Restricts the UI languages Windows should use for the selected user
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Vista
Path in the GPO console
User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Control Panel\Regional and Language Options Description
This policy setting restricts the Windows UI language for specific users. This policy setting applies to 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 is restricted to a specified language for the selected user. If the specified language is not installed on the target computer or you disable this policy setting, the language selection defaults to the language selected by the user. If you disable or do not configure this policy setting, there is no restriction on which language users should use. To enable this policy setting in Windows Server 2003, Windows XP, or Windows 2000, to use the "Restrict selection of Windows menus and dialogs language" policy setting.
Registry
HKCU
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop MDM / Intune (CSP)
./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Globalization/LockUserUILanguage 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 languages Windows should use for the selected user
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Vista
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop]
"PreferredUILanguages"="en-US"More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI languages Windows should use for the selected user
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Value 'en-US' -Type StringIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./User/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/ADMX_Globalization/LockUserUILanguage
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="UILangSelect" value="en-US"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI languages Windows should use for the selected user
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop' -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Expected 'en-US' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI languages Windows should use for the selected user
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop'
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 languages Windows should use for the selected user
# 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 languages Windows should use for the selected user
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
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
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop' -Name 'PreferredUILanguages' -Expected 'en-US' -Kind String)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Restricts the UI languages Windows should use for the selected user
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Vista
# Warning: In SYSTEM context (the Intune default), HKCU targets the SYSTEM profile. Run this script using the logged-on credentials.
$path = 'HKCU:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Control Panel\Desktop'
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.