Language selection at first boot up.

[elstellino]

Hello, I received today my new laptop, the one I was mentioning in the "here I am, I greet you all" comment of mine in the thread for new users.

First boot up, it asks me for the language selection. I don't want a computer with core elements in one language and the interface in another one, I want one language system-wide.

My computers have always been in English, but this time I wanted it in Spanish, as I have been living in Spain since 2012, it's time to change.

First question, if I install in Spanish and later decide to change to English, will the computer still have traces of Spanish?

It is a Spanish market computer, if I now decide for English, would some elements remain in Spanish?

I would like the language selection to be applied universally, is that possible? I am asking because my wife's computer was in Spanish with W10, changed to English and still was showing the welcome message in Spanish, also when upgraded to W11.

Thanks in advance,
Luca

 

[ChatGPT]

Hi Luca, great and very pragmatic question—language in Windows can be sneakily persistent!

What Actually Happens When You Choose a Language?​

• First Boot Language Selection:
  The language you choose here sets the display language for Windows, and typically also the system locale (used for non-Unicode programs, formatting, etc.).
• Preinstalled (OEM) Systems:
  Laptops sold in Spain often come with a “single language” image preinstalled (Spanish), but many nowadays allow international language packs.

---

If You Pick Spanish Now​

• Everything will be in Spanish:
  System menus, welcome screens, built-in apps, even the Microsoft Store.
• Switching to English later:
  You can add English language packs and set English as the display language. However:
  • Some remnants (like initial “Welcome” messages, system folders, some preloaded apps, and that notorious lock/login greeting) may still appear in Spanish.
  • System-wide prompts, or certain parts of Safe Mode/recovery, may default to the “original” (Spanish) installation language.

If You Pick English Now​

• Most of Windows will be in English:
  However, on a Spanish-market device, some hardware drivers, OEM support resources, or bundled apps might still appear in Spanish.
• Switching to Spanish later:
  You’ll face the mirror issue—almost everything in Spanish, but some “core” leftovers remain in English.

---

Why Does This Happen?​

• The base system language gets “baked in” at setup, hidden deep for things like Recovery Environment and Startup screens.
• Pre-installed OEM images are especially notorious: Sometimes preloaded recovery partitions or apps remain in the original language, no matter what you change in settings.

---

How to Make Language Change As Universal As Possible​

For absolutely pure single-language installs, the only guaranteed method is a clean install using an official Microsoft ISO in your language of choice (by downloading the ISO in English/Spanish and performing a fresh install). This overwrites any “OEM” or legacy leftovers.
However, on a new machine, this is usually overkill. With Windows 11, language packs work very well for daily use. Minor artifacts do remain, but:

• Everyday interface, settings, and built-in apps will be in your selected display language.
• Recovery screens and the base “Welcome” at login might show in the original language.

---

Practical Advice​

• If you’re moving your digital life to Spanish, set it up in Spanish now.
• If you ever want to go fully English, consider a clean install from an English ISO (not just adding language packs via Settings).

---

Direct Answer​

If I install in Spanish and later change to English, will traces of Spanish remain?
Yes, a few—for core system stuff, “Welcome” screens, some default folders/apps. For 98% of usage, you’ll be in English, but the base language will remain Spanish.
If I choose English on a Spanish-market machine, can Spanish traces remain?
Possibly, yes. Especially for recovery and vendor-specific apps.
Is universal language selection possible?
Only with a clean install from a language-specific ISO.

---

Summary:

• If you want a “Spanish everywhere” experience, select Spanish now.
• If you want a perfect "English everywhere" computer, do a clean install from an English Windows 11 ISO.
• Changing language later is good, but not flawless; traces of the original remain.

Let me know if you want step-by-step instructions to do a true clean install in your preferred language!

 

[elstellino]

Thanks

Hi Luca, great and very pragmatic question—language in Windows can be sneakily persistent!

What Actually Happens When You Choose a Language?​

• First Boot Language Selection:
  The language you choose here sets the display language for Windows, and typically also the system locale (used for non-Unicode programs, formatting, etc.).
• Preinstalled (OEM) Systems:
  Laptops sold in Spain often come with a “single language” image preinstalled (Spanish), but many nowadays allow international language packs.

---

If You Pick Spanish Now​

• Everything will be in Spanish:
  System menus, welcome screens, built-in apps, even the Microsoft Store.
• Switching to English later:
  You can add Englishlanguage packs and set English as the display language. However:
  • Some remnants (like initial “Welcome” messages, system folders, some preloaded apps, and that notorious lock/login greeting) may still appear in Spanish.
  • System-wide prompts, or certain parts of Safe Mode/recovery, may default to the “original” (Spanish) installation language.

If You Pick English Now​

• Most of Windows will be in English:
  However, on a Spanish-market device, some hardware drivers, OEM support resources, or bundled apps might still appear in Spanish.
• Switching to Spanish later:
  You’ll face the mirror issue—almost everything in Spanish, but some “core” leftovers remain in English.

---

Why Does This Happen?​

• The base system language gets “baked in” at setup, hidden deep for things like Recovery Environment and Startup screens.
• Pre-installed OEM images are especially notorious: Sometimes preloaded recovery partitions or apps remain in the original language, no matter what you change in settings.

---

How to Make Language Change As Universal As Possible​

For absolutely pure single-language installs, the only guaranteed method is a clean install using an official Microsoft ISO in your language of choice (by downloading the ISO in English/Spanish and performing a fresh install). This overwrites any “OEM” or legacy leftovers.
However, on a new machine, this is usually overkill. With Windows 11, language packs work very well for daily use. Minor artifacts do remain, but:

• Everyday interface, settings, and built-in apps will be in your selected display language.
• Recovery screens and the base “Welcome” at login might show in the original language.

---

Practical Advice​

• If you’re moving your digital life to Spanish, set it up in Spanish now.
• If you ever want to go fully English, consider a clean install from an English ISO (not just adding language packs via Settings).

---

Direct Answer​

---

Summary:

• If you want a “Spanish everywhere” experience, select Spanish now.
• If you want a perfect "English everywhere" computer, do a clean install from an English Windows 11 ISO.
• Changing language later is good, but not flawless; traces of the original remain.

Let me know if you want step-by-step instructions to do a true clean install in your preferred language!

Thanks, is any of the two choice having a lesser degree of Spanish pollution?
In any case it will have to be sent back, I asked for an AMD Ryzen 5 and an Intel Core arrived

 

[ChatGPT]

You’re welcome, Luca!
To answer your follow-up:
Between installing Spanish first (then changing to English) or English first (then changing to Spanish), neither option gives you a 100% “clean” switch. However, their behavior can differ slightly depending on how the OEM preloaded Windows.

Degree of "Language Pollution"​

• If you choose Spanish first:
  • System “roots” are Spanish.
  • Later, switching to English will make the day-to-day interface English, but system folders, the lock/login screen, Windows recovery, and some preloaded apps may still show Spanish.
• If you choose English first:
  • System “roots” are English.
  • On a Spanish-market device with an English base, some manufacturer/OEM tools, preinstalled apps or support stuff might still appear in Spanish, but the overall system will be “cleaner” in English.
  • Recovery and boot screens are more likely to stay in English (especially on a non-single-language edition).

In practice:

• Installing in English on a Spanish-market laptop usually leaves less “Spanish pollution” than the other way around.
  The base system language for recovery/etc. will be in English (outside of the rare OEM app or support tool).
• On all laptops, to achieve true language “purity”, a clean install using a language-specific ISO is the only way to go.

---

About the hardware issue:​

If the laptop is going back due to the wrong CPU, best to hold off getting too invested in setup!
When you do get the correct model, and if you want a 100% English (or Spanish) Windows experience, just let me know—I can give you a no-nonsense clean install guide that will ensure zero residual language artifacts.

---

Summary:

• Out of the two, starting in English will have fewer Spanish remnants on a Spanish-market device.
• A clean install from your preferred-language ISO is the only way to guarantee no artifacts at all.
• But…since you’re returning the laptop, you’ll get a second chance to get it right!

If you have any other questions (or frustrations with OEMs sending the wrong CPU!), feel free to vent here!

 

[elstellino]

If you have any other questions (or frustrations with OEMs sending the wrong CPU!), feel free to vent here!

In the end I think I will keep the Intel laptop. It's out of topic, but I try to ask:
Both Lenovo ThinkBook, one G7 ARP (the one ordered) the other one G8 IRL (the one arrived).
Both 16"
Both with a 512GB SSD
Both with 16GB RAM
G7 ARP is AMD Ryzen 5 with a AMD Radeon GPU
G8 IRL is Intel Core 5 with an Intel GPU.
I suspect the Radeon is a better GPU. How much video memory do they have?
Which one would you choose?

 

[ChatGPT]

Happy to help you weigh this decision!

GPU Overview:​

• ThinkBook G7 ARP (AMD Ryzen 5, Radeon GPU)
  • Integrated: AMD Radeon Graphics (likely Vega 7 or 8, depending on chip version)
  • Video memory: Shares system RAM (up to about 2GB reserved, dynamically allocated)
  • Strength: Historically, Radeon integrated graphics deliver better performance in light gaming, video playback, and some GPU-accelerated tasks compared to similarly classed Intel iGPUs.
• ThinkBook G8 IRL (Intel Core 5, Intel GPU)
  • Integrated: Intel Iris Xe Graphics (if it's an i5 11th/12th/13th/14th gen)
  • Video memory: Shares system RAM (commonly up to 1-2GB, also dynamic)
  • Strength: Iris Xe is much improved over previous Intel graphics, but in most benchmarks, AMD Vega/Radeon iGPUs have a slight edge, especially in gaming and some creative applications.

Performance in Practice​

• Integrated Video Memory: Both laptops do not have dedicated VRAM; they use a portion of the 16GB RAM. The actual usage depends on workload and BIOS/settings.
• Which GPU is better?
  • For general use, streaming, productivity: Both perform well.
  • For light gaming and graphical workloads: The AMD Radeon usually leads, sometimes significantly over the Intel Iris Xe found in recent i5 models.
  • For battery life: Intel chips may have a small efficiency lead in certain light-use/blended scenarios, but the difference isn't dramatic.

Which would I choose?​

• If you care about a little more graphics muscle (games, rendering, video editing, high-res streaming): The AMD Ryzen 5 with Radeon integrated graphics is usually the winner. It's the “enthusiast’s” pick for non-discrete-GPU laptops.
• If you care more about CPU performance spikes, modern AI features, or Thunderbolt connectivity: Intel may edge ahead (but you'd want to check the exact Core i5 generation—14th is ahead of old 11th gen).
• In day-to-day real-world use: Both are very close for typical office, web, and even many creative tasks.

Final thoughts​

• Integrated video memory is always a shared pool (not dedicated VRAM) on both.
• If graphics are a priority, the AMD model should be your first choice—unless the Intel system has a significant feature or price advantage that matters to you.

If you let me know the exact Core i5 generation on the G8 IRL, I can offer a more detailed head-to-head. But generally: AMD Ryzen 5 + Radeon = slightly stronger graphics.
Let me know if you want game benchmarks or details on thermals, battery, or anything else!