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TLDR

I want to change the language of the Windows 10 system I am using completely. This, surprisingly, is more difficult than expected and simply searching for Language in the settings and setting it to English does not work.

More detailed version below

More elaborate version I have set my language settings to English:

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Rebooted, then I even checked with PowerShell, following this answer:

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Following this answer, I viewed $list = Get-WinUserLanguageList. Then $list[0] returns the same thing as shown on the screenshot above, $list[1] returns nothing.

Still, some of the texts my Windows 10 displays are not in English:

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How to change this, and have it in fully English? I do not want any other language left.

Originally, the system was installed in Hungarian. I am fairly sure about this, but not 100%.

In Settings, Country and region:

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Following comments, I followed the Region settings to end up here:

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I clicked on Change System Locale, were presented with this window:

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Clicked on Apply. English was not selected originally, I find it in the drop-down menu and click OK:

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Then were presented with this window:

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I click Restart now. After restart, the things which were not in English (marked by red arrows) are still not in English.

Clicking Copy settings on the screenshot above, I get this:

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Which is not great, Display language is still not English.

Tick the box in front of Welcome screen and system accounts, click OK, then presented with this widnow:

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Click Restart now. After restart, those things marked by the red arrows are still not in English.

The Welcome screen and new user accounts settings window has changed, however:

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Start menu cache solution

Clicking on Start menu, then writing Registry editor, I am led to this window:

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Then find this file (using this):

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Still following this site, step 4, I click on ResetCache, set Value data to 1:

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Then click OK. No new window comes up, problem is still not fixed. Resart... Problem remains.

Following the link in the comments, I did the 5 steps outlined there. Problem remains.

After restart, problem remains.

New user account

If I create a new user account, and sign in with that one, the problem is solved.

If I log in to the original account, text marked by red arrows on the screenshot which describes the problem is unchanged, but I realize that if I click on them I can edit them:

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(Gonna include screenshot about new user account in a min)

In the new user account, the same page looks like this:

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Those things marked by red arrows in the screenshot above switched to English, that's good (now marked by green arrows). However, traces of the non-English language settings still appear, ie non-English alphabet (letter Á, Cs, É), names of applications in non-English ("Cetlik", "Csatolt telefon", "Diktafon").

I also did not manage to fix the original account to display everything in English (based on my most recent discovery that I can edit those titles the red arrows are pointing to in the first screenshot), I could edit them and give them an English name - this wouldn't probably solve the problem, just hide the symptoms.

This new account, where most of the things are English, seems usable, but I am curious how to switch completely.

Reflection on comments

Renaming applications would probably work, but I don't want to do it en masse. I am afraid it would only solve the problem superficially.

Changing keyboard layout to English did not work. Changing it to English, restarting: keyboard switched back to Hungarian (it is Hungarian layout physically), but the problems outlined above remain.

Using method 2 of this answer: I delete the identifier (0x0000040e). Restart machine, the identifier is still there.

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Within HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile I find this:

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and within HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile System Backup, this:

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Interestingly, after restart, I am asked if Registry Editor is allowed to make changes on my device.

Asked a very similar question here, after chaning my mind about its suitableness on stackoverflow.

zabop
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  • Click on [`Change system locale` and `Copy Settings...`](https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Copy-settings-to-other-screens-in-Windows-10.png.pagespeed.ce.UB2xrhBmFc.png) and provide screenshots of both windows for us. I am looking to verify what [this](https://www.howtogeek.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/Change-language-to-different-screens.png.pagespeed.ce.C51arV5k8y.png) window looks like for you. Additionally, if you [reset the start menu cache](https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/78839-clear-live-tile-cache-start-windows-10-a.html) does it solve your problem? – Ramhound Mar 25 '20 at 17:57
  • If you create a new user does the behavior still exhibit itself? – Ramhound Mar 25 '20 at 18:55
  • No, problem is solved. Thanks! Should I keep this question, or is it not much useful for the community in its current form? – zabop Mar 25 '20 at 19:10
  • I want to right an answer, your last comment, indicate what you tried last didn't work. It's not clear if your existing user is still not correct. – Ramhound Mar 25 '20 at 19:10
  • (Edited and of question - is it clear now?) – zabop Mar 25 '20 at 19:22
  • Let me know if should edit my question further to fit your answer. – zabop Mar 25 '20 at 19:26
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    I suspect the text is only created by Windows at the time of the user is created. Since you can edit the text you are asking about I see no reason you should not fix your original user. I will go ahead and suggested a solution shortly. – Ramhound Mar 25 '20 at 20:16
  • For changing the names of applications maybe pthis post](https://superuser.com/questions/1458278/how-do-you-rename-an-installed-application-in-windows-10) will help. Could you add a screenshot for any other left-overs? – harrymc Mar 29 '20 at 16:32
  • Your input method (keyboard layout) is still in Magyar (Hungarian), that would explain why some parts of the UI are in that language too, because those are parts you are supposed to interact with with your keyboard. Try and set your keyboard to English (UK) too. (Look at the new user account section) –  Mar 29 '20 at 16:39
  • Dear both of you, just edited my question to reflect on these (end of it). – zabop Mar 29 '20 at 17:03
  • OK, so, problem solved? –  Mar 29 '20 at 17:04
  • Hmm, nope... Nothing noticable has changed. – zabop Mar 29 '20 at 17:06
  • From what I understand, some of your language settings come head-to-head with your regional settings, or maybe it's the other way around. What's more: if your keyboard layout (not what you see on your physical keyboard, what Windows thinks of it) is in Hungarian, and your interface in English, some accented vowels and consonnants will not be interpreted properly when you press certains keys or key combinations. You must convert your whole PC to one language or another. Make a full check of your linguistic preferences, new account, current account, keyboard, time zone and region, etc... –  Mar 29 '20 at 17:13
  • Thanks! Would you be able to give details of how to do this conversion? – zabop Mar 29 '20 at 17:56
  • Check if you have the Hungarian keyboard still in the registry. Use method 2 of [this answer](https://superuser.com/a/1340511/8672). – harrymc Mar 29 '20 at 18:10
  • Yes, it is, and seems to be not easily deletable (updated end of OP). – zabop Mar 29 '20 at 20:15
  • Weird. Delete it again, but also check if the delete is required in `HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile` and `HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile System Backup`. – harrymc Mar 29 '20 at 20:32
  • Yepp, updated OP! (end of it) – zabop Apr 01 '20 at 13:00
  • Try to boot in Safe mode, to check if some third-party app is switching your language. If this gives nothing, run `chkdsk` followed by [sfc /scannow](https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2895-run-sfc-command-windows-10-a.html). – harrymc Apr 01 '20 at 13:52
  • Also, in `HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile` delete the `hu` branch, which I take to be Hungarian. – harrymc Apr 03 '20 at 06:35

1 Answers1

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The places in the registry where to look for keyboard layouts are:

  1. HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload.
  2. HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile
  3. HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile System Backup

To find which layout is each one, keyboard identifiers are listed in the Microsoft article
Keyboard Identifiers.

In your case, there a sub-key called hun under the registry key in the above item 2, which might be the reason that the Hungarian keyboard keeps on returning. Delete this sub-key (after exporting a safeguard) and reboot to test.

harrymc
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