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How to change the language of Windows 8? Step by step guide

How to change the language of Windows 8? Step by step guide

It usually happens. You buy a computer online and when it comes home after the long wait, it is completely in a language other than yours . In principle this is not a serious problem since the functions of the Windows 8 operating system will be complete and perfectly usable, but if you do not understand things well, your experience as a user can be damaged.

The real problem is that when you get ready to make the change you don’t know how, since the functions are moved, you have no idea how to get to the section corresponding to the language change . But you don’t have to be alarmed, it is perfectly correctable and you can get to do it even if you don’t understand the original Windows 8 language that came with your computer.

In this article we are going to show you how to change the language of Windows 8 in every way, from the screen, to the keyboard and each of its characters . In addition, we will share with you the list of all existing language packs for both the 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

Steps to download and install the language pack in Windows 8 (Windows 8 Language Packs)

The reality is that Microsoft is aware that this scenario can occur many times. Therefore, it makes available to the user two fairly simple methods to apply to change the language of the computer with amazing ease.

Next we explain each one of them so that you do it when you like it in the most practical way possible:

Method 1: Using the Windows 8 Language Manager

The first method to do this task is to use the Windows 8 Language Manager , which is an application that Microsoft has designed so that you can make changes to your computer language automatically . This wizard has more than 100 preinstalled languages ​​, including regional variations for each dialect that will be very interesting for you.

This means that finding a Spaniard from Spain, as well as one from Latin America or the United States, the choice is on your side.

To apply these changes simply follow the steps explained below :

  • Enter the Windows 8 Control Panel and go to the “Clock, language and region” .

agregar idioma

  • Once the previous section is identified, click on the “Add language” option, which is located just below.
  • This will open a window in which You can configure various aspects of your computer language. The following is to look for the “Add a language” .

Agregar idioma WIndows 8

  • After doing this, a large list of preinstalled languages ​​that you can add to apply them will appear , what you should do is select the one you want to apply according to your needs. Once found you click on «Add». You should keep in mind that there are many variants of the same language, so it is best to choose the one corresponding to your country to avoid confusing phrases in the future.

Seleccionar idioma según país

  • This will take you back to the window where you clicked add language in the second instance, and you will see that the new package is added so you can download and apply it. The next thing is to click on favoOptions clearly.
  • This will open a new window in which you will see the different language options. What you have to do is select the «Download and install language pack» option, which is an option that you must run as an administrator.

Seleccionar idioma según país

  • After doing this the language starts downloading, which may take a few minutes because the lighter package weighs about 600Mb , so everything will depend on the speed downloading your internet , but it is usually quite fast. However, you will see a window in which the download and installation progress will be displayed.

Progreso de la instalación del lenguaje

  • Once the language is downloaded and installed, what you should do is to restart the computer and all the work will be done.

Method 2: Manually

There are some reasons that may cause the above method to not work properly. Among them is the fact that you want to get ready by installing a pirated copy of the operating system that is incomplete , because we already know that pirate is not 100% perfect.

Another more common reason is that you have an OEM version of Windows that has a default language and does not let you change it , which is very common, but it does not mean that you are doomed to use the SO in a language that is not yours.

Your lifeguard is to install manually, which you can do perfectly regardless of the type of license you have or if the Windows is pirated and incomplete .

To do this you must follow the steps that we explain below:

  • Download the language pack you want to install. It is important that for this you look at the version of your Windows 8, which can be 32bits or 64bits, which means that you must install a language pack with those features.
  • Once the installation is finished you will have a .cab file that cannot be executed normally. In order to do so you will have to open the run box by pressing the «Windows + R» keys and typing the behalfLPKSetup.exe command.

ejecutar comando LPKSetup

  • Once this is done, a window will open in which you must select the option «Install language to display» which is always the first of the two possible.

Instalar idiomas para mostrar Windows 8

  • This will open a new window in which you will have to select the option accounted for separately.

Buscar lenguaje para instalar

  • After this the system will open a small window in which you will have to search for the path in which the .cab file that you downloaded is saved, in which the package of language.
  • Once you do this, the system itself will identify it as a language, which will appear among the eligible options.
  • Now you must click on «Next» for the system to proceed to install the selected language automatically.

proceder a la instalacion del idioma en WIndows 8

  • Before installation you will have to accept the terms of the Microsoft license and then click on “Accept”. After that the installation will begin, which should not last more than a couple of minutes.

Aceptar terminos de la licencia de Microsoft

  • Now you will see a window showing the installed language. The next thing you should do is check the “Apply display language to welcome screens and system accounts” box and then click “Change language to display” >.

Aplicar el lenguaje para mostrar en Windows 8

  • Now what you have to do is simply restart your computer and when the language starts again it will be completely changed.

How to change and activate the language on your computer with Windows 8?

If you did the above process in a good way, then everything should be fine, but the work is not over. To make the language change, what you have to do to apply the new language is the following:

  • Open the control panel and go to the “Clock, language and region” .
  • Once there, click on «Add language ». After that, you will see the list of installed languages, which should be yes or yes that you downloaded and installed recently. What you have to do is select it and click on “Move up” to make it first, which will make it the default language of the operating system.

establecer idioma descargado como predeterminado

  • After that simply we have to restart the computer and voila , the work will be finished.

If in the future you want to change the language again, you simply have to enter this section and follow the mentioned steps to establish it , or download it in the way we teach you in the first sections of this guide. However, there is still something that has not changed, and it is the keyboard, which we will show you in the next section.

How to put the keyboard of your computer with Windows 8 to Spanish?

Once you install the language pack, what changes is the language of the computer screen, but not the entire system. Therefore, if you want to have the entire operating system in Spanish, you will have to apply more change s. The first thing we are going to teach you is to change the keyboard language .

To do this you simply follow the steps below:

  • Enter the control panel and return to the «Clock, Language and Region» option, and then click on the option «Change the input methods ».

Cambiar los métodos de entrada Windows 8

  • After that you will see a window with the available languages, among which should be the one you already installed. Now what you have to do is click on accounOptions repeatedly.

Opciones del idioma

  • Once this is done a window will open with all the language options, to which you will have to click on the option « Add to input methods «.

Agregar idioma a metodos de entrada WIndows 8

  • The previous action will open a window in which are the different input methods available according to the selected language. Choose the one you like best and click on accounted for separately.

One thing you should be clear about is that this will simply change the way your keyboard is recognized by the operating system, which will affect the order of some keys and special characters.

How to apply the display language to the rest of Windows 8? span>

Now you have almost the entire operating system changed language, but you still have to apply the changes to the rest of it. This will make each and every character of Windows 8 be in the language you want to apply , ending your mission.

What you have to do is quite simple:

  • Enter the control panel and go to the “Clock, language and region” section. Once there, click on «Advanced Settings» .
  • This will open another window, in which you must select the option «Apply language settings to the welcome screen , system accounts and new accounts ».

Aplicar configuración de idioma a la pantalla de bienvenida, cuentas del sistema y nuevas cuentas

  • This will open a new window. In the “Welcome screen and new user accounts” section, you must click on “Copy settings”, which will open a new window.

Copiar configuración en pantalla de bienvenida y nuevas cuentas de usuario

  • In the new options window you must check the two boxes at the end that say «Welcome screen and system accounts» and «New user accounts» respectively, and end by clicking on accounted OK.

Aplicar configuración de idioma a todo el windows 8

  • Once this is done, the language changes will have been applied to all aspects of the system and your work will be finished. All you have left to do is reboot the W8 system .

How to uninstall one or more language packs in W8? span >

In the event that one day you want to remove a language from your Windows , it is good to know that you can do it without this having any consequences other than returning to the default language with which the computer came.

All you have to do is the following :

  • Enter the control panel and in the “Clock, language and region” section, click “Add language” . This will show you the list of languages ​​that are installed.
  • In the selected language click on favorably offered.
  • In the window with the list of options, you must click on «Uninstall language pack» , which is an option that you must run as administrator.