Back to DocsMany Windows VPS are installed with Italian or another language interface. This guide shows how to switch to English (both for interface and system).
Method 1: System Settings (GUI)
- ✅ Set as Windows display language
- ✅ Use as my Windows display language
- Open Settings (Win + I) → Time & Language → Language
- Click Add a language → search English (United States)
- Click Next → select:
- Click Install
- After installation, click English (United States) → Set as default
- Restart to apply
Method 2: PowerShell (recommended for VPS)
# Install English language pack
Install-Language en-US
# Set English as system language
Set-SystemPreferredUILanguage en-US
# Set language for Welcome Screen and new accounts
Copy-UserInternationalSettingsToSystem -WelcomeScreen $true -NewUserAccounts $true
# Set locale and date/time formats to English
Set-WinSystemLocale en-US
Set-WinUILanguageOverride -Language en-US
Set-WinUserLanguageList -LanguageList en-US -Force
Set-Culture en-US
Set-WinHomeLocation -GeoId 244 # 244 = United States
Restart after running these commands:
Restart-Computer -Force
Method 3: Unattend.xml / sysprep (for VPS templates)
If you're preparing a Windows template to distribute already in English, use unattend.xml with:
<component name="Microsoft-Windows-International-Core" ...>
</component>
Change Keyboard Layout
Even if you change system language, keyboard layout might stay previous.
# Set English keyboard only (US)
Set-WinUserLanguageList -LanguageList en-US -Force
Or via GUI: Settings → Time & Language → Language → English (United States) → Options → Add keyboard → English (United States) QWERTY.
Change Language on Linux (bonus)
If your VPS is Linux and you want to switch to English:
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo locale-gen en_US.UTF-8
sudo update-locale LANG=en_US.UTF-8 LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
# or
sudo dpkg-reconfigure locales
# Select en_US.UTF-8 → choose as default
# Apply in current session
export LANG=en_US.UTF-8
export LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8
source /etc/default/locale
To make permanent:
echo 'LANG=en_US.UTF-8' | sudo tee /etc/default/locale
echo 'LC_ALL=en_US.UTF-8' | sudo tee -a /etc/default/locale
Verify
# Windows
Get-WinSystemLocale
Get-Culture
Get-WinUILanguageOverride
# Linux
locale
echo $LANG
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