Can't set Windows 8.1 to use a UK Keyboard and English (United Kingdom) as Language Preference

Anonymous
2013-10-20T14:43:22+00:00

Downloaded and installed the UK (English) Language Pack. Can't set Windows 8.1 to use a UK Keyboard. Try to change Languages Preferences to English (United Kingdom)  - and 8.1 won't let you. Try to remove English (United States) and 8.1 won't let you. English (United States) keeps coming back.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2013-11-13T17:18:56+00:00

I was getting this problem. On one of my accounts it appeared to be using the keyboard set to US English. No amount of changing settings to set it use the UK English keyboard layout worked. If I tried Windows Key + Space nothing happened happened - no selections appeared for choosing the desired keyboard. There was no language icon on the taskbar.

I added the UK English language pack and set the preferred language to UK English via Control Panel, Then via the Charms settings/PC Settings/Change PC Settings/Time and Language/Region and Language.

Selected 'Options' for UK English and Added the UK Extended Keyboard.

After that I could use Windows Key + Space to select the UK keyboard.

To be honest, I have no idea why that worked or which was the critical step. The other account on the PC did not of this problem. I assume I must have missed something when setting the new account.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-07-22T18:23:18+00:00

    Error message? The problem is the same as mine, I get the American version of a keyboard and I want a UK one, there is no error message, just US preferences, are you familiar at all with IT?

    How do I switch from US to UK keys in Win 8.1? Or didn't you consider UK users?

    **** error message indeed.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-14T18:15:52+00:00

    I just changed to extended English and it worked - thank you

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-07-11T16:08:20+00:00

    2 y later and MS still did not fix this!

    Fck you Microsoft!

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-07-07T19:57:57+00:00

    Same problem here. I have UK win8 can not set Hungarian keyboard. It was easy in XP just left the Hungarian driver, deleted everything else, not needed to switch between keyboards. I need US English language with Hungarian keyboard. How to do it?

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