News

Windows 8 Gets Expanded Language Options

Microsoft is adding more language options and implementing an easier language-download process for the forthcoming Windows 8 operating system.

The changes were announced in a recent "Building Windows 8" blog post by Ian Hamilton, a program manager for the Windows International team. Windows 8 will allow for custom languages to be downloaded from one source, regardless of where the software on the Windows machine was purchased.

"This means that the language of the PC no longer needs to be a major consideration when deciding on which model to buy," Hamilton wrote. "If the language you want is not preinstalled on the PC you like, you can now install the one you want."

In the past, custom language downloads were divided between Microsoft's Windows Update and Microsoft Download Center. If a user couldn't find their desired language in one location, they had to search the second location.

With Windows 8, language options will be located in the control panel. A user will only need to click on the "Add a language" tab, scroll to the desired choice and select it in their custom language list. The control panel will then alert the user if the language is available to download.

Along with simplifying the process of adding languages, Microsoft will add 14 more languages for Windows 8, for a total of 109 available language choices.

The new languages will include: Valencian (Spain), Punjabi (Pakistan), Sindhi (Pakistan), Central Kurdish (Iraq), Scottish Gaelic (United Kingdom), Cherokee (United States), English (United Kingdom), Uyghur (People's Republic of China), Belarusian (Belarus), Kinyarwanda (Rwanda), K'iche' (Guatemala), Tigrinya (Ethiopia), Tajik (Tajikistan) and Wolof (Senegal).

See Also:

About the Author

Chris Paoli (@ChrisPaoli5) is the associate editor for Converge360.

Featured

  • Report: Cost, Sustainability Drive DaaS Adoption Beyond Remote Work

    Gartner's 2025 Magic Quadrant for Desktop as a Service reveals that while secure remote access remains a key driver of DaaS adoption, a growing number of deployments now focus on broader efficiency goals.

  • Windows 365 Reserve, Microsoft's Cloud PC Rental Service, Hits Preview

    Microsoft has launched a limited public preview of its new "Windows 365 Reserve" service, which lets organizations rent cloud PC instances in the event their Windows devices are stolen, lost or damaged.

  • Hands-On AI Skills Now Outshine Certs in Salary Stakes

    For AI-related roles, employers are prioritizing verifiable, hands-on abilities over framed certificates -- and they're paying a premium for it.

  • Roadblocks in Enterprise AI: Data and Skills Shortfalls Could Cost Millions

    Businesses risk losing up to $87 million a year if they fail to catch up with AI innovation, according to the Couchbase FY 2026 CIO AI Survey released this month.