Win8.1/RT 8.1 Adding a Language or Keyboard

By adding a language, you can change the language used for reading and writing in Windows, Applications, and the Web.

Adding a language

To change your Windows display language or add a keyboard for typing, first add a language to the list of languages.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings”. (If you are using a mouse, point to the lower right corner of the screen, then move the mouse pointer up, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings 

Click or Single Click “Time and Language”, “Regional and Language” and “Add Language”.

Browse to the language you want, then tap or click on it and add it to your language list.

Download and install language packs

If you want to use a language as your Windows display language (this language is the language you often see on Windows and apps), you need to download the language. package.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings”. (If you are using a mouse, point to the lower right corner of the screen, then move the mouse pointer up, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings 

Click or click & ldquo;Time and Language", then click or click "Regional and Language".

Click or click the "Available Language Packs" displayed below, then click or click “Options”.

Click or click “Download”. The download process may take a while depending on the size of your computer and language pack.

If you want to use this language as your display language, see the next section, "Changing the Windows Display Language".

Changing the Windows Display Language

To change the Windows display language (this language is the language you often see on Windows and applications), first add a language, download and install the language Package, then follow the steps below.

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings”. (If you are using a mouse, point to the lower right corner of the screen, then move the mouse pointer up, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings 

Click or click & ldquo;Time and Language", then click or click "Regional and Language".

Tap or click the language you want to set as the display language.

Click or click “set as primary language' to move the language to the top of the list. If the language can be your Windows display language, you will see that it will be displayed in that language <the next time you log in, it will become the display language”.

Log out and log back in to complete.

Switching between keyboard or input method

When you add a language to a language list, a keyboard or input method is added so that you can type in the language. You can type using any keyboard you add by switching input methods. To switch between keyboard or input method:

On a standard keyboard, press the Windows logo key + spacebar.

On the touch screen, tap or click the touch keyboard icon in the desktop taskbar, tap or click the language abbreviation, and then tap or click the keyboard you want to switch to.

Touch the language abbreviation button in the keyboard

On the desktop taskbar, click or click the language abbreviation in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar, and then tap or click to switch to Keyboard.

Language abbreviation button in the desktop taskbar

Adding a keyboard layout for a language

If you want to use a different keyboard than the one that comes with the language, you can add a keyboard layout to the language .

Steps to Add a Keyboard Layout for a Language

Swipe in from the right edge of the screen, click “Set”, and then click “Change Computer Settings”. (If you are using a mouse, point to the lower right corner of the screen, then move the mouse pointer up, click “Set”, then click “Change PC Settings 

Click or click & ldquo;Time and Language", then click or click "Regional and Language".

Click or click the language you want to add the keyboard to, and then tap or click “Options”.

Click or click “Add Keyboard" to browse through the list of input methods for the keyboard layout you want to use, then tap or click the keyboard layout you want to use.

Setting the keyboard as the default keyboard

To set the keyboard as the default keyboard so that you don't need to switch the input method when entering text using this keyboard, follow these steps:

Open “language" in the control panel" in the following way: Swipe in from the right edge of the screen and click on "Search" (If you use the mouse, point to the top right corner of the screen, then mouse Move the pointer down, click “search”), type “add language” in the search box, and select“add language”.

Click or click “Advanced Settings”.

Under "Alternative default input method", select the keyboard layout you want to set as the default keyboard, then click or click "Save".