Windows 8.1 Preview doesn't work on UK PCs

oilmanoilman Posts: 4,529
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Shame on you Microsoft!

What a farce. The windows 8.1 preview only works on 13 languages and english(UK) is not supported.

If like most Brits, your PC is English(United Kingdom), it won't install and (allegedly) you can only get it to install if you change to English(US). Same applies to Portugese from Portugal who would have to change to Portugese(Brazil).

If you install the update version it will overwrite your default language and you will not be able to go back (not sue if you uninstall though)

Safer option is to do a separate install from the iso version and at least not affect your current version.

See following link:

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows8_1_pr-windows_install/error-the-update-is-not-applicable-to-your/4d4b64fd-c292-452d-ac2d-49f31e870a42

Either use a clean hard disk or one set up for dual boot, or set up a virtual machine is usually the recommended way. However, very interesting article is in

www.nsa.gov/ia/_files/factsheets/Windows_To_Go.pdf‎

and tells you how to mount Windows 8 on a USB stick from either Windows 7 or Windows 8 (easier). You could put 8.1 on a USB to test it. Note: USB3 recommended - USB2 probably rather slow.


This is not the same as a virtual machine solution. You really are running it natively and should have access to internet and so on.

BTW: You only needs steps 1-4, the rest are for corporate security type stuff.

I am going to try this as soon as the ISO is released, and I am sure this is better than installing the preview option anyway, but looks much easier than dual boot or virtual machines.

The risk looks low provided you don't mess around with existing drives.

Only real downside I can see is you might not be virus protected - you might need to install a virus program
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Comments

  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
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    Why is it a farce? It's a Preview so there are always problems and there is no need for them to support all languages.
  • StigglesStiggles Posts: 9,618
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    alan1302 wrote: »
    Why is it a farce? It's a Preview so there are always problems and there is no need for them to support all languages.

    It's a bloody stupid way to go about it.

    It can support US English, our language basically minus the idiot spellings! They have managed to add languages like Turkish and French! I'm sure they could have added UK English.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    Try this, at your own risk: HKey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\Language and change the "InstallLanguage" string at the very bottom of the right pane to the value 0409 which is EN-US. You should have there 0809 which is EN-GB. Restart, check if it is still there, try to install again.
  • jonner101jonner101 Posts: 3,410
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    I'm keen to stick the boot in to microsoft when I think they deserve it, but this is only a preview edition.

    I may give the US edition a look tonight
  • brightonjohnbrightonjohn Posts: 499
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    IvanIV wrote: »
    Try this, at your own risk: HKey_Local_Machine\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Nls\Language and change the "InstallLanguage" string at the very bottom of the right pane to the value 0409 which is EN-US. You should have there 0809 which is EN-GB. Restart, check if it is still there, try to install again.

    Many thanks for this. Now downloading preview on a cheap machine bought purely for experiments like this. All seems fine so far. Getting the machine ready. Getting the update ready. Pop up says they'll let me know when it's done. Checking compatibility. Etc., etc. fingers crossed.
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
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    Stiggles wrote: »
    It's a bloody stupid way to go about it.

    It can support US English, our language basically minus the idiot spellings! They have managed to add languages like Turkish and French! I'm sure they could have added UK English.

    Then I'm sure people would be saying they should add other languages as well...they have US English which is probably the main version of English in the World.

    Probably more French speakers in the world than UK English as well.
  • brightonjohnbrightonjohn Posts: 499
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    Now installed and working. Took a while mind and I could only get on with it tonight because I'd already downloaded the loader earlier today before I found out from IvanIV which bit of the registry needed to be changed.
    So far the START button - you have to hover over the bottom left hand corner of the normal Win8 start screen to see it - works fine and right clicking on it brings up a multitude of goodies.
    The mail app has tried to start twice and then stopped dead - so that seems to need some further development if it is ever to become anything other than the white elephant it has always been to date.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    I had to do the same registry thing to install the preview on my Surface RT. It took ages, setting up this and that, but now it's finished. IE seems to be faster, I have Outlook RT now as well. My sideloaded apps survived, but I had to reinstall a RSS feed reader to make it work properly. Yes, the start button is there. Not that it makes much sense for touch device, I have a win-key anyway.
  • RoushRoush Posts: 4,366
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    Curiously I just installed the 8.1 preview in a Parallels VM on my Mac on the fully automated install mode, and it's installed fine with the correct UK regional settings chosen.
  • and101and101 Posts: 2,688
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    If you try and do an upgrade from the ISO image it will remove all of your installed applications and settings so you will have to reinstall everything. It also doesn't support local accounts so you have to sign in using a live account.

    I tried installing it earlier this evening and I have now gone back to windows 8.
  • RoushRoush Posts: 4,366
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    Hmm. Local accounts are definitely supported as that's what it's using in my VM.

    I can't comment on doing an update install, as obviously this was a clean install.
  • and101and101 Posts: 2,688
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    I tried doing a clean install after the upgrade and during setup there wasn't an option to sign in with a local account, you had to use a live account instead.
  • StigglesStiggles Posts: 9,618
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    alan1302 wrote: »
    Then I'm sure people would be saying they should add other languages as well...they have US English which is probably the main version of English in the World.

    Probably more French speakers in the world than UK English as well.

    You don't seem to sure anyway with all those probablys.

    Anyway, it's still a stupid decision.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    I don't seem to have that really cool Dragon moving wallpaper for the start screen...I can only get the fish one...don't know what happened there...?
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 38
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    wow that's great windows 8.1 lunch .... i am desperately wait for windows 8.1 to install our latptop an use his quite impassive environment....
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    The official preview at this stage does not allow local accounts being created during install, but the final 8.1 version will.
    But, once installed, you can disconnect the MS account and create a local account.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Zack06 wrote: »
    I don't seem to have that really cool Dragon moving wallpaper for the start screen...I can only get the fish one...don't know what happened there...?

    Its not in the 8.1 preview, that was mentioned in the dev conference this week.
    There will be some updates later in the preview when it may be introduced.
  • RoushRoush Posts: 4,366
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    lettice wrote: »
    The official preview at this stage does not allow local accounts being created during install, but the final 8.1 version will.
    But, once installed, you can disconnect the MS account and create a local account.

    Experimenting in a VM last night I found that it will only enforce MS account use if the computer is connected to the internet during setup.

    Install on an unconnected system and it allows local account creation during setup.

    It also allows local account creation during an automated install regardless of connection state.
  • IvanIVIvanIV Posts: 30,301
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    I was looking for that dragon, too and all I got was a fish. BTW when the RTM is supposed to be available? I tried the preview on RT, but there are still some things that need ironing and most likely I will reset back to 8.0 because of that.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    IvanIV wrote: »
    I was looking for that dragon, too and all I got was a fish. BTW when the RTM is supposed to be available? I tried the preview on RT, but there are still some things that need ironing and most likely I will reset back to 8.0 because of that.

    RTM is expected October, no specific date yet.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Roush wrote: »
    Experimenting in a VM last night I found that it will only enforce MS account use if the computer is connected to the internet during setup.

    Install on an unconnected system and it allows local account creation during setup.

    It also allows local account creation during an automated install regardless of connection state.

    I have created installs in virtualbox and vmware but both were connected, on a w8 desktop.
    I will try installing with network disabled in a vm and see later.
    The official from MS last week was that local accounts would be disabled for the start of the preview, but that then seems to have changed.
  • Zack06Zack06 Posts: 28,304
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    lettice wrote: »
    RTM is expected October, no specific date yet.

    I thought it was RTM in August and GA in October? It would be foolish of Microsoft to take so long as they will miss the winter buying frenzy if they RTM in October...

    I remember them saying that they would adopt an aggressive release strategy and seeing as though they've turned around Windows 8.1 pretty fast that makes sense. I think we will see new devices running this update by Christmas.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
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    Zack06 wrote: »
    I thought it was RTM in August and GA in October? It would be foolish of Microsoft to take so long as they will miss the winter buying frenzy if they RTM in October...

    I remember them saying that they would adopt an aggressive release strategy and seeing as though they've turned around Windows 8.1 pretty fast that makes sense. I think we will see new devices running this update by Christmas.

    Yes I have seen that going around the last few days.
    But they did say RTM Autumn a few weeks back.
    Will be something on the blog soon I expect. Hope it is sooner.
  • alan1302alan1302 Posts: 6,336
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    Stiggles wrote: »
    You don't seem to sure anyway with all those probablys.

    Anyway, it's still a stupid decision.

    I have to use probably as I can't be bothered to check up on it but am pretty sure US English is used more than UK English.

    Why should they support a load of languages when it's just a Preview and if you want to use it having US English is hardly a major thing.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 0
    Forum Member
    I posted in wrong thread.
    Moved reply to another thread
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