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
    2013-12-28T13:29:43+00:00

    Have this issue on my son's account on home PC, all other accounts are fine. No amount of hunting and poking in the UI works to fix the keyboard in UK English. He is learning to use the computer, but all the symbols are in the wrong place.

    Doubling baffling that just one account is affected and not all.

    Managed to fix this after much hunting around:

    1. Go to Settings -> Change PC Settings -> Time and Language -> Region and Language -> Click "English United Kingdom" and add UK extended keyboard.
    2. In the language click US as the primary language.
    3. Now click UK as the primary language.
    4. Now remove the US language.
    5. Log out and log in again.

    Tried quite a few variations on this, but this is the path that worked here. Absolutely bonkers :-)

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-11-10T09:11:39+00:00

    I had to go into Control Panel set English American as default turn on the setting "show the language bar when available" (in the advanced section) then remove English (UK).

    When you re-add English (UK) and then the language bar appears on the desktop task bar (right) and you can change the input locale to English (UK). Not Ideal!

    Something is not working here MS!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-11-05T14:48:33+00:00

    Nope. All our 8.1 laptops in our company have the same problem. @ swapped for ". Sweet issue.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-10-21T07:23:04+00:00

    Hi Ian,

    Thanks for contacting Microsoft community.

    It would help to understand the issue if you could let us know any error code or message that gets displayed when it does not let you make the change?

    I would suggest that you refer this link and follow the steps from the article.

    Add a language or keyboard

    http://windows.microsoft.com/en-in/windows-8/using-multiple-languages

    Please let us know the status of the issue after you have tried the steps.

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