How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese


  1. Posts : 394
    Windows 7 Home Premium 64
       #1

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese


    My computer was bought in Canada, my OS is USA, My keyboard along with my Language Settings are US. In other words ALL English, North America, except for my time zone (which could be any country). I have arrived in China and though nothing has changed all is Chinese. If I go to eBay.com. or google.com, Yahoo.com or wherever it turns into Chinese. Obviously it is reading my ISP but is there anywhere around this (Besides VPN setting at a different country)?

    BTW, though I had added Chinese as a 2nd keyboard setting while still in Canada when I reboot it now goes to Chinese 1st as a default, even though my settings show English US as the first, top one, and as the default. It did not do this while I was back home.

    My current OS is Windows 10
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 17,322
    Win 10 Pro x64
       #2

    If you ask this over at Windows 10 Forums you will get better help.

    That sounds like something Kari would know about.
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 17,545
    Windows 10 Pro x64 EN-GB
       #3

    pintree3 said:
    My computer was bought in Canada, my OS is USA, My keyboard along with my Language Settings are US. In other words ALL English, North America, except for my time zone (which could be any country). I have arrived in China and though nothing has changed all is Chinese. If I go to eBay.com. or google.com, Yahoo.com or wherever it turns into Chinese. Obviously it is reading my ISP but is there anywhere around this (Besides VPN setting at a different country)?

    BTW, though I had added Chinese as a 2nd keyboard setting while still in Canada when I reboot it now goes to Chinese 1st as a default, even though my settings show English US as the first, top one, and as the default. It did not do this while I was back home.

    My current OS is Windows 10
    I am from Finland, living in Germany, using Windows in English with Finnish keyboard layout. I know what you are talking about, it's frustrating. I have sent MS feedback about this countless times. With today's technology changing this behavior should be easy; when I browse the web or use any online services, they should check three things and offer the services accordingly in my preferred language:
    1. What is the computer location set by user?
    2. What is the display language set by the user?
    3. What is the language and location in browser set by the user?

    But, as we know this is not the case. Microsoft, Google, Yahoo and whatnot, they all assume for instance in my case that because my IP is a German one, I must prefer German language as if they could not believe that someone currently located in Germany speaks any other language. They totally ignore my settings. It is as if these sites and services could not even think that someone lives and works in another country instead of his native country. A German IP must mean a German user, according to them.

    There is no perfect solution for this but you can get the system pretty much to acknowledge your main language doing all I have listed below. In this example I am making my PC with a German IP to be as much British as possible, you can just change the location references to your Canadian or US ones. I am doing this for Windows itself, Bing and Google.


     Windows 10

    In Windows Settings, check that your location is set to what you want to and if other languages have been installed that your main language is the top most on the list. When OK, click the Additional date, time & regional settings link at the bottom:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h43_55.png

    Click Language:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h46_55.png

    Click Advanced settings:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h47_42.png

    Override both Display language and Input method defaults with those you'd prefer, unselect both selections under Switching input methods, and select Don't let websites access my language list. Save the settings:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h49_36.png


     Bing

    Always sign in to Bing. Open the Settings:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h51_55.png

    Set your preferred location and language, save the settings:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h53_53.png


     Google

    As with Bing, always sign in to Google. Use the URL http://www.google.com/ncr for Google to get a global Google.com site instead of a localized one. The /ncr at the end of the URL overrides the IP based use of a localized Google.

    Open the Settings (bottom right):

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h56_16.png

    Set the language:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_11h57_25.png

    Set the location:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_12h12_17.png

    In some cases Google does not let you to change the location to other than locations in the country of your IP. In that case there's a workaround. Open Google Maps (be sure to be signed in!), type any location to search bar and search that location on the map. Now click Get directions and click Home:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_12h09_25.png

    Enter your preferred address and hit Enter, I am using here the address of the headquarters of Royal Mail in London:

    How2 make my computer, Windows and Browsers stop thinking I'm Chinese-2015-08-28_12h11_11.png

    Repeat the above for Work address; search any location, click Get directions, enter a Work address as you entered the Home address. In my case I use the same address on both.

    Go back to Google settings, you can now set the location as you'd prefer.

    That's it. It's not perfect but as good as you can get :)

    Kari
    Last edited by Kari; 28 Aug 2015 at 09:34. Reason: Lots of typos, fixed the worst ones
      My Computer


 

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