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heathesq

Feb 1, 2006, 5:14 PM

Post #1 of 15 (6933 views)

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Windows in Spanish

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I am teaching some local kids windows, word and excel. Half of them have English-based computers, the other half Spanish-based. My Spanish is weak. Anyway I can make windows and the other programs appear in Spanish so that I can explain what is going on?

wyhaines

Feb 1, 2006, 5:29 PM

Post #2 of 15 (6928 views)

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Re: [heathesq] Windows in Spanish

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In the Windows control panel you need to find your regional and language options. There you can set what you need to set.

Kirk Haines

johanson / Moderator

Feb 1, 2006, 8:23 PM

Post #3 of 15 (6912 views)

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Re: [wyhaines] Windows in Spanish

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Kirk, I am not an expert on this subject and I am only quoting what others have said at computer meetings. Maybe those who spoke were wrong and you are right. But we were told that changing the language options will only partially help and that one needs to purchase the operating system in the appropriate language.

I hope you are right and I am wrong. Maybe someone else could add to this.

Rolly

Feb 1, 2006, 8:37 PM

Post #4 of 15 (6910 views)

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Re: [johanson] Windows in Spanish

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I just tried changing my Windows to Spanish. Before it will work, you must load Spanish language files. No word on where those files are.

Rolly Pirate

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Feb 1, 2006, 9:34 PM

Post #5 of 15 (6901 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Windows in Spanish

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Does this help?

http://update.microsoft.com/...6/default.aspx?ln=es
Getting older and still not down here.

wyhaines

Feb 2, 2006, 6:13 AM

Post #6 of 15 (6887 views)

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Re: [johanson] Windows in Spanish

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That's probably true. But you can get partly there by changing the regional and language settings.

Thanks,

Kirk Haines

Papirex

Feb 2, 2006, 7:46 AM

Post #7 of 15 (6878 views)

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Re: [heathesq] Windows in Spanish

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I had the same problem with my Mexican wife’s computer. Her late brother had it custom built here in Mexico in 2001. It originally had a little 3 GB hard drive in it, and the OS was Windows 98 in Spanish. The hard drive was chuck full, and there was not enough room to load all the programs she needed in it. I installed a larger hard drive, but since it was custom built, the builder furnished no OS disks.

I installed the Windows 2000 Pro OS in English in it. I tried everything possible to change the language to Spanish in it for about a year. You can get the Internet Explorer home page in Spanish, that’s about it. Changing the regional settings gets you the correct time zone. Changing the language settings allows you to type with your Spanish keyboard, that’s about it. Trying to get Microsoft updates in Spanish wouldn’t work; they downloaded in English for me.

I’m not a computer expert, but I’m no dummy with computers either. The only fix was to get a disk with XP Pro in Spanish. I had to format her hard drive and do a clean install. I have the MS Office 2000 Premium suite in English, changing the language settings in it only allows you to type and use the spell checker in another language, it does not change the language of the programs. I did load the Spanish language version of Incredimail in her computer so she would have an Email client in her first language. Not as comprehensive as Outlook, but OK. http://www.incredimail.com/spanish/download.asp

I hate to rain on anyone’s parade, but if you are using a Microsoft operating system, there is no way to convert it to a different language.

Rex

"The supreme happiness of life is the conviction that we are loved" - Victor Hugo

heathesq

Feb 2, 2006, 9:33 AM

Post #8 of 15 (6866 views)

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Re: [RexC] Windows in Spanish

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Thanks everyone.

I can type my stuff in Spanish and copy it to a disk which the students will upload. Key words will be in Spanish and English which they can interpret as they will. Some will have to recognize the English and others will have to guess at my Spanish - at lest both groups will have to work at it.

ignacio

Feb 2, 2006, 3:45 PM

Post #9 of 15 (6848 views)

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Re: [heathesq] Windows in Spanish

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I remember that when I ordered my 'service pack version 2' it was a different number for Spanish or English CD. To me it means there must be significant differences between the two, or MS would have had just one part number for both.

Just my humble opinion.

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Feb 2, 2006, 4:05 PM

Post #10 of 15 (6843 views)

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Re: [ignacio] Windows in Spanish

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You might take a look at this link & see if it will help.

http://www.sdl.com/...aptop%20or%20desktop
Getting older and still not down here.

ignacio

Feb 2, 2006, 4:10 PM

Post #11 of 15 (6840 views)

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Re: [Ron Pickering] Windows in Spanish

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For that matter, Google has an internet translator that is free:

http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

Ron Pickering W3FJW

Feb 2, 2006, 5:20 PM

Post #12 of 15 (6833 views)

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Re: [ignacio] Windows in Spanish

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In Reply To

For that matter, Google has an internet translator that is free:

http://www.google.com/language_tools?hl=en

heathesq as I remember wanted to use the translator on local documents and files, which I don't believe would work with online translators. The link I provided is the only one I could find after searching (out of curiosity) for a few hours. Unfortunatly it's not free, but might be worth the cost.
Getting older and still not down here.

Rolly

Feb 2, 2006, 7:08 PM

Post #13 of 15 (6827 views)

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Re: [Ron Pickering] Windows in Spanish

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For more on various translators and dictionaries, look here: http://rollybrook.com/translators.htm

Rolly Pirate

simon

Feb 9, 2006, 10:26 AM

Post #14 of 15 (6791 views)

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Re: [heathesq] Windows in Spanish

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Just 2 ways of converting a English Windows XP and Office to spanish. The first is to buy a local Spanish version of the applications (as mentioned) and the second way is to obtain Microsoft Language Pack CD for both Windows and Office. Unfortuneatly, Microsoft reportedly does not make this language pack available to consumers but only to Corporate IT groups.

DoDi2

Feb 9, 2006, 11:46 AM

Post #15 of 15 (6780 views)

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Re: [Rolly] Windows in Spanish

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Rolly,

Here's a great little contraption, the Quicktionary II Super Translator Pen, that I bought and that you perhaps might want to add to your list... I use it for reading books in spanish and it's great for being able to look up words without hauling out a dictionary and breaking one's reading stride.

It has virtually all words in it's very extensive dictionary.. although it does take some practice and experiance using it to find all the shortcuts and tricks. At first it seems a little harder to use or limited than it actually is (especially for those of us who are allergic to reading directions).

I give it very high marks. It can be bought from various outlets. The manufacturer's website is: http://www.quick-pen.com/...Pen-Translator.shtml