Detecting the System Language – NOT the ANSI Code Page!
A lot of software comes with several languages integrated into an automatic setup. Its great if everyone can use software in his prefered language. However many installers are broken with regard to language detection, even when they come from major software vendors such as Google and Microsoft.
My operating system is an English version of Windows 7 using German locale in the regional settings. However my system ANSI code page is set to 936 for Chinese (DBCS), which allows non-Unicode programs to open files which Chinese path names.
Just today I came across another annoying language-bugged software: The Canon IJ MP Navigator, which is a user interface for Canon scanners. When you start the installation, everything goes automatically. The software “thinks” it knows what language I want to install by looking at my ANSI code page settings – which is WRONG! Although so many software installers do it that way, the user interface language must not be installed according to the code page. Instead it should be judged from the regional settings. In case of Canon, I am not even asked about my language preference, and there is no possibility to change the language after the software was installed. So I am ending up with a Chinese only installation.
The only workaround is to change the language for non-Unicode programs to English, restart the system, install the software, change the ANSI CP again, and restart the system again. Thanks for wasting my time.
When I last installed Google Earth, the installer exhibited the same problem. The desktop shortcut was showing up as “Google 地球” instead of “Google Earth”, but at least it was possible to change the language without reinstalling.