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Difference between en-US and en-GB versions


Hi there

can anybody explain to me if there's any difference between the en-US and en-GB versions. It seems with BOTH you can install whatever version of ENGLISH plus appropriate keyboard you want. Locale etc doesn't seem to matter either.

There presumably must be some difference or why would Ms bother to make two different versions (other than Price possibly!!).

Cheers
jimbo

Try to find the word color (US) or colour (UK). (For example, in the Control Panel, you have Colo(u)r Management.)

The way how some words are written is probably the only difference between those two versions. And probably also the time and date. I always use the US version, even when I'm Dutch and from Belgium. I don't like translated software and prefer the US spelling, even when my own English isn't perfect.

Try to find the word color (US) or colour (UK). (For example, in the Control Panel, you have Colo(u)r Management.)

The way how some words are written is probably the only difference between those two versions. And probably also the time and date. I always use the US version, even when I'm Dutch and from Belgium. I don't like translated software and prefer the US spelling, even when my own English isn't perfect.

Hi there
At install time it gives you the option - you can choose Language English --> United Kingdom. The only difference I can see between the two versions is that the default is either English US or English GB when you start up the install process then you can drop down to change anyway.

So it seems even more pointless to have a separate edition.

I must surely be missing something here.

Cheers
jimbo

It's probably a legacy thing that they are carrying along.

The laptop I use for college, came with a Dutch version of Win8.1 installed on it, but I changed it into a US English looking version with just installing a language pack. The backbone of Windows is the same for all languages, I think.

However, I did need to upgrade with a Dutch ISO, because else I didn't apply for a upgrade for this laptop. Of course, a language pack later, and it's back to an US English version. Only at a few screens, you still see that it originally was a Dutch version.

It's probably a legacy thing that they are carrying along.

The laptop I use for college, came with a Dutch version of Win8.1 installed on it, but I changed it into a US English looking version with just installing a language pack. The backbone of Windows is the same for all languages, I think.

However, I did need to upgrade with a Dutch ISO, because else I didn't apply for a upgrade for this laptop. Of course, a language pack later, and it's back to an US English version. Only at a few screens, you still see that it originally was a Dutch version.
The original Installed Language does matter (God knows why).

If you Upgrade or In-place Upgrade (Repair Install) with the wrong language, you may be informed you can't Keep Files, settings and Apps.

Files only or Nothing (Clean Install)


You can check which language is your original in Registry entry (Win+R regedit)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlNlsLanguageInstallLanguage

The Hex language codes are listed here

So Dutch is 413 / 0413 (Hex)
German 0407
US English 0409
UK English 0809
etc etc

Download and keep the correct iso for your system. eg

MS Media Creation Tool (W8.1)

MS Media Creation Tool (W10)

Because two countries use English doesnt mean they are the same...

The British version enables the correct spelling, grammar and punctuation of the English language.

It also defaults to the correct date, time, number, currency and measurement formats, etc.

Dialogue boxes are not rude but use polite phrasing, you don't have to stand and salute a flag before use, manual gearbox is standard and it drives on the correct side of the road.

There are also single-language versions of Windows Home OEM sold, so if you get a single-language version, you can't install the US language.

It's also not that, there are way more things. For example different market too, but in the end it doesnt matter because you can change these things with a few clicks to any language/country you want: Market (living location), keyboard layout (+ display language), and the clock/punctuation/symbol settings. Behind this is the key which is bound to the country you bought it from.

Difference between en-US and en-GB versions