Configure International Settings in an Answer File

  • Article

Applies To: Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2

Note

This content applies to Windows 7. For Windows 8 content, see Windows Deployment with the Windows ADK.

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

  1. 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.

  2. Open Windows System Image Manager (Windows SIM) and create an answer file. For more information, see Create a New Answer File.

  3. Add the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core-WinPE component to your answer file to apply settings during the windowsPE configuration pass.

  4. 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.

  5. 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

  1. 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.

  2. Open Windows SIM and create a new answer file. For more information, see Create a New Answer File.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

See Also

Concepts

Windows Setup Technical Reference
Work with Answer Files in Windows SIM
Understanding Multilingual Deployments
Add and Remove Language Packs Offline