SOLVED Win10 – Language change Arabic to English

[viki2000]

I just bought a 2nd hand laptop by occasion and it has only one problem: the Windows 10 was installed in Arabic language and I need it in English. I do not read/speak Arabic language.
I looked over many YouTube videos in Arabic and English language about how to change the language in Win10. Unfortunately my screens that I see in Arabic language do not match the screens seen in Arabic on YouTube videos/tutorials, so I cannot do a blind click-click and by chance to change it into English.
I can make print screens and then put them in USB stick and upload them here on EE from another PC – that I figure it out.
I do not want to reinstall Win10 from scratch, but of course that is the last option.
Below are the first steps which leaded me to, I hope, Language and Regional Settings in Win10, but where to click further and what to choose?
I really need your guidance in step by step with pictures where shall I click in order to install the English language.

 

[davehc]

You can download a new interface language:-
In Settings, go to "Time and language"
Select Language, on the left
Scroll down and select "Add a Language"
Select the language of your choice.

It takes quite a while to download and install. I have done this, in order to change my interface from and to Danis - it works well.
Assuming your Windows 10 is legally activated, a better option, which I would prefer, would be to download and install, with the help of the "Media creation tool"
A fresh copy of Windows (In English?), and reinstall.
Just in case. At the start of the installation, do not put in a key - it is already registered.

 

[viki2000]

Similar guide lines I have found on internet before I asked the question here and are nice to follow.
But now I am like blind, I do not know where are the menus, I do not understand anything.
That's why I posted pictures with Arabic text that I see.
I need someone to guide me trough the Arabic menus that I see and tell me what to click and where.
If Win10 would be in a language that I know, at least with Latin cardsharpers, then would be a lot easier.
I can understand 4-5 languages and speak 3-4, but not Arabic.
Guide me where to click step by step with picture on the menus that I posted above.

 

[viki2000]

I was able to change the input langue for keyboard in English and I found with "winver" that is Win10 Home 2018, but not idea about more. The laptop is Sony Vaio.

 

[davehc]

Ok. The easy way. You are obviously on the internet!
Go here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/sof...d=_jvuqgeuqzpa12d1pnogtc3ts3f2xkfi9i6nemdrm00


Scroll down and download the Media creation tool and run it.
This will install the latest Windows 10 OS

 

[viki2000]

The laptop with Arabic language is not on internet, I do not know how to configure it due to the language barrier.
I am on internet from another PC with Win7 in German language.
Would that be a problem for your proposed solution?

 

[Grizzly]

What Davehc meant is to create an installation medium (DVD or flash drive), then delete everything on that laptop and do a fresh install.

 

[viki2000]

OK, I may try that, but then please tell me how do I extract the existing Win10 license, key...

 

[viki2000]

The job is done.
Knowing now that my Win10 is Home 64bit Build 17134 version 1803, I have downloaded from here the EN US language pack:
Windows 10 Version 1803 Language Packs Direct Download Links
Then I just put it on USB stick, renamed it lpus.cab,moved it on laptop C: and then following the recommendation from the link below:
mui - How to change Windows 10 interface language on Single Language version - Stack Overflow
I have applied at command prompt as Administrator:
dism /Online /Add-Package /PackagePath:C:\lpus.cab

Then I have jumped to the language settings screen with 'Run' dialogue (Windows key + R), then type "ms-settings:regionlanguage" without quotes and I arrived to the screen below, which I have seen below but I was not sure where to change the language.
Anyway, now, at this point I knew there are at least Arabic and English as display languages installed and somehow I only had to choose Englsih instead of Arabic, so blind, by trial and error I found that besides some Arabic text there is also English text written as option and I supposed is the display language.
I have just chose that and I restarted the laptop and finally I got the English interface.
Was an ugly job to do it, but was good that I did not have to reinstall Windows.

 

[viki2000]

How did I find out my OS is Win10 is Home 64bit Build 17134 version 1803?
Thanks to CMD Command Prompt commands which are still in English - see screenshots below.
I managed to change the input language to English and I entered in command prompt.
Then I was able to check the system version.

It is Win10 Home 2018 Build 1734, OS language 0x0401 (1015) Arabic-Saudi Arabia.
https://www.autoitscript.com/autoit3...SLangCodes.htm
[MS-LCID]: Appendix A: Product Behavior
And according with Wiklipedia:
Windows 10 version history - Wikipedia
The Win10 Build 17134 is version 1803.

Now the laptop has the display interface in English - the job is done.

 

[Grizzly]

No, it is not in my opinion. Your taskbar is mirrored horizontally. The Windows Icon (START) should be on the left and the clock and notifications on the right side. On your screen it is the other way around. this is what it looks like in the real english version:

by the way: If your laptop had a Windows 10 installed already, you do not need the Windows serial as that laptop is already known on the MS servers (you can skip the serial on installation).
Of course you could use keyfinder to extract your key ( https://www.magicaljellybean.com/keyfinder/ ). For that purpose it is ideal and I have used it before. save it as txt file and keep it in a secure place is my advice.

the easiest way though is to purchase a new HDD (SSD preferred) and leave the old one as is. Then you have a clean system from scratch. I myself would not trust a computer in a language other than those I understand. You do not know what is all on the computer but this is just my own paranoia talking.....

 

[davehc]

The thread is marked as solved. In my opinion it is not!
Ref Grizzlies remark, " The Windows Icon (START) should be on the left and the clock and notifications on the right side. On your screen it is the other way around. this is what it looks like in the real english version:"
The explanation for this is simple. You will have to make a fresh install to sort it out. It is possibly an oversite my MS, but, as you may know, most Arabic written dialect are fro right to left. The overwrite of the Arabic version was, obviously, to literal. You may run into a few more problems with paths to Windows built in programs.

 

[viki2000]

The screenshots above are prior changing in English. Everyone can see the text is still in Arabic.
I did not make any screenshots after the Win10 has booted in English.
I can read everything now and there is no trace of Arabic.
My taskbar is not any more mirrored horizontally.
That's why I marked it as solved.
The laptop is now not with me, but if you want tomorrow I can make screenshots with the actual English menus of Win10. The method described above works 100%.

Grizzly, you are right with SSD. That I was planning from beginning.
I have home 2x Thinkpads with SSD. Both are broken. One LCD cracked, the other motherboard hardware failure.
I will take the SSD from one of those.
Unfortunately the RAM is not compatible from those Thinkspads.
Then why i wanted this method?
I had 2 day "warranty" time to give it back in case does not work and I wanted to see how it works with what is installed and read the things inside, hardware and I thought is a faster method. I had no time to extract SSD from old and install in new.
By the way, I do not like Win10, I prefer Win 8.1.

 

[davehc]

Ok. Misunderstanding by me, from reading , and jumping too quickly, on Grizzly's observation.