Chinese Computer PC

[Lisa&Clare]

I have an extra PC and want to turn it into a computer just like my SO would have used in China. I've reformatted the HDD and reinstalled Windows XP Media 2005 and selected China PRC as the default language and installed all of the language sets but this doesn't meet my goals. How do I set this computer up to be asian only? What OS do I need? I've seen her computer while I was in China and all menu's and tabs from Windows and Office are in Chinese. What do I need to do this?

[tonado]

http://www.chinesecomputing.com/os/win2000.html

 

http://www.linguistsoftware.com/winch.htm

[QuietMe]

I have an extra PC and want to turn it into a computer just like my SO would have used in China. I've reformatted the HDD and reinstalled Windows XP Media 2005 and selected China PRC as the default language and installed all of the language sets but this doesn't meet my goals. How do I set this computer up to be asian only? What OS do I need? I've seen her computer while I was in China and all menu's and tabs from Windows and Office are in Chinese. What do I need to do this?

 

You need to purchase the Chinese version of the Operating System. Hope this helps.

[trumpetwasher]

I have an extra PC and want to turn it into a computer just like my SO would have used in China. I've reformatted the HDD and reinstalled Windows XP Media 2005 and selected China PRC as the default language and installed all of the language sets but this doesn't meet my goals. How do I set this computer up to be asian only? What OS do I need? I've seen her computer while I was in China and all menu's and tabs from Windows and Office are in Chinese. What do I need to do this?

 

You need to purchase the Chinese version of the Operating System. Hope this helps.

I bought my wife a Dell laptop from Dell China, and had it delivered to her in Shenzhen. You can do it easliy, and you have to fax some things, but it is worth the tiny effort. BTW QQ works on her machine with absolutely no problems.

[credzba]

 

You need to purchase the Chinese version of the Operating System. Hope this helps.

 

To make her computer just like it would be in China, you need to purchase the Chinese version of microsoft windows.

 

The difference between what you did, and the chinese version is this:

 

You have everything on the desktop etc. in english, and she can type in chinese.

 

With a chinese version of the operating system, the desktop, files, etc. are all in chinese, and she can optionally type in english.

 

I presume she can browse the web and find you a mail-order place to buy the chinese version of windows. She will have to help you install it though because even the install is in chinese.

 

 

This is just a slightly wordier version of QuietMe's answer. I hope it helps.

[Lisa&Clare]

I figured that's what I needed to do. But it's hard to find a cost effective Chinese edition of Windows XP. They're all pretty expensive. It's almost worth buying a whole computer to get the proper set up. Thank you all for your answers.

[bosco]

http://www.shopnex.com/item.asp?PID=184&CID=23

[warpedbored]

Be careful of anything you buy on the streets in China. Many will have all the files but the code is no good.

[David&Wendy]

Try searching Google or other search engines for

 

ÊÓ´°XPרҵ¼òÌå°æ

Simplified version of Windows XP Professional

 

My main problem was I found a legit copy in Shenzhen, China for 880RMB (little more than $100 USD) and didn't buy it because I thought I could get it here for a similar price.

 

I get back to the US and I find that if I want to buy the Windows XP Pro. w/SP2 Simplified Chinese ÊÓ´°XPרҵ¼òÌå°æ version here it cost $425.

[jbray]

I didn't have a problem with the codes for the Windows versions I bought on the streets. The problem is, you can't download any updates (SP's, upgrades to IE, Media Player, etc). So, it's best to just shell out the money...

 

One thing for you to keep in mind though, if she has any problems, it will be tough for you to fix them. My wife had ALL chinese when she brought our laptop to the US. I wasn't able to adjust anything. If there was an error, I couldn't do anything about it (and I've been in IT for 10 years)... What we ended up doing was installing all the language packs and all the Chinese versions of programs (Media Player, Acrobat, Real Player, MSN Messenger, etc). So far, that's been fine... But, she didn't really know how to use Windows in Chinese, so it wasn't much of an adjustment. AND, when she got her American job, it made it easier to learn the computer, since she already had some English experience with Windows.

 

Just my $0.02...

 

I've got a licensed copy of Chinese XP... I wish I could give it to you (I am not sure where it is).

Edited September 5, 2007 by jbray (see edit history)

[tonado]

I didn't have a problem with the codes for the Windows versions I bought on the streets. The problem is, you can't download any updates (SP's, upgrades to IE, Media Player, etc). So, it's best to just shell out the money...

 

One thing for you to keep in mind though, if she has any problems, it will be tough for you to fix them. My wife had ALL chinese when she brought our laptop to the US. I wasn't able to adjust anything. If there was an error, I couldn't do anything about it (and I've been in IT for 10 years)... What we ended up doing was installing all the language packs and all the Chinese versions of programs (Media Player, Acrobat, Real Player, MSN Messenger, etc). So far, that's been fine... But, she didn't really know how to use Windows in Chinese, so it wasn't much of an adjustment. AND, when she got her American job, it made it easier to learn the computer, since she already had some English experience with Windows.

 

Just my $0.02...

 

I've got a licensed copy of Chinese XP... I wish I could give it to you (I am not sure where it is).

 

The street version might have viruses and spy-wares.

[Lisa&Clare]

Just a follow up on my progress.

I've tried many things so far and I'm still not happy.

I even went as far as downloading a pirated copy of the Chinese edition of Windows and as someone pointed out, it's very difficult to maintain. I've been around computers now for 23 years and built numerous computers successfully, but this is a challenge. When something goes wrong I can't readily fix the problem. First I can't read the prompts and while she can read the prompts her computer knowledge is limited in this area and she can't determine the issues. She is a very proficient user though from years of office work in GZ. But she always had tech people to call if there was a problem.

The next thing I did was install my licensed copy of Windows XP Pro with all the language packs and selected the location as China and default language as Chinese Simplified. At first this looked and acted exactly like we wanted. Her software (mostly English learning tools) installed and worked perfectly and the pinyin to Chinese worked perfectly but….. Pretty soon the keyboard started acting up. Some of my software I installed actually installed with Chinese menu’s, I figured ok but eventually didn’t like it because the software I installed was support software to keep her computer clean and bug free and optimized, and now I couldn’t read it. Even when I would switch back to English (EN on the language bar) it would mysteriously keep reverting back to “CH” Maybe when I installed Microsoft Office I or the machine determined to default to CH as the location was set as China but it made it difficult to type in English if it was desired, even when I changed the location to United Stated it still keeps reverting to CH. I mentioned keyboard oddities, well I don’t know what it’s doing but when I just try to type the numbers it goofs up. 1 is a 1 and 2 is a 2 but after that it starts entering two numbers for one a 3 is a 34 a 4 is a 45 and a 0 is an asterisk * etc. and down on the keyboard some of the letters are numbers. I’m not sure what’s going on there or how to fix it. I’m about to reinstall XP Pro and choose everything as American English and add in all the language packs again and tweak it from there, at least then I can read the prompts.

Not sure but some of the keyboard issues may be attributed to my installing a wireless keyboard from Logitech. After installing the drivers from Logitech is seems goofy now. Maybe it’s interpreting some undesirables due to the language or location. I’m going to mess around some more with the keyboard then switch if I can’t iron it out.

Hope this help someone in the future, at least with knowledge of some of the future hurtles.

 

Oh Ya, yes the keyboard was selected on all choices as US 101

Edited September 11, 2007 by Lisa&Clare (see edit history)