Re-installing English Windows not possible on Scandinavian devices?

[MortenK]

Hi everybody,

I recently bought a Surface Pro 3 in a electronics shop in Sweden. When setting up the device, I I found out I couldn't choose English version of Windows 8.1, only Scandinavian versions.

I downloaded an English language pack, and now my Windows 8.1 is a terrible mix of English and Danish.

I was in touch with a service rep through MS support live chat, who gave me a link to a 6 GB recovery image, which I downloaded and extracted to a Fat32 formatted USB drive. On the drive, it looks to have all different languages (there's folders named en-gb en-us etc).

However, when I boot from the USB stick, I still only get the options of choosing one of the 4 Scandinavian languages.

I then contacted MS support again, and this time, the guy said that because the "hardware was swedish" it was not possible to install US or English Windows on it.

I simply can't believe this is true. Surely it must be possible to install an English version of Windows, on a device bought outside UK / US?

Hope somebody is able to help, the device seems so nice, but is unusable for me at the present time. Thanks in advance.

Best,
Morten

 

[nipponham]

MS support is giving you some very bad information and you should let their supervisor know.

Have you tried this: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-8/using-multiple-languages
It gives you step-by-step information on how to change and set your system's default language.

 

[Tobias Hjorth]

Isn't the recovery part only in Scandinavian. I believe you choose whatever langauge AFTER complete recovery. The recovery part is in Scandinavian languages only though

 

[Stockholmstar]

Under regional/international in Control Panel, chose "Administrative" tab. Copy settings to user account and welcome screen. That should do it. I have anglified my machine and so far haven't seen any Swedish left.

 

[MortenK]

Thanks for the answer everyone. I did already install the language packs, but it's still a mess of English and Danish. I'll have to live with it I guess, but will try Stockholmstar's suggestion also. Thanks again!

 

[Stockholmstar]

It should work for you. So far, the only place I have some Scandinavian lingering is here:

Otherwise it is English everywhere. (Really funny though with "loud speaker" both in Swedish and Norwegian, as I don't have the latter installed at all)