Add languages to custom image

Question

Add languages to custom image

Antoine Julien 0

Hi,

I am trying to create a custom pro image and add languages to this image.

I followed this procedure : https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/virtual-desktop/language-packs

Here is my issue : When I first enter OOBE, if I select a language that is not the default language (en-us is set by default), the UI does not update (stays in en-us) until first reboot.

If I complete setup and reset the PC, when I enter OOBE, the UI updates dynamically depending on the selected language right away.

Am I missing something?

Thanks.

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Answer 1

Lychee-Ng 18,605 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hi Antoine Julien,

I understand how confusing it can be to see unexpected results even when you’ve followed the instructions correctly. The Q&A Assist has given very detailed explanation, so I'll be direct here: you’re not missing any steps in your procedure.

That behavior occurs because the method you used only installs and stages the language packs, not for changing default UI language in OOBE on first boot. As the guide is designed for Azure Virtual Desktop, it focuses more on making those available to users after sign‑in.

So when you follow that to configure your Pro image, during the first OOBE, the UI still initializes using the base image language (en‑US). Selecting another language may not apply immediately until the first reboot completes. The language configuration is only initialized after setup and reset.

In short, the guide prepares languages for post‑login usage. It doesn’t control how OOBE applies UI language on first boot. If your goal is to have the UI switch immediately during the very first OOBE, you’ll need to configure that language as default in the image before capture.

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Antoine Julien 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T13:29:22.6633333+00:00

Hi @Lychee-Ng
I know from experience with for example Dell computers, that on first boot, when I go through the available languages in OOBE, the UI dynamically updates depending on which language you are hovering and when selected, the rest of OOBE is in that language. This is also the behaviour I get with the image I created, but only after a push-button reset.

I am wondering how setting the default language to another language will help. Wouldn't it only set the default language at the start of OOBE and have the same behaviour as I am having right now?

Thanks.
Lychee-Ng 18,605 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-04T14:53:59.5366667+00:00

Yes, setting the default language doesn’t affect the dynamic switching behavior. OOBE will continue to behave exactly as you’re seeing now. My earlier wording may have caused some confusion: when I said "switch immediately," it meant that the chosen language will appear on the first boot, not switching after you adjust the setting.
Antoine Julien 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T14:55:44.1733333+00:00

Do you have any suggestions do fix this?

I know it is possible because I've seen it before on other products.
Lychee-Ng 18,605 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-04T15:01:47.1233333+00:00

Hi, please check out this document to see if it helps with your specific case: Oobe.xml configuration file | Microsoft Learn
Antoine Julien 0 Reputation points

2026-05-04T17:44:34.1333333+00:00
I added spanish and french to my default english image. I created these files :
C:\Windows\System32\Oobe\Info\Oobe.xml (top level defaults)
C:\Windows\System32\Oobe\Info\Default\1033\Oobe.xml (EN)
C:\Windows\System32\Oobe\Info\Default\2058\Oobe.xml (ES_MX)
C:\Windows\System32\Oobe\Info\Default\3084\Oobe.xml (FR_CA)

The content of each Oobe.xml files is like this :

<FirstExperience> <oobe> <defaults> <language>1033</language> </defaults> </oobe> </FirstExperience>

Where the language value is changed accordingly.

When I select another language, UI still stays in english.

This does not seem to fix the issue, unless I am missing something.
Lychee-Ng 18,605 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-05-05T06:23:11.88+00:00

Hi, sorry for the late reply.

What you’re seeing is actually tied to how Windows applies language during OOBE. It starts using the default System UI language. When you select another language, it’s just the System Preferred UI language. The full UI switch is typically applied after OOBE completes and the system restarts.

Your configuration is already aligned with the supported approach. So if it doesn't work, at this point, I can't think of a guaranteed way to force immediate UI switching during the very first OOBE.

Can you share me the source where you saw that behavior on other products? Maybe we can look into it together and see what's the difference?

Answer 2

The behavior is expected for commercial Windows editions starting with Windows 11 and Windows 10, version 2004, and is related to how the System UI language and System Preferred UI language are set.

Key points from the documented behavior:

Starting with Windows 11, the default System UI language set by DISM is left unaltered on all commercial editions. The language chosen during OOBE is set as the System Preferred UI language, and Windows is displayed in this language.
As of Windows 10, version 2004, when an .appx-based Language Experience Pack (LXP) is passed to DISM, that language becomes the System Preferred UI language and its parent language becomes the Default System UI language.
For online images, changing language/locale after deployment is done via Control Panel or the International Settings PowerShell cmdlets (Get-WinSystemLocale / Set-WinSystemLocale), not by re-running the same offline DISM steps.

What this means for the scenario:

When the image is first generalized and captured with en-US as the default System UI language, OOBE initially runs with that default. Selecting another language in the very first OOBE run may not immediately switch all UI elements until after the first reboot, because the System Preferred UI language is only fully applied after OOBE completes and the system restarts.
After completing OOBE once and then resetting the PC, the image now has the System Preferred UI language mechanism fully in place. On the next OOBE run, changing the language causes the UI to update dynamically as expected.

Nothing is missing from the language-pack integration itself; this is how language selection and application are designed to work with System UI vs System Preferred UI language on Windows 11 and Windows 10, version 2004 and later.

If a different language must appear as the default right from the first OOBE screen, configure that language as the System Preferred UI language in the image before capture (for example, using DISM /Set-AllIntl:<language> on the offline image, or Set-WinSystemLocale on the online reference system before running sysprep), so that OOBE starts in that language instead of en-US.

References:

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Add languages to custom image

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