How to Completely Remove an Unwanted Display Language on Windows 11

Use the Language & region settings for quick removal

by Kazim Ali Alvi
Kazim Ali Alvi
Kazim Ali Alvi
Author
Kazim has always been fond of technology, be it scrolling through the settings on his iPhone, Android device, or Windows. And at times, unscrewing the device to take... read more
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Reviewed by Alex Serban
Alex Serban
Alex Serban
Windows Server & Networking Expert
After moving away from the corporate work-style, Alex has found rewards in a lifestyle of constant analysis, team coordination and pestering his colleagues. Holding an MCSA Windows Server... read more
Affiliate Disclosure
  • The display language helps configure how the various settings, entries in the File Explorer, and other Windows features appear.
  • There are several ways to remove a display language, including Settings, PowerShell, and Registry.
  • Keep reading to find out the steps to delete an unwanted display language.
how to remove display language in Windows 11

Have been working on the same setup for too long or shared the PC with others. You will probably have a few language packs installed, and it often creates conflicts. So, it’s time you remove the unwanted display language in Windows 11.

Speaking of conflicts, when there are multiple language packs, inadvertently pressing Ctrl + Shift will change the keyboard layout. And if unnoticed, this will be an impediment to the task at hand. So, let’s get right to the methods!

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How do I remove a display language from Windows 11?

1. From the Settings

  1. Press Windows + I to open the Settings app, go to Time & language from the navigation pane, and click on Language and region.language and region
  2. Click the ellipsis next to the display language you want to delete, and select Remove from the flyout menu.remove display language in windows 11
  3. Click Yes in the confirmation prompt that appears.
  4. Finally, restart the computer for the changes to apply.

2. With Windows PowerShell

  1. To remove a language pack with PowerShell in Windows 11, press Windows + S to open Search, type PowerShell in the text field, right-click on the relevant search result, and select Run as administrator.powershell
  2. Click Yes in the UAC prompt.
  3. Now, paste the following command and hit Enter to view the installed language packs:Get-WinUserLanguageListget language list
  4. From the language list, identify the LanguageTag for the preferred language you want to remove. For instance, it’s en-US for English (United States).language list
  5. Now, run this command: $LangList = Get-WinUserLanguageList
  6. Execute the following command while replacing Tag with the LanguageTag you copied earlier: $MarkedLang = $LangList | where LanguageTag -eq "Tag" language
  7. Run this command to remove the selected language: $LangList.Remove($MarkedLang)remove language in Windows 11 with powershell
  8. Finally, execute this command: Set-WinUserLanguageList $LangList -Forcecommand
  9. Restart the computer for the changes to come into effect if you removed the default language earlier. And make sure to change the system language to a new one.

3. Using the Registry Editor

  1. Press Windows + R to open Run, type regedit in the text field, and hit Enter.registry editor
  2. Click Yes in the prompt that appears.
  3. Paste the following path in the address bar and hit Enter: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preloadpath
  4. You will now find all the languages listed here, though not named properly. We will use the keyboard identifiers to find out.
  5. Double-click on an entry in the Registry, and copy the Value data.value data
  6. Now, press Ctrl + F on Microsoft’s official blog post, paste the value you copied earlier, and identify the corresponding language.search language
  7. Once you find out, right-click on the key and select Delete to remove the language pack.delete key to remove display language in Windows 11
  8. Click Yes in the confirmation prompt.
  9. Similarly, remove the key from the following locations as well: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Keyboard Layout\Preload HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Control Panel\International\User Profile System Backup

If you cannot remove the keyboard language in Windows 11, deleting the corresponding entries in the Registry will do the trick!

Why can’t I remove a display language on Windows 11?

  • Remove language button is greyed out: Change the default language and then remove the pack.
  • Changes don’t reflect: Restart the computer and delete all language pack-related Registry entries.
  • Corrupt system files: Run the DISM commands and SFC scan.
  • Incorrect locale: Change the system locale in the Control Panel. 
  • Improper Windows installation: Perform an in-place upgrade or reinstall Windows 11.

While these don’t generally cause issues, you may need to remove a display language in Windows 11 for better usability and to eliminate conflicts. And it’s easy, too!

A few users may encounter a situation where they can’t change the display language, and reconfiguring the region settings does the trick! 

For any queries or to share your experience with the Windows display language, drop a comment below.

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