Microsoft Windows XP, in French

[Guest CFrost]

This week I bought a new HP Pavilion computer with Windows XP pre-installed, in French.  Like an idiot, I had expected that I would receive a disk of the system as I have in the past and that I would just be able to either change the language, or re-install the system in English.  However, HP partition the hard disk and put the system on the partition to enable restoration of the system if necessary but they do not supply a disk.  I have looked on the English language support sites for both HP and Microsoft without any luck - they do not support the French model and of course, contact with a real live person is not encouraged.  I cannot even find out if it is possible to change to English.  On the French sites of course, I am battling with the language.  My French is rudimentary at best and although I can cope with buying half a kilo of ham, I am completely out of my depth with the technical stuff. 

I am a little old lady - I struggle with the technical stuff in English!!!

Can anybody out there help please?

Anne

[Anton Redman]

As far as I am aware it is not possible to change the language of the operating system. You can normally change the language of spell checker in Word or Excel

Options are :

Install a compleatly new and expensive copy of Windows XP in UK English or AmerEnglish(Normally cheaper than UK English)

By a copy of 'Windows XP for Dummies' and 'Windows XP pour les Nuls' and read them side by side till you are happy you understand enough. The basic key words like 'Clavier'  'Imprime' and 'Favouris' should stick OK. I find the problems come with the French warning messages on software installation which seem to say 'Do you seriously want to explode a nuclear bomb'

If it is any consolation since I had to install Internet Explorer 6 in order to register and use a CD version of Sytrans I have been stuck with 'Yahoo' and Internet Explorer in French

 

[Will]

Don't worry, we have a French-bought computer with XP (plus Word, IE, OE etc) in French and we both manage perfectly OK. I've never experienced any problems installing English language programs with the French operating system (except for the free discs on one particular computer magazine, but I can get round that).

I think its a great way of learning the language, and it's really useful having a French keyboard in France too.

[Guest CFrost]

Thanks very much for your reply and advice.  I had suspected that I would not be able to change to English but was living in hope.

 Like you my biggest problems are the warning messages, and of course, accessing help.  My husband blocked so many of the AOL files by blithely responding with "Oui" to the free trial Firewall messages that I panicked and reinstalled AOL(in French) to be able to get back online.  I also tried to load my old Windows '98 Lotus Smart Suite with disastrous results.  The whole system went pear-shaped and after spending a day trying to fix it, I ended up reinstalling the whole system.

Ah well, all is working for now and I am off to that well-known internet bookstore for the Dummies books.

Thanks again

Anne

[Mikew]

I have also just bought an HP computer, in French, with the operating system backed up on the hard disk in partition "D". You can make a back-up of the system onto CD (or DVD if you have one built in) HP gave details in the handbook especially for this. It is not a staight copy of 'D', but arranged so that the disks can be used to start up the computer if you lose the whole hard disk. Be aware that companies like HP customise the software to suit their product. Special keyboard commands and drivers for their particular hardware come to mind.

You cannot change the language of your installed system, normally you would have to 'bin' it, buy a full priced copy of English Windows at full price £160 or so, and install that. I wonder if it is possible to 'borrow an English Windows disk, and use your French licence to legitimise it? After all you will not be using the French version you paid for. Anyone tried it?

You may just have to persevere with your French version, most commands are fairly straightforward once you get used to the keyboard! Things get more interesting once you start adding English software and get mixed language boxes come up on the screen!

I have also spent some time browsing HP's websites looking for English handbooks, but HP seem to be a bit mean, I found nothing...

Best of luck

Mike

[Mpprh]

I think its a great way of learning the language, and it's really useful having a French keyboard in France too.

I find the French keyboard difficult, especially with a laptop : shift to get numbers, and .

Thank god we are past the Lotus 123 / command !

Peter

 

[Boghound]

Buy a copy of XP off Ebay....genuine for around £60 XP Pro....do a full install and have a twin boot but use the English version as the main. You can even pick up HP XP one if your lucky.

As for keeping the French one as an easy way of learning French...yeh right..until you have to dive into the "inards" to correct errors and as for the keyboard...what a joke.

[Liz]

"I also tried to load my old Windows '98 Lotus Smart Suite with disastrous results. The whole system went pear-shaped and after spending a day trying to fix it, I ended up reinstalling the whole system."

I'm very fond of Lotus Smart Suite, or at least parts of it. I had the same problem when I loaded the whole thing onto XP. It just took over and I quickly uninstalled. The next time I just installed the individual components that I wanted, Lotus 123 and Wordpro, and it is fine.

Liz (29)

[Joanl]

I bought a windows english xp from ebay with legit key, loaded it on my laptop, then after reformatting the hard drive on my desk top (which I had bought with french xp) loaded the said english xp with french key, went on no problem & working well.

joan