New user/default user language VS. Service/System account language

mkmaddin · Mar 13, 2025

hey,

I am trying to set the default language for new users on my system during setupcomplete.cmd from en-us to de-de via command line.
Equivalent to manual option of changing current user display language to de-de; then intl.cpl -> Administrative -> Copy Settings.. -> checkbox for "new user accounts"

The typical way would be after installation of the language pack to fire powershell Set-SystemprefferdUILanguage de-de.
Unfortunately this changes not only the language applied for new users, but additionally for local system & service accounts such as welcome screen.

What I additionally tried was to create a corresponding configuration xml (see below) and call it via control.exe intl.cpl,,/f:"%~dp0config.xml"
But this does not seem to work as expected.

Code:

<gs:GlobalizationServices xmlns:gs="urn:longhornGlobalizationUnattend">
    <gs:UserList>
        <gs:User UserID="Current" CopySettingsToDefaultUserAcct="true" CopySettingsToSystemAcct="false"/>
    </gs:UserList>
    <gs:LocationPreferences>
        <gs:GeoID Value="94"/>
    </gs:LocationPreferences>
    <gs:MUILanguagePreferences>
        <gs:MUILanguage Value="de-DE"/>
        <gs:MUIFallback Value="en-US"/>
    </gs:MUILanguagePreferences>
    <gs:SystemLocale Name="de-DE"/>
    <gs:InputPreferences>
        <gs:InputLanguageID Action="add" ID="0407:00000407" Default="true"/>
        <gs:InputLanguageID Action="remove" ID="0409:00000409"/>
    </gs:InputPreferences>
    <gs:UserLocale>
        <gs:Locale Name="de-DE" SetAsCurrent="true" ResetAllSettings="false">
        </gs:Locale>
    </gs:UserLocale>
</gs:GlobalizationServices>

I additionally tried to

Code:

reg.exe load HKU\DEFAULTUSER %SYSTEMDRIVE%\Users\Default\NTUser.dat
reg.exe add "HKU\DEFAULTUSER\Control Panel\International\User Profile\de-DE" /v "0407:00000407" /t REG_DWORD /d 1
reg.exe add "HKU\DEFAULTUSER\Control Panel\International\User Profile" /v Languages /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d de-DE
reg.exe unload HKU\DEFAULTUSER

But unfortunately newly created users are still en-US.

Any ideas how to get this solved?

Megahertz · Mar 13, 2025

Maybe hsehestedt can help you. Wait for him.

garlin · Mar 14, 2025

I don't know if this was the exact results you wanted, but I made a modified version of Peter Klapwijk's PowerShell script:
Install an additional language pack on Windows 11 during Autopilot enrollment

1. Downloaded 24H2 (en-US) ISO. DISM integrated all of the 24H2 (de-DE) language features.

2. Unattended file:

Code:

        <settings pass="windowsPE">
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
                        <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
                        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
                        <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
                        <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
                        <SetupUILanguage>
                                <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
                        </SetupUILanguage>
                </component>

        <settings pass="oobeSystem">
                <component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" processorArchitecture="amd64" publicKeyToken="31bf3856ad364e35" language="neutral" versionScope="nonSxS" xmlns:wcm="http://schemas.microsoft.com/WMIConfig/2002/State" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
                        <InputLocale>0409:00000409</InputLocale>
                        <SystemLocale>en-US</SystemLocale>
                        <UILanguage>en-US</UILanguage>
                        <UILanguageFallback>en-US</UILanguageFallback>
                        <UserLocale>en-US</UserLocale>
                </component>

3. Called this PS script from SetupComplete:

Code:

# Adapted from https://inthecloud247.com/install-an-additional-language-pack-on-windows-11-during-autopilot-enrollment/

# https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/win32/intl/table-of-geographical-locations
$NewUserInputLocale = 'de-DE'
$GeoId = 94

# Make a backup of SYSTEM user's current profile
$SystemInputLocale = Get-SystemPreferredUILanguage
$SystemList = Get-WinUserLanguageList

# Temporarily change defaults on current user profile
Set-SystemPreferredUILanguage $NewUserInputLocale
Set-WinUILanguageOverride -Language $NewUserInputLocale

$NewUserLanguageList = New-WinUserLanguageList -Language $NewUserInputLocale
Set-WinUserLanguageList -LanguageList $NewUserLanguageList -Force

Set-Culture -CultureInfo $NewUserInputLocale
Set-WinHomeLocation -GeoId $GeoId

# Don't copy settings to System (Welcome Screen)
Copy-UserInternationalSettingsToSystem -Welcome $false -NewUser $true

# Restore SYSTEM user's original profile
Set-SystemPreferredUILanguage $SystemInputLocale
Set-WinUILanguageOverride -Language $SystemInputLocale
Set-WinUserLanguageList -LanguageList $SystemList -Force
Set-Culture -CultureInfo $SystemInputLocale

mkmaddin · Mar 14, 2025

awesome - thank you I will test

New user/default user language VS. Service/System account language

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