HT202036: Change the language used at the login screen on your Mac

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zkiefer
Level 1 (4 points)
Mac OS X

Q: mac os x Yosemite: languagesetup does not change primary language from US to German

Mac os x 10.10.5, mac mini, login window

 

what ever I tried, I can not change the primary language from US to German Or other languages. After logout or reboot or screensaver US is active and all other languages I activated are gone.

Mac mini, OS X Yosemite (10.10.5)

Posted on Jul 7, 2016 1:31 AM

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zkiefer

Q: mac os x Yosemite: languagesetup does not change primary language from US to German

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Eric Root,

    Eric Root Eric Root Jul 7, 2016 8:52 AM in response to zkiefer
    Level 9 (69,659 points)
    iTunes
    Jul 7, 2016 8:52 AM in response to zkiefer

    Might be a corrupt .plist.

     

    Do a backup, preferably 2 backups on 2 separate drives.

     

    Quit the application.

     

    Go to Finder and select your user/home folder. With that Finder window as the front window, either select Finder/View/Show View options or go command - J.  When the View options opens, check ’Show Library Folder’. That should make your user library folder visible in your user/home folder.  Select Library. Then go to Preferences/com.apple.systempreferences.plist.  Move the .plist to your desktop.

     

    Restart the computer, open the application, and test. If it works okay, delete the plist from the desktop.

     

    If the application is the same, return the .plist to where you got it from, overwriting the newer one.

     

    Thanks to leonie for some information contained in this.

  • by zkiefer,

    zkiefer zkiefer Jul 8, 2016 2:36 AM in response to Eric Root
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 8, 2016 2:36 AM in response to Eric Root

    There is no problem to change the USER specific language setup. I can't change the language setup within the LOGINWINDOW! macOS doesn't remember the last setup within the upper right dropdown menu where you can select different languages. The terminal command "sudo language setup" doesn't work too. I can select German but it has no effect: After reboot US is active again.

  • by Esquared,

    Esquared Esquared Jul 8, 2016 2:56 AM in response to zkiefer
    Level 6 (8,405 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 8, 2016 2:56 AM in response to zkiefer

    What have your tried? This already? Change the language used at the login screen on your Mac - Apple Support

  • by zkiefer,

    zkiefer zkiefer Jul 8, 2016 8:08 AM in response to Esquared
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Mac OS X
    Jul 8, 2016 8:08 AM in response to Esquared

    I did all these things. I also tried this:

    /System/Library/CoreServices/Language\ Chooser.app/Contents/MacOS/Language\ Chooser

    (selecting German as primary Language) which runs with first run after system installation.

    Should I reinstall the whole system?

  • by albertomsr,

    albertomsr albertomsr Sep 2, 2016 6:59 PM in response to zkiefer
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 2, 2016 6:59 PM in response to zkiefer

    I also have the same problem. Tried sudo languagesetup and Language Chooser, but they don't have any effect. I can't change the system language.