change PC language in Windows 7 professional

[thelma]

Hello, I have looked at all the old threads about this problem dated some years ago. ( Mostly answered by Kari, Thanks Kari )

I wonder if there have been some new developments about this issue which I think will get more and more common as people move from one country to the other more often and also buy PC's abroad.

I was given this Dutch HP laptop, that was not used since 2013. It's a HP CQ70-200ED Product Presario CQ70 and it has Windows 7 professional 64 bit on it installed. This is very confusing as the Dutch use half the English words and half Dutch, so even to put my system specs here I need a dictionary. And then if you try to find a translation for the English 'download' to a Dutch word they give you 'download' but it is't.

I read that changing MUI starter language is only available in windows 7 Enterprise and Ultimate, but then I read some confusing info about 'Vistalizator' .

Can anybody shine some light on this confusing issue ?

Thanks a lot for any help,

Cheers
Thelma

 

[Bongo]

Thelma

Changing languages is only available in ultimate and enterprise, I have read up on changing pro myself and it doesn't seem that it is possible.

Look at the bottom of the laptop or in the battery compartment and see what Key you have, I did some looking and some of those models came out with Vista but I did see some Windows 7 drivers available also. If it has a Windows 7 Pro license key I would recommend you download a .iso and reinstall.

Jerry

 

[thelma]

Thanks Jerry for quick reply .

The laptop was send to me by post yesterday as a gift and I am very grateful for it, but it leaves me a bit in some mess. There are no CD's with it, all stuff of the old owner is still on it ( it was abandoned in 2013 by one of the children ) On the front is a Windows Vista sticker but it has now this windows 7 prof on it.

Been cleaning it and changing names and so on. Also managed to down load last night 124 important and 49 optional updates. Have not installed them jet, but have secured the laptop against windows 10 with the help Brink offers in his tutorial.
Also did a sfc/scannow and it came out clean.

All the official stickers and service tags are on the back. I don't understand what you mean by "download an .iso and reinstall ".
Then I need a CD I think ?

Well, at least it is a new learning stage and thank God, I am back on www after 4 weeks. It's ridiculous but nowadays you feel like amputated a limb without a PC :huh:

 

[Bongo]

Do you have a Windows 7 Pro key sticker on the bottom similar to this image below?


The download an .iso and burn it to a DVD and reinstall Windows 7 Pro would be something you could do to get the right language if you have a proper Windows 7 Pro key.

Jerry

 

[thelma]

Ok Jerry, I made a picture of what I got, could not find anything on this PC for pictures so have used dropbox for the first time

 

[thelma]

PS I did my new system specs as far as I understand it al.

 

[Bongo]

That is the product key on the sticker I would edit your posts so nobody will copy it down and use it, but doing my research I did notice it doesn't say what version of Windows that is but the numbers on that sticker X13-04655 is for Vista, so this is either a refurbished computer where the manufacturer put Windows 7 Pro on but if that's the case there would be a sticker stating that so this could be a bootleg copy of Windows 7 Pro.

Jerry

 

[thelma]

Hello Jerry, there is a fellow showing it on YouTube, but I cannot download the link.

Look up 'How to change windows language in windows professional' and he is successful.
Very difficult to follow because not sharp, no explication only music ( I turned off) and he does it from Greek to Russian.

But many people underneath thanking him for the good advice.

Might give it a try, this is driving me bananas Even snipping tool and paint are in Dutch !!!!!

Will look at it 4 times and write everything down very, very carefully,

 

[thelma]

Ok, took the service tag away, thanks for the advice

 

[BorisTheAnimal]

Hello thelma also did some searching and yes just as Jerry said you need to upgrade to ultimate to change the language though there would be a way to do it but it will violate your Windows EULA.

Here is a way, I'm not saying that you should do it merely saying that there is a way:
How to change Windows language in Windows 7 Professional - Super User

 

[thelma]

Hello , I am still struggling with this language change on this windows 7 sp 1 64 bit Professional HP laptop.

Vistalisator seems to risky to use, some people get a black screen as a result and I don't understand the workout completely, ( also because everything on this laptop is in Dutch.)

Now I think there are two possibilities left.

1) ; clean reinstall windows 7

2) ; upgrade to Ultimate.

Can I do either of these two possibilities without the use of the Windows CD that originally was provided with this laptop and I don't have?
Will there somewhere along the line be the possibility that windows 10 gets sneaked in ?
Does it cost money to do this, I mean will I need to pay windows for this ?
Is it difficult ?

Any help will be gratefully received,

Cheers,
Thelma

 

[BorisTheAnimal]

Would you consider going non Windows?

That would at least take away the problem language.

 

[thelma]

Hi Boris , well Yes, in the end I will have to consider all possibilities to get out of this mess.

But in Ultimate you can easily change the languages I am told.

It would be nice to stay with windows 7 for a while, I like it.

 

[thelma]

Well, I have been doing some research and found out that "windows anytime upgrade" does not exist anymore. Uptill now I have not found one recent answer on my questions of upgrading to Windows Ultimate from any Windows 7.

It looks sort of impossible :banghead:

 

[thelma]

With google search " windows 7 Ultimate 64 bit product key " I have come across Anzaq.com. They offer a download for free .
I 've done some research on them and they look safe .........

Dunno what to do now .........

If I make a restore point and it does not work I can always go back ? Never done such an upgrade. But is is the only way to get rid of the Dutch starting language.

Any idea's ?

 

[Bongo]

The download may be free but what about the Windows 7 ultimate key to activate it?

Like I stated before you would be better off with a clean install of Windows 7 Pro if you have a legal key to activate it, from the sticker you provided earlier it is not for Windows 7 Pro it is for Vista and you cannot use a Vista key for Windows 7 at all.

Jerry

 

[torchwood]

Hi Thelma,
DONT touch it, it will be counterfiet/pirate
you need either a retail or system builder version WITH the packaging .

The only way you'll get a genuine version is to pay for it through the nose.
Here in England it'll be about £150.

Roy

 

[thelma]

Thanks, Jerry and Torchwood

I really don't know what to do anymore.
It was a nice gesture of my friends to send me this old laptop and I don't want to bother them with many questions about it.

They knew I have no money at the moment and this was laying around. They are both specialists doctors and have ( also for their work ) the latest of the latest.
This one, I can tell has been used by 3 of their children. I have not only the language problem but also my pictures ( that is my most important hobby) that I have downloaded from an external hard drive ) I cannot open. Not in Photo Gallery or dropbox.
The keyboard is funny, the @ is where the " is and I cannot get the old stuff of the other users off.

It starts to look like I have to bite the bullet and buy a new laptop.

My old one broke a month ago, has a broken screen and god knows more. It still starts but you cannot see anything of course.
Luckily I had done a backup on this Toshiba USB external hard drive. I downloaded all on this laptop but perhaps it's not rightly unzipped or something. It all goes above my computer knowledge.

It's so frustrating, I can read the names of my pictures files but cannot see them.
Thanks for help anyway,

Cheers,
Thelma

 

[thelma]

OK, back with some good news, Boris the animal ( Tobias) helped me by Team Viewer and he did the best he could so now at least I can see my picture files again. He also managed to put some order on it.
Now next I am going to get an external monitor going to connect to my old " broken screen " Dell laptop (which still starts) to see what I can do to get files and folders on this HP laptop.