How To Install the Chinese Language Pack for Windows XP

By Antoine on February 23rd, 2010

While Windows 7 already includes Chinese Language support, many Windows XP users still need to enable it manually. This is a step-by-step guide on how to activate Chinese Pinyin Input on your Windows XP Computer.

1. Open the Windows Control Panel.
2. Click on “Date, Time, Language and Regional options” (Your Control Panel needs to be in “Category view”). Now click the “Regional and Language Options” icon.
3. Choose the “Languages” tab, and check the “Install files for East Asian languages” box:
4. Click Apply. You may be asked to insert your Windows XP CD at this point. My version was preinstalled on my computer, so I had no physical copy. I borrowed a friend’s CD, it worked for me!
5. Click the “Details” button, it should open the “Text services and input languages” window.
6. Click on “Add” next to the installed languages box.
7. In the “Input Language” list, pick “Chinese (PRC)”. The “Keyboard Layout” should automatically be “Chinese (Simplified) – Microsoft Pinyin IME 3.0″. Click “OK” twice.
8. You should see a language bar in the bottom right corner of your screen. Click on “EN” and select “CN” from the list. You can now type in Chinese Pinyin.

Congratulations! Switch back to English by choosing it from the Language bar or alternatively pressing Alt + Shift.

If you prefer a prettier look, try downloading the Sogou Pinyin Input Software.