Adding English to foreign XP OEM - tricky?

[nickbower]

I live in Italy and bought a T42 but was disappointed when it came with XP in Italian language only (English is my first language). Does anyone know of a way to "unlocalize" XP and install English language files from another English Windows XP install I have into the IBM OEM version?

I've spoke to IBM and they are not legally entitled to exchange for an English language version for some reason. (And of course they wouldn't originally ship from UK or USA forcing me into this situation).

Thanks, Nick

[Zeitgeist]

Three possibilities:

1. Ask Bill for set of english recovery CDs.
2. Search the forum, keyword multilanguage user interface:
http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... adeinjapan
3. Buy the english set.

[nickbower]

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping there was an easier solution that consisted of CAB files or something like that.

> 1. Ask Bill for set of english recovery CDs.

I'd rather use the key I legally paid for. I'm not taking moral high-ground here though - just like to keep this as a last resort.

> 2. Search the forum, keyword multilanguage user interface:
> http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... adeinjapan

My understanding is that this is only available to retail versions of English XP.

> 3. Buy the english set.

So I get to buy 1 version of XP for the price of 2. I think I wouldn't have posted here if buying another full XP was an option

[Zeitgeist]

Thanks for the reply. I was hoping there was an easier solution that consisted of CAB files or something like that.

> 1. Ask Bill for set of english recovery CDs.

I'd rather use the key I legally paid for. I'm not taking moral high-ground here though - just like to keep this as a last resort.

Why do you think it would not be legal? The key underneath your notebook is not the key with which the os is aktivated but the key you find in the file unattend.txt of the i386 folder. In any case it´s a kind of corporate version of win xp. You can search this forum for more details.

[aleung]

well.. just get hold with OEM XP (I assume IBM only ship with Pro?). install it with the key under your thinkpad. it will work

[Elhabash]

Yes, it will work. I bought mine from my university, and it came with the IBM preinstall in English. I got a DVD with a special preload from my school, which was in English, in the package, and both worked with the same key, legally (I dumped the German IBM preinstall of course).