How to Change System Locale in Windows 10

By Hally | Last Updated June 27, 2025

System locale controls how Windows handles non-Unicode (ANSI) text—crucial for correctly displaying characters in legacy or non-Unicode apps (especially those using Shift-JIS, GBK, etc.). Follow this step-by-step guide to update your system locale without impacting your display language.

Why Change the System Locale?

System locale defines which code pages and bitmap fonts are used by non-Unicode programs. If running legacy apps in Japanese, Chinese, or Russian, using the matching locale ensures correct character rendering—otherwise, text may appear garbled.

Steps to change system locale in Windows 10:

Step 1: Get into Control Panel.

Step 2: Tap Change date, time, or number formats to move on.

Step 3: As the Region dialog appears, choose Administrative and click Change system locale.

Step 4: Select a new system locale and tap OK.

Step 5: Hit Restart now to make the setting effective.

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