You can specify the default language, locale, and keyboard values during Windows® Setup by specifying values in an answer file.
There are two main ways to configure international settings in an answer file.
- Corporations that are deploying a
multilingual edition of Windows typically create an answer file
that uses the WindowsPE configuration pass to configure
international settings. For multilingual deployments, there can be
language packs in a distribution share and in the image. Language
packs in the distribution share can be added and configured during
the WindowsPE configuration pass or added during the
WindowsPE configuration pass and the settings configured in
another configuration pass.
The Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component includes the settings that you can use to modify the language and locale settings during the windowsPE configuration pass. Additionally, you can change the Setup UI language for Windows Setup by specifying values in this component.
- OEMs and corporations that are deploying a
single-language edition of Windows to various regions typically
create an answer file for each region and set the locale and
keyboard settings in the specialize configuration pass. In this
scenario the language pack is already added to the Windows image
before international settings are configured.
The Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component includes the settings that you can use to modify the language and locale settings during the specialize and oobeSystem configuration passes.
You can pre-select a language and skip the Windows Welcome language selection UI page for end users by specifying language and locale settings in the oobeSystem configuration pass in the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component. In general the user can select between the default Setup language and any additional languages that are installed in the image. The selection of the language will update the other regional settings to the default values associated with that language. The user can then change these default settings individually.
To configure international settings during the Windows PE configuration pass
- Verify that the necessary language packs are available in the
image or in a Windows distribution share. For more information
about multilingual distribution shares, see Create a Distribution
Share for a Multilingual Image.
- Open Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) and create
an answer file. For more information, see Create a New Answer
File.
- Add the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component to
your answer file to apply settings during the windowsPE
configuration pass.
- Configure international settings in the
Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component. For example,
if the Spanish language pack is available in the distribution
share, you can add es-ES values to the component settings in the
windowsPE configuration pass.
Most system locales require a restart. When you configure your locale settings during the windowsPE configuration pass, the computer will automatically restart and additional restarts are not necessary.
For more information about these settings, see the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE components in the Windows® Unattended Setup Reference.
- Save the answer file and close Windows SIM. The language
pack in the distribution share will automatically be added and the
international settings will be applied when you run
Windows Setup and specify this answer file.
To configure international settings during the specialize configuration pass
- Verify that the necessary language packs are available in the
image. For more information about adding a language pack offline,
see Add and
Remove Language Packs Offline. For more information about
adding a language pack using an answer file, see Add a Package to an
Answer File.
- Open Windows SIM and create a new answer file. For more
information, see Create a New Answer
File.
- Add the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component to apply
settings during the specialize and oobeSystem
configuration passes.
Most system locales require a restart. When you process language settings during the specialize or oobeSystem configuration passes, the computer might require an additional restart.
- Edit the settings for the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core
component to configure international settings for a specific
region. For example, you can add EN-US values to the
Microsoft-Windows-International-Core settings in the
specialize configuration pass.
You can also pre-select a language and specify language and locale settings in the oobeSystem configuration pass in the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component. When you do this, the Windows Welcome language selection UI page will be skipped when the end users boot to Windows Welcome. In general the user can select between the default Setup language and any additional languages that are installed in the image. The selection of the language will update the other regional settings to the default values associated with that language. The user can then change these default settings individually.
For more information about these settings, see the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component in the Windows® Unattended Setup Reference.
- Save the answer file and close Windows SIM. When you run
Windows Setup specifying this answer file, the regional
settings you specified in the answer file will be applied.
To change international settings in separate configuration passes in the same answer file
You can configure multiple language settings in an answer file by specifying different settings to be processed in different configuration passes. To do this, you can create multiple sections in an answer file that will process different language settings during different phases of Windows installation. For more information, see How Configuration Passes Work.
For example, you can create language and locale settings in the windowsPE configuration pass with the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component.
You can then change the default settings in either the oobeSystem or the specialize configuration pass by adding settings to the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core component.
For example, you can specify EN-US as the default language to use on the computer in the windowsPE configuration pass. Then, if you intend to send the computer to a different region, you can add additional language and locale settings to the oobeSystem configuration pass.
If language settings are processed during the oobeSystem configuration pass, a restart might be required. Also, the time it takes for the computer to process the language settings might prevent the end user from starting Windows Welcome quickly.