Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Regional and Language Options Description
This policy setting restricts the Windows UI language for all users. This is a policy setting for computers with more than one UI language installed. If you enable this policy setting, the UI language of Windows menus and dialogs for systems with more than one language will follow the language specified by the administrator as the system UI languages. The UI language selected by the user will be ignored if it is different than any of the system UI languages. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, the user can specify which UI language is used.
Registry
HKLM
Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Globalization/LockMachineUILanguage Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings]
"PreferredUILanguages"="en-US"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Value 'en-US' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Globalization/LockMachineUILanguage
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="UILangSelect" value="en-US"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings' -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Expected 'en-US' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Value 'en-US' -Type StringSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings' -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Expected 'en-US' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI language Windows uses for all logged users
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\MUI\Settings'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Value 'en-US' -Type StringBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.