How to Change the Language in Windows 7 Beta

The information provided in this article only applies to Windows 7 Beta Language Packs. Windows 7 Beta Language Packs, for instance, don’t work on later editions of Windows 7 like the Release Candidate (RC) or the RTM build which you find bundled with your new computer.

Windows 7 Language Packs for the official (public) Microsoft release (Release to Manufacturer, RTM) are covered in full details in these Bright Hub articles:

• Understanding Windows 7 Language Packs: Introduction and Architecture
• Windows 7 Language Packs Details and Availability
• How to install a Windows 7 Language Pack
• How to install a Windows 7 Language Interface Pack

(To find all what you want to know about the Windows 7 Release Candidate Language Packs, including downloads for Windows 7 RC as well as Windows 7 RC Language Packs read Bright Hub’s article Windows 7 Release Candidate Language Packs and More.)

Update 20 Nov. 2009: As Windows 7 has now officially been released we do no longer update the detail information about Windows 7 Beta. Yet, if you still run the Windows 7 Beta OS this article can be very helpful to you nonetheless.

Many people are looking for Windows 7 Beta in Spanish and French for example. As both languages are excluded from the Windows 7 Beta program they then turn to Windows 7 languages packs in the hope of finding Multilingual User Interface (MUI) packs and Language Interface Packs (LIPs) in their native tongue. They might download proper Windows 7 iso files with ambiguous names and file content only to find out that these objects are either corrupt or not at all language packs. Other localization efforts won’t work with leaked versions of Windows 7 Beta. This article will eliminate ambiguity and show you how to find and install the really existing language packs with recent download information including Windows 7 Beta operating systems.

Microsoft restricted its Windows 7 Beta program to English (US), Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean, Arabic, German, Japanese and Hindi (‘Windows 7 Beta languages’). In other words, there is no Windows 7 Beta operating system in Spanish, Portuguese, French, etc!

Only Windows 7 Beta languages are also available as Multilingual User Interface packs. Therefore, there is no MUI for any other major language, e.g. no Spanish language pack for Windows 7 Beta.

MUIs only run on Windows 7 Ultimate and Enterprise Edition, but Windows 7 Ultimate Beta does not yet provide optional language packs through Windows Update.

To install one or more MUIs on top of a Windows 7 parent language the build has to be an official Windows 7 Beta release like, for instance, 7000.0.081212-1400. Otherwise chances are high that the language pack won’t install!

No Windows 7 LIP language pack exists as of now. Any contradictory information is both incorrect and a waste of time. Furthermore, LIPs are limited to non-major languages similar as explained in Bright Hub's article on Vista Language Packs.

The images GB1LCLPCKCFRE_DVD.iso (0xFCB14E84) and client_localpacks-GB1LCLPCKCXFRE_DVD.iso (0×21195B94) from Microsoft Windows 7 Beta downloads in the the next but one section do NOT contain language packs! Rather, they belong to “multilingual applications on a multilingual Windows image” [1] in Windows Automated Installation Kit for Windows 7 Beta.

Thus, 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the files listed below are NOT language packs for Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, Mexico, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Taiwan, or South Africa:

Windows-LocalPack-BR-package, Windows-LocalPack-ES-package, Windows-LocalPack-FR-package, Windows-LocalPack-IT-package, Windows-LocalPack-MX-package, Windows-LocalPack-NL-package, Windows-LocalPack-PL-package, Windows-LocalPack-RU-package, Windows-LocalPack-TR-package, Windows-LocalPack-TW-package, and Windows-LocalPack-ZA-package

If you try to install them as language packs you will see the following error message: ‘Corrupted or invalid language pack file. Selected language pack is corrupted or invalid; please try a different file or location.’

To install Windows 7 Beta MUI language packs

1. Go to Control Panel, Clock Language and Region; click ‘Change display language’
2. In Keyboards and Languages click ‘Install/uninstall languages’
3. Click ‘Install display languages’
4. Select ‘Browse computer or network’
5. Navigate to and select the language pack
6. Tick the Check-box for the chosen language
7. Click ‘Next’, accept the license terms
8. Upon completion click ‘Next’
9. Select or change the display language

Despite Windows 7 Beta no longer being available for the public if you enter http://connect.microsoft.com using the invitation code “Win7-3HQW-RF74” [2] and then sign-on with your live-ID you will be straight taken to where you can download the Windows 7 Beta operating system. Navigate to the download section on the left to find Windows 7 Beta downloads and note please that Microsoft also gives out license keys for Windows 7 Beta at Microsoft Connect. Yet, Microsoft has removed the Beta languages packs from the Connect ecosystem, so you may want to google for them:

Windows 7 Beta Language Interface Packs for 32-bit (x86) based computers, and their CRC-32 checksums:

English (US): x86fre_client_en-us-GB1CLP_EN_DVD.iso (7E8005D4)

Simplified Chinese: x86fre_client_zh-cn-GB1CLP_CN_DVD.iso (C8A91CD0)

Traditional Chinese: x86fre_client_zh-tw-GB1CLP_TW_DVD.iso (79D97687)

Korean: x86fre_client_ko-kr-GB1CLP_KO_DVD.iso (BBCABDAE)

Arabic: x86fre_client_ar-sa-GB1CLP_AR_DVD.iso (A95E7173)

German: x86fre_client_de-de-GB1CLP_DE_DVD.iso (B8B06076)

Japanese: x86fre_client_ja-jp-GB1CLP_JA_DVD.iso (6D8F6779)

Hindi: x86fre_client_LIP_hi-in-GB1CLIP_HI_DVD.iso (53974B35)

If you google for the 32-bit (x86) based computers language packs you will find various sites which also have download information for the 64-bit (x64) based computers on the same page.

Testers of Windows 7 and geeks have to use ‘Beta Languages’ until Windows 7 is released to the manufacturers, or Microsoft changes its mind.

The good news for those looking for Spanish Windows 7 is that they will be among the first to enjoy Windows 7 RTM together with English, Japanese, German, and French (other languages follow by way of a staggered approach).