Quick Info
  • If you're using Windows Home edition, you will be limited to a single display language on your machine.
  • To change that, you can install a language pack and make adjustments in the Registry Editor.
  • A better solution would be to get a Windows Pro license and upgrade your PC, which will allow you to set different languages as the display language easily.

Solution 1: Install a language pack and tweak the registry

  1. Use the Win + I shortcut to open the Settings page.
  2. Click on the 'Time and Language' option on the left.
  1. Next, click on 'Language and Region'.
  1. Then click on the 'Add a language' button.
  1. You will see a list of the available languages. Click on the one you want to install and then click on the 'Next' button.
  1. Click on the checkboxes for the language features before clicking on the 'Install' button. Wait until the language is installed.
  1. Once you've installed a language, you can switch to it with the Registry Editor. To do that, first, go to Microsoft's Windows Protocols website.
  2. On the website, use the Ctrl + F shortcut and type the name of the language you installed to search for it. This will show you its Language ID.
  1. Now open the Start menu, type regedit, and click on 'Run as administrator' to open the Registry Editor.
  1. Copy the last four digits of the Language ID from the website and navigate to the following location in the Registry Editor: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurrentControlSet > Control > Nls > Language
  1. Double-click on the 'Default' string on the right and paste the digits you copied from the website in the 'Value Data' section before clicking on OK.
  1. Now double-click on the 'InstallLanguage' string and paste the digits there too. Click on OK and close the Registry Editor before restarting your computer.

Solution 2: Upgrade to Windows Pro

The method explained above involves bypassing the limitations of a single-language Windows install. This means that Microsoft can block it with future updates to the OS. So, a better solution is to upgrade your installation to Windows Pro or Windows Multilanguage. You need a Windows Pro key for upgrading.

  1. Open the Settings page and click on 'System'.
  1. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on 'About'.
  1. On the next page, click on 'Product key and activation'.
  1. On the Activation page, click on the 'Change' button on the right of the 'Change product key' option.
  1. Type in the product key for Windows 11 Pro or Windows 11 Multilanguage and click on the 'Next' button. Then follow the prompts to upgrade your copy of Windows.
Note: You can also purchase Windows 11 Pro from the Microsoft Store if you do not have a product key. Alternatively, you can undertake a fresh install of Windows and go with the Pro version when activating it.

Things to know

  • Create a backup of the registry before making any changes in the Registry Editor just in case something goes wrong.
  • If you reset your PC or use system restore after changing the display language, your display language will be reset to the default one.
  • Once you upgrade to Windows Pro, you can switch between different languages at any time without needing to tweak the Windows registry.