Windows 7 Walkthrough: Clock, Language, and Region Control Panel
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Windows 7 Walkthrough: Clock, Language, and Region Control Panel
Windows 7 Walkthrough: Clock, Language, and Region Control Panel
Windows 7’s Control Panel is literally packed with tools (a.k.a. applets) that allow you to configure and control the way that the operating system works. Because the Control Panel has so many tools, Microsoft added a Search box to make it easy for you to find the tool that you need for a particular task.
To help you become familiar with all of the tools that are available in Windows 7’s Control Panel, I have created the Windows 7 Walkthrough series in which I’ll show you and provide a brief overview of each tool in the Control Panel categories. This one covers the tools in the Clock, Language and Region category.
Keep in mind that I’ll be using the Ultimate edition of Windows 7, which contains some features not available in other editions of the operating system.
Clock, Language, and Region
Clock, Language, and Region
When you open the Clock, Language, and Region category you’ll see that there are two sections in this category.
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Date and Time
Date and Time
When you select Date and Time, you’ll see this dialog box with the Date and Time tab selected. Here you can see the currently selected date, time and time zone.
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Date and Time Settings
Date and Time Settings
When you select the Change date and time button, you’ll see the Date and Time Settings dialog box and can use the calendar control to change the date and the spin button control to change the time.
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Time Zone Settings
Time Zone Settings
When you select the Change time zone button, you’ll see the Time Zone Settings dialog box and can use the drop down list to choose a time zone as well as set the Daylight Savings Time adjustment.
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Additional Clocks
Additional Clocks
If you want to display additional clocks from other time zones in the pop-up that appears in the Notification area when you hover your mouse pointer over the time, you can select two other clocks from within the Additional Clocks tab.
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Internet Time
Internet Time
In order to present the correct time, Windows regularly synchronizes its clock with an Internet time server as displayed on the Internet Time tab.
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Internet Time Settings
Internet Time Settings
By default, Windows regularly synchronizes its clock with time.windows.com. If you prefer, you can click the Change Settings button and choose a different Internet time server.
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Region and Language
Region and Language
When you select Region and Language, you’ll see this dialog box with the Formats tab selected. Here you can see the currently selected language as well as date and time formats.
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Customize Format
Customize Format
When you click the Additional settings button, you’ll see the Customize Format dialog box and can alter regional formats using the controls on the Numbers, Currency, Time, and Date tabs.
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Keyboards and Languages
Keyboards and Languages
From the Keyboards and Languages tab you can change the keyboard’s input language as well as the display language, which is used to display text and recognize speech and handwriting.
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Text Services and Input Languages
Text Services and Input Languages
When you select the Change keyboards button, you’ll see the Text Services and Input Languages dialog box and can use the controls on the General, Language Bar, and Advanced Key Settings tabs to change the input language and the customize the keyboard.
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Install or Uninstall Display Language
Install or Uninstall Display Language
When you select the Install/uninstall languages button, you’ll see the Install or uninstall display language window and can use the controls to change the language Windows uses to display text in wizards, dialog boxes, menus, and other items in the user interface.
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Administrative
Administrative
From the Administrative tab you can view and copy the international settings as well view and change the system locale settings.
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Welcome Screen and New User Account Settings
Welcome Screen and New User Account Settings
When you click the Copy Settings button, you’ll see the Welcome screen and new user account settings dialog box, which displays the language and location settings for the current user and will allow you to copy these settings to other accounts. When you choose regional and language settings for your computer, such as your default input language or keyboard layout, you can apply those settings to special accounts in Windows called reserved accounts. Reserved accounts include the default user account and the system accounts.
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Change System Locale
Change System Locale
When you click the Change System locale button, you’ll see this dialog box and can use the drop down to select a different system locale setting. The system locale determines the default character set (letters, symbols, and numbers) and font used to enter and display information in programs that don’t use Unicode. This allows non-Unicode programs to run on your computer using the specified language.
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Clock, Language, and Region Walkthrough Map
Clock, Language, and Region Walkthrough Map
This tree diagram presents a map of the Clock, Language, and Region walkthrough.
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