How to change the interface language of your Windows Vista

Lately we have been receiving many help requests from people who have their Windows Vista in one language and would like to switch to another one. For example, people who traveled to Canada and bought from there a laptop with Windows Vista in French and would like to switch to English, or the other way around. I’ve done a little bit of digging and testing on this topic and I managed to find a few solutions which might help you to switch your Windows Vista interface to any language you want to.

What version of Windows Vista you have installed on your PC?

There are two possible scenarios:

  • You have Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise Edition installed – the solution is very straightforward and involves you downloading the language you need as a Windows Update;
  • You have Windows Vista Home (Basic or Premium) or Business installed – unfortunately, due to licensing constraints, users having these versions of Windows Vista cannot have more than one language installed on their PC. Due to this, additional languages are not available in Windows Update. Therefore, a workaround is needed and I will give details in this article. The solution is pretty complicated and error prone. However, if you follow it closely, it can work.

Solution for Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise Edition

In order to show you all the steps, I will use a PC with Windows Vista Ultimate in English and I will switch the language of the interface to French. First, start Windows Update and check for the latest updates. The updates are split into a few categories. Go to the ‘Windows Vista Ultimate Language Packs’ section, select the language you need and click on Install.

Windows Update

Windows Update will start downloading the language pack that you have selected. Wait until it finishes.

Windows Update

Once downloaded, the installation process will start. When this happens, you will see a window like the one below.

Installing Languages

When finished, you need to switch to the new language. Go to Control Panel. Under ‘Clock, Language and Region’, select ‘Change display language’.

Control Panel

If you use the Classic version of the Control Panel go to ‘Regional and Language Options’. Next, click on the ‘Keyboard and Languages’ tab.

In this tab you will see a drop-down list like the one below, where you can select the display language. Select the new language and click OK.

Control Panel

In order for the new language to be applied to the Windows Vista interface, you will be asked to log off. Close all your opened programs and click on ‘Log off now’.

Control Panel

Once you log back in, you will notice that Windows Vista will be displayed in the language you selected. In our case, it is now French.

Control Panel

Solution for Windows Vista Home (Basic and Premium) or Business Edition

NOTE: this solution is provided as-is, with no warranties.

First, you need to download an application called ‘Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools’, version 2.55. This will be used to apply the new language to your Windows Vista. The download link can be found at the bottom of this article.

Second, you need to download the language pack for the language you want to have.

Now that you have downloaded both files, you are ready to start.

The tool that will apply the language you need is a little buggy. In order to avoid any issues, create a folder on any of your partitions. The tool did not work on my PC when I used long paths and folder names so it might not work on your PC either. Keep the name of the folder up to 8 characters without any spaces. In that folder extract the archive with the tool and copy your language pack. You folder should now have a sub-folder called VistaMuiTools and an ‘.exe’ file with the language pack that you will install.

Windows Explorer

Open the VistaMuiTools folder and select Windows Vista MUI Tools v2.55 x86.exe if you have a 32bit version of Windows Vista and Windows Vista MUI Tools v2.55 x64.exe if you have a 64bit version. The file needs to be run using administrative permissions so make sure you right click on it and select Run as administrator.

Windows Explorer

When you see the ‘Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools’ window, click on the Install button from ‘Method 1’.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

You are now being asked to choose the input file of the language pack. Browse to the folder you just created and select the ‘.exe’ file of the language pack.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

Then, you will be asked to provide the name of the output file which will be generated by the tool and used to apply the new language. Select the same folder and leave the default file name.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

Once you have done this, the tool will start processing.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

When finished, you will be informed of the success or failure of the operation.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

In order to apply the language pack, you will be asked to select the file that was just generated. Navigate to the folder you created and select the file with the ‘.cab’ extension which was generated by the tool.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

You will receive a pop-up with an information message. There is no need to click on it.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

Once the message disappears, you will need to wait for a few minutes. Unfortunately you will not see any activity indicator. You just need to wait for a few minutes. From 5 up to 60, depending on your configuration. However, on any mainstream PC it should not take more than 15 minutes for the procedure to finish. Once the process is finished, you will receive a notification message informing you of the installation status.

You will be asked if you want to remove the temporary files or not. In order to save space, click on Yes.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

The tool will be inactive for a minute or two until it deletes the temporary files. Once finished you will be notified.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

When done, go back to the ‘Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools’ window and from the display language drop-down list select the language you have installed and then click on Apply. If you select another language it will not work.

Windows Vista Multi-Language Package Installation Tools

After you have finished the procedure, reboot your PC, log in and the Windows Vista interface should be in the newly selected language.

Unfortunately the tool used for this tutorial is not very stable and the procedure might fail. If you manage to find other ways to apply a new language to Windows Vista, please share it with us. We will be more than happy to test & share your solution with our readers.

Related articles:
How to work with the new Windows Update
How to uninstall Windows Vista updates
Checking the time for multiple time zones directly from your taskbar

12 thoughts on “How to change the interface language of your Windows Vista”

  1. Or if you’re willing to
    Or if you’re willing to reinstall Windows just get a dvd of windows Vista in the desired language, use the key from your genuine copy and you’re good to go.

    • vista language change
      Hi Arthur

      Thank you very much for the suggestion and Vistalizator did change my vista language..

      However, I cant update my windows anymore… Can someone let me know how I can update windows…

      Chenna

  2. After I used this software, I
    After I used this software, I realized I could not run Windows update nor Backup and Restore Center. Is it possible that this software is malicious?

  3. Worked a treat with a tweak
    I had someone approach me to help change the language on his laptop running Vista Home Premium from Spanish to English; He did however fail to inform me that he had purchased the said laptop in Spain hence his problem. I found your site and followed the instructions for the Vista Home Premium solution and there is only one tweak I can offer. This is that after the MUI has finished compiling the new language pack from the .cab file and you get the message saying installation complete, when you return to the MUI tools software IF THE APPLY BUTTON IS AVAILABLE TO BE PRESSED THEN JUST PRESS IT, DO NOT TRY AND SELECT ANYTHING ELSE. If you do the Apply button will disappear again and become unavailable and you will have to start the process all over again following a reboot.
    Hope this helps : )

  4. I tried the MUI tool 2.55 hen
    I tried the MUI tool 2.55 hen the program was trying to install or read the .cab file (file that was just generated by the program) it shows and error and it couldn´t install it. I tried the Vistalizator 2.10 http://www.froggie.sk/download.html and use the language pack (shown is this website) and so far works fine. thanks Arthur

  5. How do i undo this?
    I

    How do i undo this?
    I switched my language from french to english and am now regretting it because its screwing up everything.
    How do i return to how it was before?

  6. Thank god. Had I not found
    Thank god. Had I not found this site, my problem wouldn’t have been solved. My comp was initially all Chinese and thanks to this site, everything’s now back to normal! Thanks a million! Really appreciate it! So people, if you are faced with this problem, follow the steps carefully, and everything will be just fine.

  7. worked
    Bought a laptop for my wife in German speaking part of Switzerland. The procedure given by the author is very clear and step by step. Don’t miss reading a single line anywhere for example the tool taking quite some time to apply the pack at the end etc (for home premium).

    The whole exercise started after the windows 7 upgrade cd given by ACER which is in english is refusing to upgrade the german version of Vista. If I do a clean install then windows is not able to validate and asks for a key even for an oem cd. Now tried after this procedure and it has accepted! The upgrade is ongoing now and hopefully everything will be normal.

    Thanks again!

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