Default UI language can't be changed

Discuss setup / installation issues - Add a spell checker, Language pack?
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victoriaei
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Joined: Wed Jul 18, 2018 2:06 pm

Default UI language can't be changed

Post by victoriaei »

Hi
My English parent lives in France and has been using Open Office - 4.1.2 - for the last two or three years. This was downloaded whilst she and the UK bought laptop were in France. I helped her download the programme and so I know that the default user interface language was English. The OS was Windows 7 later upgraded to Windows 10.

She now has a new laptop which is Windows 10. The laptop was also bought in the UK (French keyboards are different) just a month or two ago. She tells me that Open Office UI (which is now 4.1.5) has suddenly changed to French. There is no option on the programme to change the default to English and, although her French is good, it's always preferable to be able to troubleshoot in one's own language.

As I wasn't here when she had the new laptop set up, I can only assume that she - or a French friend - downloaded 4.1.5 and, because the person wasn't aware of the default issue, didn't notice or - because French - expect the default to be any different.

The trouble is that my parent can't remember precisely when or what was downloaded and seems to think that the default has suddenly changed to French. I'm wondering if it was always French and she has only just noticed.

Is the answer to uninstall 4.1.5 and download an English language version? Is this possible?

Sorry to have taken so long to describe a problem that I think answers itself, but sometimes writing things down helps clarify them!
Victoria
Open Office 4.1.5 on Windows 10
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robleyd
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Joined: Mon Aug 19, 2013 3:47 am
Location: Murbko, Australia

Re: Default UI language can't be changed

Post by robleyd »

You can download and install additional language packs to allow user interface in many languages. Go to http://www.openoffice.org/download, select the appropriate options for OS, AOO version and language and click Download language pack Once the language pack is installed, change the UI language through Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages
Cheers
David
OS - Slackware 15 64 bit
Apache OpenOffice 4.1.15
LibreOffice 24.2.1.2; SlackBuild for 24.2.1 by Eric Hameleers
Bill
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Joined: Sat Nov 24, 2007 6:48 am

Re: Default UI language can't be changed

Post by Bill »

victoriaei wrote:As I wasn't here when she had the new laptop set up, I can only assume that she - or a French friend - downloaded 4.1.5 and, because the person wasn't aware of the default issue, didn't notice or - because French - expect the default to be any different.
There is no universal "default" language for the download. The "default" language is what's appropriate for the location of the computer which is being used to download AOO. The appropriate language is displayed in a drop-down list on the download page. If the user wants a different language, then the user has to open the drop-down list and change the language before starting the download. French is the default language if the download is done in France. English (UK) is the default language if downloaded in the UK.
AOO 4.1.14 on Ubuntu MATE 22.04
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