Let’s see how to deploy Windows 10 language packs with Endpoint Manager Intune. There are several methods to deploy Windows 10 language packs with Intune. Let’s have a look into one of them in details.
Introduction
Recently, there are many discussions about Language Packs (LPs) vs Language Interface Packs (LIPs) Vs Local Experience Packs (LXPs) in Windows 10 device management world. I feel Microsoft is able to confused most of the IT admins with recent changes with LXPs, LPs and LIPs.
- LXPs ==> Local Experience Packs are AppX packages delivered via the Microsoft Store (automatically updated?)
- With the introduction of LXPs, Microsoft started to retire LIPs.
- LPs ==> Provide a translated version of all (?) Windows Dialog Boxes, Menu items, and help content
- LIPs ==> Provide a translated version of most common Dialog boxes, Menu items, and help content
NOTE! – More detailed explanation about LXPs and LPs are available 1. Adding Local Experience Packs to your Windows image 2. Local Experience Packs: What are they and when should you use them?
Deploy Windows 10 Language Pack
I don’t know which is the best option to deploy language packs and LXPs with Intune in a modern management world. You can select either option#1 or Option#2 depending on use case and as per your organization policies.
**Option#2 (Intune Win32 App model)- Shall be explained in a different post which is coming soon.
NOTE! – I’m not going cover Windows Autopilot kind of scenarios in this post as that is a different scenario better explained by Michael Niehaus.
Deploy LXPs from Windows Store for Business
I feel deploying the Language Experience Packs directly from Microsoft Store for Business is the path Microsoft is recommending. You can see this recommendation the links which I shared in the “Introduction” section above.
Get the App
- Login to Microsoft Store for Business with the user account which has appropriate access rights
- Search for “Language Experience” from Microsoft store for business home page
- Select the Language you want to Install (en-GB) English United Kingdom is the one which I selected
- Click on English (United Kingdom) Local Experience Pack
- Click on Get the App icon
- Click on CLOSE button when you get following message
- English (United Kingdom) Local Experience Pack has been purchased and added to your inventory.
Sync WSfB and Intune
NOTE! – Prerequisites of the next step is explained in the following document – Associate your Microsoft Store for Business account with Intune.
- Login to Intune device management portal
- Navigate to Tenant admin and then select Connectors and tokens – Microsoft Store for Business
- Click on SYNC button to make the newly added application “English (United Kingdom) Local Experience Pack” available in Intune Windows Apps node
Deploy Language Pack Microsoft Store for Business Application
- Wait until the Sync between Intune and Microsoft store business is completed
- Once the sync is successfully completed
- Navigate to Intune – Apps – Windows Apps
- Search “English (United Kingdom) Local Experience Pack”
- Click on Properties of English (United Kingdom) Local Experience Pack (Online) application
- Click on EDIT from Assignment section
- Click on Review & Save button to continue
- Click on SAVE to complete the deployment
Tips
NOTE! – As per my testing it seems you need to run the following PowerShell command after the installation of the language pack! User also need to restart the device to complete the changes.
- Run the following PS commands with user context to complete the process
- Set-WinSystemLocale en-GB
- Set-Culture en-GB
- Set-WinHomeLocation -GeoId 242
- Set-WinUserLanguageList en-GB -Force
NOTE! – You can use Intune PowerShell script options to achieve this in an automated way?
Confirmation
- Run intl.cpl to check International Settings
- Or Try Get-Culture PowerShell command
Results
Resources
- Available Language Packs for Windows 10 – https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/available-language-packs-for-windows
Hello Anoop, another great article, thank you for that! I have been struggling with this for the past few weeks, so perfect timing as well. Small problem, though… I am not fining “English (Canada)” in the business/education store… Do you know why?
I see only en-US, en-UK…even in the ISO. Do you see this language in ISO? Even English Australia is also not available.
I’m not sure about the ISO, I can check, but this is one of the languages available for the user to pick when adding languages in Windows settings: Time & Language > Language > Add preferred language. Once “English (Canada)” is added, and language pack downloaded/installed, then we can also select it in Windows Display Language drop-down. This in turn sets “Regional format” under Region to “Recommended [English (Canada)]”, which is exactly what we need. It’s a lot of work having to do this manually on each computer; need to figure out how to do this with Intune.
I couldn’t find English Canada CAB and APPX files. I could see only Inuktitut (Latin, Canada) and French (Canada) See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/manufacture/desktop/available-language-packs-for-windows
I do English Australia all the time, it’s bundled in the English UK LXP I imagine Canada is the same. Install the LXP and just use the powershell commands to set based on your language name e.g. I use en-AU. More annoying is that the LXPs lack the FODs required for speach so Cortana if installed will cause UAC prompts when using the above deployment method. Reportedly patched in Win 10 2004.
Hi Anoop,
Great article,
I am facing an interesting situation. The organisation Requires to install English New Zealand but with Maori Keyboard instead of English New Zealand keyboard.
I tried deploying the Maori language pack from store separately but it would mean every time user needs to type in Maori they had to switch language.
Please note Maori Keyboard is also English but will come with Macrons for Maori Language. They had to still use English New Zealand because of office applications will have to continue spell check with English words typed with Maori Keyboard.
Please help with this requirement.
Hello Ramki – Have you tried the PowerShell methods mentioned in the post to set the required language as the default one? Does that help?
Set-WinSystemLocale en-GB
Set-Culture en-GB
Set-WinHomeLocation -GeoId 242
Set-WinUserLanguageList en-GB -Force
Get-Culture