Display Language (Ultimate and Enterprise): Open the Control Panel. If you are using Windows 7. Though it might look slightly different, the language selector should still be located in the same place on Windows 7, Windows 8.1, and Windows 10. Changing Your Keyboard Layout on a Mac. To change your keyboard layout on a Mac, first open the System Preferences, then click open “Keyboard”.
There’s nothing more annoying than pressing [Shift] + [2] on your keyboard and getting the @ symbol rather than speech marks, or seeing “realise” flagged as a spelling mistake, with “realize” suggested as a correction.
These problems, and others like them, all stem from incorrect language settings in Windows. In short, inadvertently setting Windows to use something other than English (UK) can cause all manner of trouble, but it’s easily fixed once you know where to look.
Windows 10 language settings
For Windows 10, watch our video and follow the instructions below:
Click on Cortana from the taskbar below, type language into the search box and select Region & language settings from the list of results that appears.
Select United Kingdom from the drop-down list under Country or region.
Next, if you don’t see English (United Kingdom) under the Languages section, click the Add a language button.
Scroll through the list of languages that appears to find English.
Select the English (United Kingdom) option that’s just been added under Languages and click the Set as default button. You can now select any unwanted languages in this section and click the Remove button.
Windows XP language settings
Open the Start menu, select Control Panel and double-click the icon for Regional and Language Options.
When the dialog box opens, click the Regional Options tab and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list at the top. Then select United Kingdom from the Location drop-down list at the bottom of the dialog box.
Next, click the Languages tab and click the Details button. When the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box opens, if English (United Kingdom) isn’t the Default input language, select it from the drop-down list.
If English (United Kingdom) doesn’t appear in the drop-down list, click the Add button and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list that appears. Click the OK button.
Back on the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, select any languages you want to remove under Installed Services and click the Remove button for each. Click the OK button to close the dialog box.
Back on the Regional and Language Options dialog box, click the Advanced tab and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list at the top of the dialog box. Now click the OK button to close the dialog box. You may need to insert your Windows installation disc at this point, or show Windows to where its installation files are stored on your PC.
Windows Vista language settings
Open the Start menu, select Control Panel and select the Clock, Language, and Region option, followed by Regional and Language Options.
When the dialog box opens, click the Formats tab and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list for Current format.
Click the Location tab and select United Kingdom from the drop-down list for Current location.
Next, click the Keyboards and Languages tab and click the Change keyboards button in the Keyboards and other input languages section.
When the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box opens, if English (United Kingdom) isn’t the Default input language, select it from the drop-down list.
If English (United Kingdom) doesn’t appear in the drop-down list, click the Add button and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list that appears. Click the OK button.
Change Language In Windows 7
Back on the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, select any languages you want to remove under Installed Services and click the Remove button for each. Click the OK button to close the dialog box and again to close the Regional and Language Options dialog box.
Change Keyboard Language Windows 10
Windows 7 language settings
Open the Start menu, select Control Panel and select the Clock, Language, and Region option, followed by Region and Language.
When the dialog box opens, click the Formats tab and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list for Format.
Click the Location tab and select United Kingdom from the drop-down list for Current location.
Next, click the Keyboards and Languages tab and click the Change keyboards button in the Keyboards and other input languages section.
If English (United Kingdom) doesn’t appear in the drop-down list, click the Add button and select English (United Kingdom) from the drop-down list that appears. Click the OK button.
Back on the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box, select any languages you want to remove under Installed Services and click the Remove button for each. Click the OK button to close the dialog box and again to close the Regional and Language dialog box.
Windows 8.1 language settings
On the Start screen, type language and select Region and language settings from the list of results that appear.
Select United Kingdom from the drop-down list under Country or region.
Next, if you don’t see English (United Kingdom) under the Languages section, click the Add a language button.
Scroll through the list of languages that appears to find English, select it and then select English (United Kingdom).
Select the English (United Kingdom) option that’s just been added under Languages and click the Set as primary button. You can now select any unwanted languages in this section and click the Remove button.
| Installing and Typing Japanese on Vista / Windows 7 by JapaneseFromZero.com - Learn Japanese!
Adding Japanese to your PC |
back to topStep 1: Region and Language Options
In the Control Panel click on the 'Change keyboards or other input methods' option.
You can also find this option by clicking the start button then typing 'input'.
back to topStep 2: Changing Keyboards
There are 4 tabs on the top of the 'Region and Language' window.
Click on the one labeled 'Keyboards Languages'. Then click the 'Change keyboards' button.
back to topStep 3: Adding a Japanese Keyboard
After clicking the 'Change keyboard' button the following screen will display.
Click the 'Add' button to add Japanese input capability to your Windows 7 system.
back to topStep 4: Adding Japanese Microsoft IME
After clicking the 'Add' button on the windows above the following screen will display.
Scroll down to Japanese. In the Keyboard section section choose 'Microsoft IME' and then click 'OK'.
NOTE: 'IME' stands for Input Method Editor. IME is what gives your computer the ability to type Japanese.
back to topStep 5 (optional): Running Japanese Programs on Vista and Windows 7
After completing step 4 you will still be in the 'Regional and Language' window.
From here click the 4th tab on the top labeled 'Administrative'. Clicking this tab will display the following tab.
This tab is the MOST IMPORTANT tab if you would like 100% Japanese support in all programs installed and
or wish to install Japanese programs on your computer.
Click on the 'Change system locale...' button.
NOTE: Using this setting can sometimes be frustrating because many software companies look at this setting
and try to install the Japanese language version. If you can't read Japanese this might hinder your productivity a bit.
You can always change this setting back to English, the install the software again.
After installing you can change this back to Japanese so your other programs that require Japanese locale still work.
back to topStep 6: Changing to Japanese Type Mode
Now your computer can display and type Japanese in all programs installed. Open up Office Word, Word Pad,
Note Pad to test typing in Japanese. With your cursor placed on a new document somewhere on your screen
you will notice a Language Bar.
Click the 'EN English' and then select 'JP Japanese (Japan)'. This will change the Language Bar's appearance.
Step 7: Changing the Language Bar to display in English
If you can't read Japanese you will want to change the language bar display to English. Click on then the option.
back to topStep 7B: Changing the Language Bar to display in English
This window will be ALL Japanese, but don't worry because the next time you see this window it will be in English.
There is a language selection menu in the section. Choose and then click 'OK'.
After you click okay you will see that the Language Bar is now displaying in English, if you click 'Tools' then 'Properties'
you can now see the IME properties in English.
back to topStep 8: Minimizing the Language Bar
You do not need the language bar on the screen at all times to type Japanese.
In step 10 you will learn some very handy shortcuts that allows you to keep the Language Bar hidden.
To minimize the language bar right click on the far left portion of the language bar and click 'Minimize'.
This will put the Language Bar near the clock in the Windows 7 task bar. From there you can easily change your input language.
back to topStep 9: Typing in Japanese
In any text editor or Office application you can now type Japanese.
Make sure that you have selected Japanese in the Language Bar.
back to topStep 9B: Typing in Japanese
When you first enter Japanese mode your computer might still be in 'Half-width Alphanumeric' mode,
which is the long way to say 'English typing mode'. Change this to 'Hiragana'.
Even though you are choosing Hiragana, you will type Japanese using English letters. This is where the fun begins.
back to topStep 9C: Typing in Japanese with English letters
Once you are in the correct input mode in your document, let's type a practice word.
Type 'kanji'. You will notice right away that once you type 'ka' Hiragana replaces it.
| 1. Begin typing the word 'kanji'. | 2. Hiragana will display. | 3. Full Hiragana word displayed. |
Step 9D: Converting Hiragana into Kanji
If you are okay with this 'Hiragana' only word you can simply hit 'enter' to accept.
Hit the space bar 1 time to display the most common Kanji for the underlined hiragana.
Every time you hit the space bar a different selection will display. Once you find the one you like hit 'enter'.
NOTE: You can also type the number next to the selection to choose it.
| 4. Hit the space bar once for most common kanji. | 5. Hit space bar again for more choices. | 6. Hover mouse over options to get descriptions (Japanese only) |
back to topStep 9E: Typing full sentences in Japanese
You do not have to choose kanji word by word when typing Japanese. IME is very smart when it comes
to choosing the correct Kanji for your sentence.
Contrary to popular belief almost all Japanese people use this method to type Japanese.
| 1. Type a full sentence without hitting space. | 2. Hit the space bar once for most common selections. | 3. Hit the space bar to cycle through each word in the sentence. |
back to topStep 10: Japanese Language Bar shortcuts
A big pet peeve of mine is watching people change the language bar settings by manually clicking on them.
It's time consuming if you are switching back and forth a lot.
You can easily switch language options and even input methods with the following short cuts.
1. Change language on the fly.
ALT + SHIFT
NOTE: Japanese mode default setting is normally 'half width alpha numeric'.
You can change this in the language bar properties. OR you can quickly switch to hiragana mode with the shortcut below.
2. Change input type (Hiragana, Alpha-numeric)
ALT + ~
NOTE: The '~' key is on the left side of the 1 key.
This is handy if you are already in Japanese input mode and want to switch back and forth between typing English and Japanese.
3. Quick conversion
After typing a word, before you hit enter you can force it into different versions using the function keys.
F7 - Full width katakana
F8 - Half width katakana
F9 - Full width alpha numeric
F10 - Half width alpha numeric (standard English text)
HAVE FUN TYPING JAPANESE!