my problem is a simple one but clearly the solution is not as I've spent the last two hours searching to find a solution. My wife has a French computer with Windows XP in French… Therefore the default Language and keyboard is in French. I am English and touch type and therefore don't give a damn about what's actually written on the keys, I just want to be able to change the Language and keyboard to UK English and for it to stay there until its switched back. The Alt (left) + shift changes the language as can be seen on the language toolbar but the moment you seem to do anything, it switches back to French. I don't want to use different logins as I often help my wife on the computer but it drives me crazy when the keyboard language keeps switching. For example. Close all Windows so that just the desktop is displayed. Select UK English using Alt + shift. Then open InternetExplorer. guess what it changes back to French. So switch again using Alt+ shift because the application is clearly application dependent. Now click on the address bar to type a URL and low and behold it's changed back to French again. Even when you stay within Internet Explorer and you right click and open in another tab it changes the language back to French.
I've seen a lot written on this subject but nobody seems to have an answer and I am not alone with this problem
Is there a registry setting so that the application will not look at the default language but take that which is currently set.
Are there any thirty party solutions to the problem?
Does Windows Vista or Windows 7 also have this very very annoying problem?
Thanks to all who take the time to reply and save my sanity
Best Answer
I use regularly two different keyboard languages within the same account, and what I have done is get rid of the language bar and the ALT-SHIFT shortcut. Instead, I use ALT-SHIFT-1 for the primary language, and ALT-SHIFT-2 for the second one (the settings can be changed in Control Panel, Regional and Language Options, Languages tab, Details... button, Key Settings... in the Settings tab.). That way, it’s become second nature to press the right combination before start typing in a new window.