gives me a ERROR 740 message
Thank you for your time..
Kind Regards Kevin
Error 740 means you're not entering these commands in elevated mode. Run CMD in elevated mode (Run as Administrator) and try the procedure again.
DeleteHi ok i got into the elevated mode now it gives a error 87.
Deleteand if i reset my pc to factory defaults must i then go and download new drivers for , bluetooth,nvidia,webcam,sound drivers ect. and aslo the software that i got with the pc like mcAfee Microsoft,toshiba video player ect.
ReplyDeleteThank You
I believe that when you restore the factory image you will get the laptop to the initial state that you got it, where you'd pick the correct language and then get all of the software that came inside that image. That is what usually happens when you restore a laptop to factory settings.
DeleteMy windows is 8.1 i just bought it 2 days ago and it was preconfigured with single language win 8.1 (turkish) i tried all methods none worked i was hoping your blog post would help me but it seems like another dead end
ReplyDeletethe laptop is HP pavilion
intel core i7 4500U
12GB RAM
1 TB HDD
Nvidia Geforce 740M
windows 8.1 64-bit
please help with any advice i really dont understand turkish i dont even know how i managed to install windows the entire process was in turkish lol
sorry my system is running windows 8 not 8.1
DeleteMake sure you put the lp.cab file into the folder on your C: drive called lp
DeleteMake sure you start the command prompt as Administrator, and make sure you copy/paste all the commands that you see in the post correctly.
Hi Serge,
ReplyDeleteYou're so awesome, man, helping everyone like this. I just bought a Dell laptop running Windows 8 single language. I tried everything you mentioned and it all seemed to be working great. On the last step, when I went into the regredit (HKEY thing) I saw no options for any languages. I went ahead and kept going, restarting anyways, and the computer is still in Spanish. I tried this several times. Each step of the way, the CMD screen kept telling me that it was successful, or completed, etc. (I don't speak Spanish, but it all seemed to be going fine). Any idea what I could be doing wrong? I'm tempted to return this laptop, but since I live in Panama, most are in Spanish. Thanks man. Chris.
Oh, one more thing, does the computer need to be connected to the Internet during this process? After I've downloaded the lp.cab file? I originally had it connected, but then when I restarted it the first time it seemed to get stuck configuring Windows at shutdown. I don't know why. When I unplugged the internet, it restarted right away.
ReplyDeleteHi Chris, thanks for the kind words :)
DeleteFirst off - no, there is no need to be connected to the internet to make it work.
Second, if your computer is in Spanish you must find a key called es-es in the registry, inside the path that is shown in the post^, so it would be:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MUI\UILanguages\es-es
If you did everything correctly inside teh command line, you should see two folders under UILanguages - es-es and en-us
Delete the es-es, close and restart. You will still see SOME things in Spanish like inside the metro screen and such, that will go away when you switch your regional settings to US from Spain.
Serge, you are my favorite person in the world right now. It worked. I don't have to return my laptop now. Thanks so much, man.
DeleteI'm glad I could help, and thank you for the kind words. :)
DeleteHi, thanks for the post. I am going to use it to keep two languages on my laptop, but can you explain what bcdedit and bcdboot commands actually do?
ReplyDeleteI've found another tutorial where there is no these commands (http://superuser.com/questions/666978/how-to-install-a-new-display-language-onto-windows-8-1-single-language) - but one lang package si deleted.
Can I assume that these commands may be avoided at all, or only when just one langpack is installed (and Windows does the work on its own) ?
Bcdedit employs the locale after its insertion into the image (DISM), bcdboot makes the boot screen in the inserted language, it can be omitted.
DeleteOk, thanks
DeleteHi Serge!
DeleteI found good offer in e-bay for laptop with Windows 8 single edition installed (English). That’s is ok but I will need second language (Bulgarian) only for writing letters and e-mails with keyboard (same as with normal win 8 )Is that possible? Can you tell me before to buy it, please?
Regards
Stan
You can type in any language you want, and read any language you want, the interface language will only be one specific one, English in your case.
DeleteMany thanks!
DeleteUnbelivable many thanks!
DeleteHi Serge!
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, thank you for this!
What if I don't need to change my UI language (I'd like it to stay in English), I just want my Windows to be able to handle Russian-language system text - i.e. I currently can't type Cyrillic file names in the cmd, and also my C++ compiler refuses to show messages in Russian (even though it's in Unicode). Will simply installing the Russian language pack in addition to English work, without making it the primary UI language?
Update: No, it doesn't work :(. Any advice on how to do this?
DeleteSummary: I've Win8 SL English, would like it to stay English (if possible). The Russian language is available, meaning I can switch to it and type in it, and I've done what you recommend above (dl'ed, installed and employed the ru-RU pack, didn't delete the en-US one though). But in some of the system functions I just get ???'s instead of cyrillics, i.e. when I try to type in cyrillics in the command prompt, or when using cyrillics in run-time functions in C (i.e. I can't ShowMessage() in cyrillics, but I can display captions if I set them at design-time - not programmatically on run-time though).
Thanks!
You need to set the System Locale language to Russian to use russian based software,
Deletehttp://www.7tutorials.com/changing-display-language-used-non-unicode-programs
scroll down to the Windows 8 tutorial
Hi Serge!
ReplyDeleteI found good offer in e-bay for laptop with Windows 8 single language edition installed (English). That’s is ok but I will need second language (Bulgarian) only for writing letters and e-mails with keyboard (same as with normal win 8 )Is that possible? Can you tell me before to buy it, please?
Regards
Stan
Hi Serge itried to install this but coming one message error 87 how to fix this
ReplyDeleteSounds like you typed a command incorrectly.
DeleteHi Serge,
ReplyDeleteI recently bought a laptop with Windows 8.1 Single Language and Kaspersky Anti-Virus 2014 Software.
But i get an error massage during the installation and it supports both Windows pro and enterprise versions.
Could you please tell me that should i upgrade to Windows 8.1 pro to install anti-virus software successfully?
Thx.
I think you should contact Kaspersky tech support to answer that question, but I see no reason for it not to work on your version of Windows.
DeleteHi Serge, I tried what you suggested but was not working at all, first downloaded the file and rename it and copy it under local c drive, and run cmd as administrative with coping the command, but getting that 003 error msg saying error occurred trying to open c:\lp.cab, i have got a win 8.1 singel chinese version, any ideas?
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry but from what you have just described you were not following the directions correctly. Read the instructions carefully and try again. You are not supposed to rename anything, you are supposed to make a folder called LP on your C drive and put the lp.cab file in it.
DeleteI Have re done that, error:0*800f081e instead, the specified package is not applicable to this image,
ReplyDeleteNot working for
ReplyDeletewindows 8.1 single language
Error : 0x800f081e
the specified package is not applicable to this image.
the DISM log file can be found at C:/WINDOWS/Logs/DISM/dism.log
The language packs may not work on Windows 8.1, I am working on uploading the ones that do.
Deletethanks a lot,, patiently waiting!
DeleteHi Serge,
DeleteFirst of all - thanks for this topic. You are doing great job while official supports are not answering at all on this kind of questions.
Now, I have tried the steps you provided on my win 8.1 single language and have
Error : 0x800f081e
the specified package is not applicable to this image.
Do you have any updates on this?
Thanks!
There are language packs out there for Windows 8.1 that will work with this procedure, I am not posting them because I'm not sure of their support. People do say that they work though.
DeleteHi Serge, I followed your guide but I encountered BSOD after the last step. It says MUI_NO_VALID_SYSTEM_LANGUAGE. I'm running windows 8.1 x64 Chinese(zh-CN). Hoping for your reply.
ReplyDeleteWhich lp.cab are you using? I have uploaded a Windows 8.1 English lp.cab just a few dyas ago, please try it.
DeleteYes, I downloaded this one
Delete*Update (23.05.14):
Windows 8.1 x64 English US lp.cab for download.
The link provides two files. Should I download the other file as well?
Additional details:
DeleteLaptop: Lenovo Yoga 2 Pro
Windows 8.1 Chinese x64
Version: 6.3.9600.16408
You should be able to use the lp.cab for 8.1, let me know if it works.
DeleteMake sure you follow the instructions correctly.
DeleteHi Serge, there are two files, need to do both of them?
DeleteThe lp.cab is what you need, I'm not sure about the second file, it comes together with the LP. I think it's a patch after you apply the LP.
DeleteWhere is the English pack for 8.1???? I can only see the link for Windows 8 (not 8.1), Serge's promise to upload 8.1, and chanson's comment about having already downloaded it. How / Where?!?! Help, please? Thanks!
DeleteAnd do exactly the same procedures as above?
ReplyDeleteYes.
DeleteHi Serge, have tried that, but after all that, could not pass the start up screen and showing, mui-no valid system language, and totally stuffed, had no choice but re install the whole system now it's going to square 1 again,,,
DeleteHi Serge, how long should the system take to restart in the updated language after following the steps listed?
ReplyDeleteEverything seems to have worked fine - but upon restarting the computer, I get a black screen with an occasional flash of the language input on the bottom right...
Its been doing this for about 1 hour..
Turning system off and on again yields the same result...
Did you find a solution? im experiencing the same...
DeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteHi Serge,
ReplyDeleteI'm in the same situation as Chanson Gong mentioned with a BSOD telling me MUI_NO_VALID_SYSTEM_LANGUAGE. Clearly it works to some extent as the error instructions and options (safe mode, safe mode with command prompt etc) are all in English.
Would it be possible, instead of setting the PC to think it is in en_US to copy across the installed files on the registry, meaning that windows would look in the same place but pull the English files instead?
I am guessing you're trying to install the lp onto Windows 8.1 ? I am not completely sure it would work. If it's Windows 8, then please follow the directions exactly how they are written.
DeleteNo, it's impossible to my knowledge to leave the registry entry as it was, just replace the files, because the LP itself carries this language identifier that has to be inserted into the registry.
Yeah, that's right Serge. It's all very frustrating as if I want to change settings I'm going to need to use my friend's Windows 8 on her PC to mirror the actions. Not sure if this falls within your remit, but would buying Windows 8 from a UK/US company and installing it on my machine bypass this restriction, or would I still be knocked back as it's a Chinese restriction for a Chinese machine
DeleteIf you buy Windows 8 separately, there should be nothing to keep you from installing it on this machine. Sorry about your frustration!
Deletefacebook account please?
ReplyDeleteSorry, I don't use Facebook
DeleteWow, this worked like a charm for me. I am in Mexico and needed a new laptop, and bought one that seemed like a good deal at Office Depot until I realized it was Windows Single Language (which I didn't even know existed). With your help, I have now got it working the way I want it. Thank you so much!
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome :)
DeleteHi Serge
ReplyDeleteI've downloaded the last pack English(US) fit all the lp.cab right and followed the exact instructions but I also came across the MUI_NO_VALID_SYSTEM_LANGUAGE...I am used Windows 8.1 , Acer Aspire V5-573G which i bought in China and is in Full Chinese language tried many things to change the language to English but it didn't work !!! It just sticks there after the boot...I hope you can help me solve this problem...Is there anyway to bypass this error or roll back to previous settings???Hope you can help, waiting for your reply
I am sorry this has happened to you, I am taking down this language pack as I see people having trouble installing it on some machines, I will retest and reupload the language pack once it's ready.
DeleteI would recommend doing a factory restore to your laptop, you can look up online how to do a factory restore to the model of your laptop.
Hi Serge,
DeleteI too have the same issue with the chinese single language version of windows 8 (lenovo thinkpad e431) which i purchase in china..so pls help me to solve this issue..i have tried ur method for 4 times..but not working.
thank u
Murugan. S
What is the brand and model of your laptop?
Deletemine is Lenovo Thinkpad E431 which comes with Windows 8 Chinese PRC edition
DeleteIf it's Windows 8 and not Windows 8.1 - then the instructions of this post should suit you. If you've done something wrong you can always do a factory image restore of your laptop and try again.
DeleteHello,
ReplyDeleteSomething that can help you is that the l is L, I confuse the l whit the capital i, so be careful with it.
Other thing that can cause an error is that some of this files given are for Windows 8, so search on google for "download lp.cab xx-xx (for example en-US) for Windows 8.1" and so make the procedure of this site with the file downloaded.
It WORKS very good and i'm grateful.
For pt-BR language i found in this website: http://www.smartdicas.com/download/windows-8-1-language-pack-ptbr/
Thank you so much Serge!
Hi Henrique
DeleteI am glad you found my blog useful,
I would like to make an assembly of all language packs that work on Winodws 8.1, maybe you could help? :)
Where is the English pack for 8.1???? I can only see the link for Windows 8 (not 8.1), Serge's promise to upload 8.1, and chanson's comment about having already downloaded it. How / Where?!?! Help, please? Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI tried the language pack listed above, but since it is intended for Windows 8, it didn't work. Could you please tell me where I can find the lp.cab for Windows 8.1. That would be super helpful! (It seems like you already uploaded it, based on chanson's comment on May 26. I just can't find it!!) Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHello Serge. Just writing to THANK YOU for your awesome help! I was able to install the language package following your instructions. I found the package elsewhere, but followed your instructions and it worked like a charm. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are the man!
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay Hector, I am glad the instructions helped. Can you share where you got the LP?
DeleteYeah Hector, I am still waiting for get the LP changed on my win 8.1, can you please share the LP file Hector, thanks heaps!
DeleteI just posted the LP's if you're still interested.
Deleteit failed again, after I installed lp.cap file for en-us, It says MUI_NO_VALID_SYSTEM_LANGUAGE, it's so frustrated, damn it! Stupid Chinese version of win 8.1, almost give up!
DeleteI'm sorry to hear that. Maybe try a factory image restore and try again with the correct LP. Make sure you download the proper LP for your system, because there are 32 and 64 bit versions.
DeleteI already restore the system, and 100% sure used the right version, coz checked system info my windows 8.1 is running on 64 bit, could not figure out why? Wondering you could test that for me?
DeleteSounds like something out of the ordinary. Are you absolutely sure youre doing everything correctly? Especially the registry part.
Deleteabsolutely, went to registry, and gone into the file and delete the language file that you dont need, wondering i can have two languages at the same time, thought about it, had tried to look the language settings before changing the registry, but obvious, it did not want to work that way either. i can do that again tomo night, since need it for tomo's class, i can possibly do some screen shots, what do you think?
DeleteYes please post screenshots of command prompt with all commands ran, and a screenshot of the registry with the language keys.
DeleteHi Serge, wonder how I can post the screenshots up here?
DeleteUse an online image storing website and post a link here.
Deletesorry, had no idea how to do that,,, excuse me, I am currently running the cmd,, wonder I could email you directly? a bit scared to stuff it up again
Deletealso just run the first command, it did not ask me to restart the pc(Windows 8 will recommend restarting after successfully adding the package.?) could that be a problem?
DeleteTry imageshak to share an image.
DeleteNo, restarting is not mandatory.
done all of it again other than altering registry part, a bit scary.. have class to catch, did not really want to risk it
Deletehttps://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=D2D50FDA220F15A1%21103, try this, shared through skydrive, not sure whether it's working, if it works have a look and I will press the button to alter the registry
DeleteYou did not rename the downloaded lp!
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
Deleteyou mean after download the file with very long name, we need to f2 to change it to lp.cap? if that's the case, can I reverse of what I have done?
Deletewas not working either, gave an error code 0*80070003, an error when trying to open
DeleteDo a factory restore and do everything properly, rename the file to LP.cab - your command is looking for lp.cab located in C:\lp
DeleteI will do it tomo when i have more time, but sorry about the trouble, hopefully finger crossed tomo then, thanks heaps!
Deleteit does not look like it's working, after rename the downloaded file to lp.cab under c:, still come up with 003 error
DeleteThe lp.cab has to be located in the folder called LP on drive C:
DeleteI did will screenshot you once I installed the office,
Deletehttps://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=D2D50FDA220F15A1%211248
DeleteI'm sorry this has happened to you, redownload the lp from the website, make sure its for your system, rename to lp.cab, place inside c:\lp and redo the procedure. If it still doesnt work - then I'm sorry, there is nothing else I can tell you.
DeleteHello Serge,
ReplyDeleteLooks like your fix is the one to use! Can you advise if the fix will work in Windows 8.1?
Thanks!
This fix works for Windows 8.1, you can now download the proper language packs.
Deletethanks for your solution Serge! I owned a Chinese tablet with this estrange version. With your tutorial I could change language to Spanish.
ReplyDeleteIts a fail that windows step back to limiting the languages in her systems. There are some interesting Chinese models at excellent price that could help windows to grow in market share. The traditional trademarks don't promote much the windows tablets and the prices are high.
Thanks!
Thank you for the kind words :)
DeleteThe language limitation is uncomfortable, but it also makes the product cheaper because Windows 8 Single Language is cheaper than Windows 8 Standard. It has always been like this in Windows 7 Home Edition(s) and Windows XP Home Edition.
Hi Serge! I hope all is well.
ReplyDeleteMy build: Acer V3 471 laptop, core i5-3230M, 8gb ram, purchased nov 2013 with W8 SL Spanish x64. I upgraded it to 8.1 shortly after purchased. I live in Costa Rica.
I tried your steps using the latest x64 English .cab file that you uploaded. All I get now is a black screen which appears to be wanting to "start" occasionally displaying the wait cursor. I am also unable to boot in safe mode with shift+F8.
I removed the 750gb Toshiba HDD from the Acer and plugged it to an HP laptop as an external drive (using E: now). I "mounted" the Acer registry unto the HP and verified there was only the en-US language under the reg key MUI\UILanguages. (to mount I followed: http://www.ehow.com/how_7420568_edit-registry-secondary-drive.html)
I appreciate any feedback you might have to fix this issue.
Regards,
Orlando C.
I suggest that you do the following - while you have the driver connected to another machine, try to backup your data if necessary, then connect the drive back to the laptop, do a factory restore to original Windows 8, download the LP for Windows 8 and do the procedure, if it works - you will be able to upgrade to 8.1 without any additional work.
DeleteOrlando, Did you get any further with this issue? I'm experiencing likewise...
DeleteHello, Serge. I've been trying to do this for almost a week, but in the second reboot, in the last step, my laptop crashes; a message about Windows not being able to run opens and I had to either restore it to an earlier point or reinstall Windows completely. Do you have any clue why is this happening? I'm trying to install the English package on an HP Pavilion g4, running Windows 8 in Spanish.
ReplyDeleteMake sure you have the correct language pack for the version of your Windows, make sure you do everything as mentioned in the instructions.
DeleteI did. I downloaded the language pack for win8, I printed the instructions and double read them each time. Every time I tried it only showed a black screen for hours and after a few tries to boot it went to a blue screen telling me Windows couldn't start. Could it be a faulty driver?
DeleteWhat is the code of the BSOD that you're getting?
DeleteDamn, I didn't save it. I'm actually about to try again. If it doesn't work, I'll post the code tomorrow.
DeleteBy the way, thank you for your dedication to help. It's really awesome and I'm glad I found your blog.
Error code: 0xc0000001
DeleteYou can do an automatic repair, see what happens.
DeleteI've tried this solution on HP Envy 15 with Win 8 RU upgraded through Market to the 8.1 version.
ReplyDeletePL language pack installed successfully, without any issues, but reboot after registry modification always end the same way - almost black screen with mouse arrow from time to time switching to busy arrow when moved.
Do you suggest to restore clean from the image and apply your solutions then on Windows 8 version, not 8.1?
What about update then? Will it succeed? What will happen with the modified language? Stay? Revert to RU?
Yes I would recommend restoring to factory default and applying the LP for Windows 8.
DeleteWhat about further upgrade to 8.1? Will it be possible?
DeleteYes, it will retain the new language.
DeleteHi Serge, first of all appreciate your time and support to all!
ReplyDeleteI am living in China and just bought a new Lenovo Y510P witn Win 8.1 online and found it to be in Chinese.tried your instructions as it is and now it gets stuck at the booting screen.Tried using the booting option with command prompt and safe mode.It does not work. Please help!
Sorry Serge but this does not work.
ReplyDeleteStay away from this method it does not work.
You have been warned.
This method does work for most people. I am sorry you couldn't get it to work on your machine.
DeleteThank you Serge, run very well on my computer. 8.0 version, for 8.1 it is stuck in a black screen but anyway you saved my machine !
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome :)
DeleteHi Serge. I'm from Namibia, but in Russia now for studies. Recently bought a Dell Inspiron 17 laptop which has the single language os on, so iits only in Russian. I'm trying your fix out but im stuck at the 2nd part "bcdedit /set {current} locale xx-xx (where xx-xx is the language and locale code, for example english US would be en-US)" I don't know how to enter that in cmd. Please help :(
ReplyDeleteyour command would be:
Deletebcdedit /set {current} locale en-us
If you're trying to convert the system into English that is.
Deleteokay, now I got it right but Windows only starts up ending in a blackscreen and a mouse cursor.
ReplyDeleteYou might have to revert your laptop to factory defaults, make sure you have the correct LP for your windows 8 version, and make sure you complete all of the instructions properly.
DeleteI'm sure I followed everything. Now I'm trying to install a fresh copy. But I get the message "windows cannot be installed on this disc. The selected disc is of the GPT partition style." Please help.
ReplyDeleteThis is not exactly a forum for tech support in Windows 8 installation. I suggest you revert to the factory image that is inside your laptop and try the procedure again.
DeleteSerge pls, I'd like to know if this can also work on a single language windows 8 pc(Russian) that has been upgraded to 8.1
ReplyDeleteBecause I tried everything you said and I keep getting this 0x80070003 error sh*t
DeleteBest thing for you is to revert to factory default, install the Windows 8 LP and then upgrade to 8.1
DeleteI have error: 87 when execute: DISM /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lp.cab, Can you help me please. I have Windows 8.1 Single Languaje English
ReplyDeleteWhat is the full error that you're getting? Error 87 means something is wrong with the command, maybe you made an error in it.
Deletethank you the change works perfectly
ReplyDeleteHi Serge,
ReplyDeleteI have Windows 8.1 Single Language edition on Laptop Lenovo G510
I made all sequence of commands you proposed, in order to change Language to English from Russian. However after removing ru-ru language from registry and reset, the laptop is not boot up anymore (grey screen).
Could you please advice ?
Thanks in Advance
Irina, I'm assuming you have installed an english LP. Are you sure you have used the correct version for your windows?
DeleteIn registry where you have deleted the ru-RU key - was there an en-US key?
I used "lp_55c5ff4da1d83ae6f4ebd1f8c020cb80ceda7da8.cab" package for Windows 8.1 64 bit (that I actually have)
DeleteIndeed in registry was en-US key.
Sorry ...correction
Delete"lp_8fa033dd9ab61a528192eaa696088d582f112e68.cab" was used
That is the English - UK version. Maybe that's why you're having problems. Try with an actual US version.
DeleteDid you rename it into lp.cab and put it in the C:\LP folder?
DeleteYes, that's exactly what I did
DeleteDid your laptop originally come as Windows 8.1 or did you update it to Windows 8.1 from Windows 8?
DeleteIt was originally 8.1
DeleteThe problem is that I have no idea how to recover it back
On most Lenovo IdeaPad series laptops you should find a small button near your power button that has an arching arrow symbol on it. Press it when the computer is off. It will turn it on and into recovery mode.
DeleteIt worked ! Thanks a lot !
DeleteFor now I have 4 options : Normal Startup, BIOS setup, Boot menu and system recovery
Which one would you advise ?
Go into recovery and recover your laptop to factory default. You might wanna try the procedure again, maybe it will work the second time. Make sure you do everything correctly. Good luck.
DeleteThanks you a lot for very useful site !
DeleteAfter making some more investigation, it seems that I found the problem.
The procedure for 8.0 and 8.1 can be different like following :
1. Download the required language pack
2. dism /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lp.cab
3. Look for language pack you want to uninstall (example for Russian) :
a. run "dism /Online /Get-Packages"
b. Look for :"Package Identity : Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.9600.16384"
4. run "dism /Online /Remove-Package /PackageName:Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~ru-RU~6.3.9600.16384"
5. After finish uninstall it will ask you to restart computer to apply changes, respond Y and after restart you will get a new system language.
Thanks again for the help !
Thank you for finding this method! I have checked and updated the post.
DeleteAlso, did you have to run the bcdedit /set {current} locale command or was it unnecessary?
DeleteNo I didn't, it seems its not nessecary as well as Reset after adding package.
DeleteBy the way the method was found here :) :
http://superuser.com/questions/666978/how-to-install-a-new-display-language-onto-windows-8-1-single-language
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ReplyDeleteThank you very much, it worked for me!
ReplyDeletehallo Serge
ReplyDeletei bought some laptop which was in arabic language. changed the language to english using your method.
everything went good except now i have username in arabic so i can`t install some programs because of wrong path error.
do you know how can i change username?
i assume i need it in latin letters.
Hi Ivan,
DeleteYou can try doing it using this method: http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/change-an-existing-users-account-in-windows-8.html
Hi Serge Argaman, i have a hp pavilion x 360 13-a010LA AMD x64 windows 8.1 spanish sl, i tried method by irina likhter, and your method of windows 8(the whole blog with linkgs), but it hangs in login screen(dark screen , if touch the screen appear the mouse and anything more). I restored several times with the recovery disk of hp (full and last modified). I used english language x64, the last updated , that its equal to version of spanish language installed. i don't know what i can do, do you have some idea??'
ReplyDeletethank you very much!!!
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ReplyDeleteWindows 8,1 please help that is this?
DeleteAn error occurred trying to open - C:\lp\lp.cab Error: 0x8007000
The DISM log file can be found at C:\WINDOWS\Logs\DISM\dism.log
Hi, look my next comment
DeleteAbout Error 0x8007003 - I found solution!
ReplyDeleteJust rename downloaded file to "lp" without ".cab"
NOT TO "lp.cab" because format of file was hided in your windows and you don't see it. And then you rename to "lp.cab" for your system it is - "lp.cab.cab". But if you rename to only "lp" for your system it will be correctly "lp.cab"
*But when you write command in command prompt - you have to write full name - "lp.cab" like in instruction of Serge.
Hi guys.
ReplyDeleteI think I may have found the solution for the "black sreen with cursor" problem.
I tried you procedure a few time but all resulted the same - black screen. I was about to give up when I installed a copy of Windows 8.1 enterprise and installed en-US language from the "normal" procedure.
During the download of the Language Pack, on Windows Resource Monitor I could see a big file called windows8.1-kb3012997-x64-en-us-client.cab being downloaded to a subdirectory inside of C:\WINDOWS\SoftwareDistribution\Download.
This file is significantly bigger than the .cab file offered on your blog (149 Mb x 89.1 Mb). Using the same procedure you posted I added both files - the one on your side (
lp_8fa033dd9ab61a528192eaa696088d582f112e68.cab) and this one Language Pack (btw, its name is Microsoft-Windows-Client-Refresh-LanguagePack-Package~31bf3856ad364e35~amd64~en-US~6.3.1.0) after removing my original LP (pt-BR) and rebooting my system, Windows was started using en-US language. I hope this procedure helps whoever is having this "black scrren issue".
Thenk you Alexandre, that is a good solution for the problem.
DeleteNow, to help you a bit finding the updates:
http://pastebin.com/vudi2f3V
good hunting!
Hello Alexandre. Could I ask you how did you bring the computer to factory settings again after it entereda black screen with cursor mode? I am trying several times but it doesn't work! Thank you very much!
DeleteHi Juan. That is a great link! It should be so much of a use. Thanks a lot.
DeleteHey Saverio, Everytime I got the black screen I had to use the recovery image from Dell to restore Windows to its factory setting.
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ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Serge,
ReplyDeleteIm Using Win 8, and i followed all your instructions, but it showing error 87. Please Help.
I have a Chinese made tablet running a single language version of Windows 8.1. I have added US English from the links provided, and removed the zh-CN language pack, but when it reboots it goes into an error state - no valid MUI language. There are 2 other Packages marked as Language Packs for zh-CN, but these are Microsoft Windows Branding CoreConnectedCountrySpecific Package. Should these also be removed ?
ReplyDeleteDo you have a youtube of this?
ReplyDeleteThanks!!!
An error occurred - Microsoft-Windows-Client-LanguagePack-Package Error: 0x80071
ReplyDeletea90
Error: 6800
The function attempted to use a name that is reserved for use by another transac
tion.
My reccomendations, both 8 and 8.1
ReplyDeleteinstall language as above
remove the original language as above
SELECT DON'T REBOOT
give in the same DOS windows commands:
bcdedit /set {current} locale xx-xx (where xx-xx is the language and locale code, for example english US would be en-US)
bcdedit /set {current} locale xx-xx (where xx-xx is the language and locale code, for example english US would be en-US)
Then reboot.
I FORGOT:
ReplyDeletebefore reboot go to the registry,
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\MUI\UILanguages
and delete all other languages. Then reboot
This post caused bootloop on Lenovo Y580 Win 8.1 x64. From RU to Cz
ReplyDeleteHey Serge I have a doubt, my lap says that it does not support for MUI package language, it only can support LIP packages, it is an HP, 64 bits, and Windows 8.1... Already exists a LIP package in spanish??
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteWhen I enter the first command I receive this error:
Erro: 87
A opção online/add-package/packagepath é desconhecida.
Para obter mais informações, consulte a ajuda executando DISM.exe /?.
O arquivo de log do DISM pode ser localizado em C:\windows\Logs\DISM\dism.log
Error: 50
ReplyDeletetx
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ReplyDelete