Injecting language pack into Windows 10 WIM images can be achieved in many different ways. MDT has a module to easily import image. SCCM can do it within a task sequence while the image is offline/online. You will also be able to do it by using DISM from the Windows ADK.

In this post, we will detail the process of injecting language packs into a Windows 10 WIM images using DISM.

Injecting a language pack with DISM provides a modified Install.wim that can later be used as a standalone solution to deploy Windows 10 from a media (DVD, USB) or as  a Windows OS source for  MDT or SCCM. This solution can also be used with our previous post as we explained how to create and capture a custom Windows 10 image.

Pre-Requisites for SCCM Inject Language Pack Windows 10

You must install few tools and plugins, before you get there.

  • Windows ADK for Windows 10 (Download)
  • Windows 10 1511 Enterprise ISO file
  • Language Pack for Windows 10 same Current Branch version

Preparation

  • Create a folders structure like this one below

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • Copy the extracted Windows 10 ISO files to EN-FR-fr folder

[su_box title=”Note” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]This will be the updated Windows 10 after we inject the language pack. (EN-US with language pack FR-FR).[/su_box]

  • Mount your ISO language packs

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • Browse to the needed language pack folder

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • Copy your language folder (FR-FR) into the LangPack folder This folder must contain only one file (LP.cab)

Inject Language pack Windows 10

Inject Language Pack Windows 10

To use DISM command lines,  we need the Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment from the Windows 10 ADK.

  • Right click on Deployment and Imaging Tools Environment icon and select Run as administrator

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • Type  dism /get-mountedimageinfo to validate if any other WIM are mounted
    • You can see that we don’t have any mounted image. If you have any, unmount it first before proceeding to the next steps

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • We now need the information from the Install.WIM from the Windows 10 1511 EN-US
  • Run the following command : (change to the path where you copied your sources files in the first steps)

[su_box title=”Command” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]Dism /Get-ImageInfo /ImageFile:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\EN-FR-fr\sources\install.wim[/su_box]

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • You must have at least a Windows 10 Enterprise Technical Preview installed to advanced
  • Run the following command to mount the image :

[su_box title=”Command” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]Dism /Mount-Image /ImageFile:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\EN-FR-fr\sources\install.wim /name:”Windows 10 Enterprise Technical Preview” /Mountdir:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\Mount[/su_box]

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • This will mount the WIM file to the Mount folder.

Inject Language pack Windows 10

[su_box title=”Note” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]Close the folder after you take a look.[/su_box]

  • Run the following command to inject the language pack into the mounted WIM

[su_box title=”Command” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]Dism /image:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\Mount /Scratchdir:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\Scratch /add-package /packagepath:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\LangPack\fr-fr\lp.cab[/su_box]

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • At this point, the language pack is injected into the mounted WIM
  • Now we need to commit changes, run the following command :

[su_box title=”Command” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]Dism /commit-wim /Mountdir:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\mount[/su_box]

Inject Language pack Windows 10

  • Once changes are commited, WIM must be unmounted.
  • Run the following command :

[su_box title=”Command” style=”glass” title_color=”#F0F0F0″]Dism /unmount-wim /mountdir:E:\Sources\SCCM\Windows10\Mount /Discard[/su_box]

Inject Language pack Windows 10

After the unmount is completed, take look at the Install.wim within EN-FR-fr folder. The modified Install.wim will be slightly bigger and modified date will be modified.

  • Install.wim EN-FR-fr folder

Inject Language pack Windows 10

Logs and More Info

If you experiment this problem with any of the command line from DISM, you can use the log file located in C:\Windows\Logs\DISM 

Inject Language pack Windows 10

Even if not up-to-date, this Technet article can help with DISM Command lines options.

Inject Install.wim with Language Pack

We now have a source media with 2 languages in it. It can be used to install Windows 10 from a media source (manual install), for MDT and SCCM.

Inject Language pack Windows 10

Bonus : Unattend.xml

In order to prevent the choice of language to prompt at first boot, an Unattend.xml file must be configured to answer the question from the Out-of-the-box experience (OOBE).

To create or modify an Unattend.xml file we need Windows System Image Manager, from the Windows ADK.

In the Unattend.xml file, the Microsoft-Windows-International-Core_neutral must be configured in the Specialize and OOBE System phase.

The 2 settings that needs to be configured for language packs are UILanguage and UILanguageFallback.

It must be configured the same way for both sections.

In the example bellow, FR-FR would be the default language,  and EN-US would be the Fallback language.

Inject Language pack Windows 10

More information on Windows System Image Manager here

Comments (17)

AndrewNog

10.13.2023 AT 12:34 PM
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mizuno

02.12.2019 AT 03:30 AM

Sebastian Reitter

09.04.2018 AT 08:16 AM
Hello Jonathan, Thanks for your Blogpost, which is quite helpful. I'm facing an issue with Windows 10 1803, that after integrating the LP to the OS (with DISM /online) you cannot switch between the Language Packs via the GUI. You have to add it again via the Settings-App which needs internetconnection and an Administrator account. So it seem with Win 10 1803 this guide doesn't work anymore. Can you confirm this?

Eli Winderickx

01.10.2019 AT 08:23 AM
Hi Sergio So I'm not sure if you did this also but in first I tried to add the Language Features from the Features on demand. These only include features, no language ui settings. Since I'm part of a highschool college, I was able to 'buy' the correct language pack through the MS Imagine platform. These do contain the correct language pack I needed. I'm contacting MS to address this issue. I hope to give more info on this soon.

Eli

01.10.2019 AT 05:03 AM
Hi Sergio I'm currently at 1809 and I'm having the same issue. When I check with dism, the cab files are correctly installed. When I install, the langpacks are gone...

Sergio

11.08.2017 AT 10:12 AM
First of all, thank you for this article. I did it with windows 10 enterprise, and I didn't have any problem during de process. I checked the install.wim and after the process is bigger. Then I put all files (boot, efi, sources, etc..) in an USB and I started a computer from USB to install it . The problem is that didn't appear the option to choose language, The installation starts in English. Do you know where the problem is? Thank you in advance!

Khoi

09.10.2017 AT 01:44 PM
Hi, in our business, we installed the iso of windows 10 downloaded from the microsoft licensed volume website. The iso is French (Canada). After installing the OS, we installed the sccm configuration manager client. In the tabs of the configuration manager it's all in english ?!! Is there a patche for this problem ? If we use the Windows 10 Iso in French French, then the configuration manager tabs are in french. We need it to work with the Windows 10 Iso --> Fr-CA ! Thanks in advance !

Jonathan Lefebvre

09.11.2017 AT 07:36 AM
Hi Khoi, we faced that issue. The problem is that FR-CA is a new UILanguage. The only FR UiLanguage supported by other application(like the SCCM client) is FR-FR. Same goes for Office, if you try to match the OS language. I recommend my client to stay with FR-FR, as there is no overall gain in using FR-CA, only down sides. Jonathan

Khoi

09.13.2017 AT 07:42 PM
Merci d'avoir prit le temps de répondre !! Cela répond a mon inquiétude !

Aakash Saxena

06.28.2017 AT 05:12 AM
Hi Jonathan, I am using SCCM to deploy the image. Am I supposed to specify any specific command in the task sequence or will it be this screen to select language pack appear automatically..? Thanks.

Jonathan Lefebvre

06.28.2017 AT 08:04 AM
Hi Aakash, Do you use an unattend.xml file? If yes, try to remove it to see how it goes. When no Unattend.xml is specified, it will prompt for language selection. Which OS and Version are you trying to install MUI for? Jonathan

Aakash Saxena

06.29.2017 AT 03:44 AM
Hi Jonathan, I am not using unattend.xml for now. Also, using windows 10 version 1607 and the language pack version is SW_DVD5_NTRL_Win_10_1607_32_64_MultiLang_LangPackAll_LIP_X21-05987. thanks.

Aakash Saxena

06.22.2017 AT 06:49 AM
Hello, I have followed these steps and injected language packs in the image. I am using SCCM to deploy it, but the option to select the language pack is not appearing after first boot. It's not appearing at all. Can you please help me on this. Thanks, Aakash

Jonathan Lefebvre

06.22.2017 AT 08:51 AM
Hi Aakash, is your Wim a bit bigger than the original? Maybe the Dism /commit-wim didn't work at all, and changes were discared. Jonathan

Aakash Saxena

06.28.2017 AT 04:31 AM
Hi Jonathan, I have checked the Win and it was bigger after we injected the language pack. Checked the DISM log as well and it was showing success. Tried again from scratch, but still no change. Please suggest. Thanks.

Jesper

07.12.2016 AT 02:25 AM
When doing it in this way, will it then not rename the bulit in administrator account from the EN-us: "Administrator" to the FR-fr "Administrateur" ?

Jonathan Lefebvre

07.12.2016 AT 07:40 AM
Hi Jesper, Yes the administrator account will be in French when the default language select in the OOBE section is French. But remember, Windows, at is core, is language neutral. Meaning, EN-US is a language pack applied to the core, just as the Fr-Fr. If you change from French to English, the Administrateur will be "renamed" Administrator. The account is the same, with the same SID. Thanks Jonathan