Chinese Language Pack

Question

Hello,
I am currently trying to install a simplified Chinese language pack onto a friend's computer. The windows update feature wasn't working, so I turned to the Microsoft Download center. I ended up finding a Global IME for simplified Chinese, but it required Office XP. I ended up installing a third party Chinese language pack. However, there were some characters that ended up being question marks.

Does anyone have any advice? Also, what must I do in order to change the entire operating system into simplified Chinese? By this, I mean the Start menu, control panel, settings, etc.

Any help would be apreciated,
-vwR32

esquire · Answer

If you want to change the language of the GUI, you need Windows XP Multi-lingual User Interface (a.k.a. MUI) add-on.  Language packs have always been designed for language support, but never for changing interfaces.   MUI is not free and is not sold as a retail product - only included on a computer as an OEM bundle (for example on some Sony machines in certain regions) or to corporate user and can only be added to Windows XP Professional, and not to Home Edition.   Note English remains as the underlying language of the operating system (Windows Update should be in English), so if you want a true Simplified Chinese version of Windows XP, you need to reinstall the operating system.  However, if you simply want support for the language and/or program support (without having a Chinese interface), enable East Asian language support and configure non-unicode program support. http://www.mesquire.com/faq/computer/winxpcht/setup.htm   There is an alternative to MUI.  The Language Interface Pack (LIP) is based on MUI for 'for emerging or minority language markets', but it is not available in Chinese, Japanese, or Korean. http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=0db2e8f9-79c4-4625-a07a-0cc1b341be7c&displaylang=en   Message Edited by esquire on 10-25-2005 09:33 AM

Windows General

Chinese Language Pack

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