Word and default language settings...

areteus · Aug 14, 2011

This frequently annoys me and I have so far (despite trying hard) been unable to find a solution so I hope someone out there knows how to solve it...

My PC is set to UK english, I set word to UK english in the language settings when I first installed the software. Yet, it seems that whenever I open a file it defaults to US English... so I go into the language settings, change it to UK again and click 'set as default' which should (according to its propaganda) ensure that every document from now on is defaulted to UK... and yet it changes back almost imediately (in some cases) and by the next use in others...

So what is wrong here? How can I make this change more permanent?

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

I'm hoping for an answer to this, too! I have to take a bit more responsibility for my own problem - During set up, I requested Canadian English, but then realized that I was subbing to the States all the time and tried to chance to US English. It won't take. I can change each document, but the default is still Canadian...

(Possibly, areteus and I just need to switch laptops).

Maryn · Aug 14, 2011

I'm certainly not the expert here, on much of anything, come to think of it. But older versions of Word (mine's 2003) are prone to reset if you copy something online in US English and paste it into a document, unless you use Paste Special and select Unformatted Unicode, which saves no formatting and apparently no language preference.

It might be worth an experiment to see what happens when you have it set to UK and deliberately copy and paste US-speak using any other option from the Paste Special drop-down menu, or even good old Ctrl-V.

Maryn, who'll keep you [Edit: Both!] company while you experiment

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

What version of Word are you using?

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Mine's apparently Word 2010? I didn't even know there was one, but it's pretty new, and that's what it says.

I tried the copy and paste. Strangely, once I pasted, if I clicked w/in the pasted text, it was still set to Cdn English (my default), but if I clicked AFTER the text, it was switched to US. No idea why.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

I just did some digging, and the Office help says I have to change the default language for both Word AND for Windows. Which is frustrating, b/c for everything but word processing, I still want to use Canadian English. Grrrr.

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

How are you changing the default language setting? By using Microsoft Office Tools?

And, I'm guess a bit here, I suppose if the document template you use was original set to US English, it might override any language setting you did after that. It might be worth a try to create a new document template.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

I just tried the document template - sounded like a good bet, but it didn't work.

I've got the language displayed along the bottom tool bar. When I click on it, there's a "mark selected text" box that comes up; I select US English, and then instead of just saying OK, I say "Set as Default". A dialogue box comes up that says: Do you want to change the default language to English (US)? The change will affect all new documents based on the NORMAL template" I say hell yes, and it only changes for the current document, not for future docs based on the Normal template.

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

Have you tried changing the language setting by using MS Office Tools? (If you have Office Tools; every version of Windows seems to be slightly different.)

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

I looked for it, but I don't think I have it. Nowhere obvious, at least...

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

Go to Start > All Programs > Microsoft Office > Microsoft Office Tools.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Okay, I realize this makes me sound insane, but not only is Office Tools not on the All Programs menu, but I can't find Microsoft Word on it, either. I've checked in all the folders, even...

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

You'd have to go to Microsoft Office, then go to Office Tools (or Word).

If your version of Windows is like mine (which it very well might not be).

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Yeah, there's no mention of Microsoft Office on my startup menu. When I click Open File Location on the desktop icon, it says the file is in Microsoft Shared>Virtualization Handler. I don't know what the hell that means. There's no mention of Microsoft Office anywhere on my computer, except for the damned icon. And, you know - the window in which the program is running...!

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

What version of Windows are you using?

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Don't worry about it, at least for me. It's a nuisance, but it's not a tragedy.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Windows 7 Home Premium

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

This is from the MS website. Is this what you did before? Notice item 6.

Set the default editing language in Office 2010

Open a Microsoft Office program, such as Word.
Click the File tab.
Click Word Options.
Click Language.
In the Set the Office Language Preferences dialog box, under Choose Editing Languages, select the editing language that you want to use, click the name of the language that you want to be the default language, click Set as Default.
After you change the default editing language, you need to close all your Office 2010 programs, and then open them again for the change to take effect.

Notes

If for some reason, your default display or Help language is not available, Microsoft Office uses the next language in the list that is available.
If the language that you want is not listed, you might need to add more language services by clicking Add additional Editing Languages.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Yeah, that's what I've done. But the online help entered through the program says:

Microsoft Office 2010 uses the default input language in the Windows operating system to determine the default language for Office 2010 programs. To change the default language in Office programs, you must change the default input language for the Windows operating system and then change the default editing language for Office. For example, if the default input language for the Windows operating system is Japanese, the default language for all Microsoft Office programs is also Japanese. However you can change the default editing, display, Help, and ScreenTip language to another language, such as French or English, in Microsoft Office.

So it really seems like I can't change the input language (which I assume means the language of the stuff I type) unless I change it for the whole computer. And since I live in Canada, I don't want to do that.

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

There should be a way to do this, but you know Microsoft. There is probably some obscure way to do it, I just don't know how offhand. Maybe someone else will.

A few weeks ago I wanted to change some kind of setting. I did a little research and found dozens of other people with the same problem. Apparently, it couldn't be changed. I finally found out it could be changed . . . by editing a registry value, which is an odd way to do something.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

Well, like I said, it's a nuisance, but not a tragedy. I'll monitor the thread in case anybody comes up with something.

Thanks for trying!

alleycat · Aug 14, 2011

I might poke around some more when I get a chance and see if there's an answer on the 'net somewhere.

If one or two people have a problem, there are probably two dozen more with the same problem who just haven't asked for help.

Captcha · Aug 14, 2011

That's the spirit! You get 'em, Tiger! I mean, er... kitten?

bonitakale · Aug 15, 2011

Captcha said:
Yeah, that's what I've done. But the online help entered through the program says:

Microsoft Office 2010 uses the default input language in the Windows operating system to determine the default language for Office 2010 programs. To change the default language in Office programs, you must change the default input language for the Windows operating system and then change the default editing language for Office. For example, if the default input language for the Windows operating system is Japanese, the default language for all Microsoft Office programs is also Japanese. However you can change the default editing, display, Help, and ScreenTip language to another language, such as French or English, in Microsoft Office.

So it really seems like I can't change the input language (which I assume means the language of the stuff I type) unless I change it for the whole computer. And since I live in Canada, I don't want to do that.

That is totally insane. Microsoft always thinks it can read your mind.

Just a thought--what if you change the default Windows setting, change the language setting in Word, and then go back and change Windows again, to Canadian? Would Word change too, or would it stay with US?

Captcha · Aug 15, 2011

Interesting idea, bonitakale. Once I made the change for Windows, I opened Word and it was already changed over to US English. Now, maybe this is because I'd been playing around with it earlier, or maybe it's because Word doesn't care what the hell you do with its settings, it just takes the Windows settings regardless.

And, unfortunately, once I switched Windows back, Word switched back too.

Good idea, though! But no mere mortal can combat the rigidity of our corporate masters.

Word and default language settings...

areteus

Captcha

Maryn

I Tried

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

alleycat

Still around

Captcha

bonitakale

Captcha