Deploy a Multilingual Windows Operating System

You can add multiple language packs to a Windows operating system, and, during Windows Welcome, an end user can choose to use one of the installed languages.

If you are preparing a multilingual computer, consider the following caveats:

• During Windows Welcome, the computer enables users to select the default language and locale settings to use on the computer. Only installed languages are displayed during Windows Welcome.
• Licensing requirements state that only Windows Ultimate and Windows Enterprise editions can have more than one language pack installed. All other Windows editions will automatically remove all non-default language packs from the computer after Windows Welcome completes.
  All Windows editions support an unlimited number of Language Interface Packs (LIPs).

To deploy a multilingual computer

1. Add one or more language packs or Language Interface Packs (LIPs) to Windows. Use one of the following methods to add the language pack:
   • Install a Language Pack to an Offline Image
   • Copy a Language Pack to the Windows Distribution
   • Use the Language Pack Setup Tool to Install a Language Pack
2. If you want to change the language used during Windows Setup, you must add the Windows Setup localized resources to the Windows distribution. For more information, see Add a Language to Windows Setup.
3. The default language of the Windows image will be used during installation. You can change the default language and locale settings by using one of the following methods:
   • Configure International Settings in an Answer File
   • Configure International Settings with Intlcfg.exe
4. After installation is complete, verify that the correct language settings are applied. After testing the installation, the computer is ready to be delivered to an end user.

See Also

Concepts

Manage Language Packs for Windows