Strange language problem at bootup

[Austin,]

Laptop, English version of XP bought in UK, setup to use English UK, with UK
keybard.

I rebooted my laptop this morning only to discover I could not then log in,
as soon as I tried to type my password the mouse and keyboard would freeze
and I would have to powercycle. The same happens in safe mode.

I then noticed that next to the password box, the language was showing as CY
(welsh?) which I dont even have installed afaik (not shown in control panel
language settings).

Using the net, I learned that I could hold alt+shift to switch languages and
this allows me to login at least, however the problems dont stop there.

Many of the services are not properly working on my laptop now.
Specifically services which use a background service such as vmware player or
cisco vpn client. They complain they cant contact the service (even thought
the service is running according to the services control panel applet).
Restarting the service doesnt help.

I wonder if those services are running in Welsh also, and are in conflict
with their clients running in English???

Anyway, regardless of that. How can I set my system back to using EN by
default instead of CY, so that I dont have to prat around to login. I tried
playing around with the default language, specifically I did

- Added English (United States) and made it the default (only had UK
installed)
- Make English (United Kingdom) default again

However, when I reboot the keyboard is still set to CY!

Hopefully when I properly resolve the language issue, the issues with the
services will go away.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Laptop, English version of XP bought in UK, setup to use English UK, with
UK
keybard.

I rebooted my laptop this morning only to discover I could not then log
in,
as soon as I tried to type my password the mouse and keyboard would freeze
and I would have to powercycle. The same happens in safe mode.

I then noticed that next to the password box, the language was showing as
CY
(welsh?) which I dont even have installed afaik (not shown in control
panel
language settings).

Using the net, I learned that I could hold alt+shift to switch languages
and
this allows me to login at least, however the problems dont stop there.

Many of the services are not properly working on my laptop now.
Specifically services which use a background service such as vmware player
or
cisco vpn client. They complain they cant contact the service (even
thought
the service is running according to the services control panel applet).
Restarting the service doesnt help.

I wonder if those services are running in Welsh also, and are in conflict
with their clients running in English???

Anyway, regardless of that. How can I set my system back to using EN by
default instead of CY, so that I dont have to prat around to login. I
tried
playing around with the default language, specifically I did

- Added English (United States) and made it the default (only had UK
installed)
- Make English (United Kingdom) default again

However, when I reboot the keyboard is still set to CY!

Hopefully when I properly resolve the language issue, the issues with the
services will go away.

Use System Restore to return the machine to a safe condition.

 

[Austin,]

I was hoping for something not quite so drastic. winlogin.exe is after all
just a program that gets its settings from somewhere, one of which must be
the keyboard language, so what I am after is how to change the setting.

That said, I tried a restore anyway as I have a few recent restore points
and my laptop is refusing to do a system restore, stating it is unable to
restore to that point. Tried several different checkpoints. It goes through
the motions and reboots etc, but then says it didnt do anything.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

There is nothing drastic about System Restore: All it does is
restore your operating system to the chosen point in time.
Your data files are left intact.

Winlogon.exe, like most native Windows programs, gets its
parameters from the registry. System Restore restores the
registry - hence my recommendation.

I can think of two courses of action:
- See if fixing the pre-logon language resolves the problem. It
is kept here: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload
http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Index.cfm?ArticleID=14867&DisplayTab=Article
- Do a manual system restore: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/307545.
This is not a trivial process but I think that you would handle it with
ease.
Make sure so save your existing registry files before overwriting them!

 

[Austin,]

So basically, what your saying is. You dont know.

"There is nothing drastic about System Restore"

Made me laugh. System Restore is more drastic that editing a registry
setting, especially when you have made other system configuration changes you
wish to keep.

Anyway, the point is moot. As I said, System Restore is refusing to restore
and so is not an option. So if you know the registry setting I need to
change to alter winlogon.exe's keyboard language perhaps you would care to
tell me what it is, otherwise I thank you for your suggestions and ask does
anyone else know the answer?

 

[Austin,]

Humm for some reason I missed the 2nd 1/2 of your post.

Thanks I will give that a try.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

*** See below.

So basically, what your saying is. You dont know.

*** Correct. It's your machine - all I can do is guess.

"There is nothing drastic about System Restore"

Made me laugh. System Restore is more drastic that editing a registry
setting, especially when you have made other system configuration changes
you
wish to keep.

*** Configuration changes are usually easy to replicate,
*** e.g. by re-installing the most recent piece of software.
*** It is much harder to restore data.

Anyway, the point is moot. As I said, System Restore is refusing to
restore
and so is not an option. So if you know the registry setting I need to
change to alter winlogon.exe's keyboard language perhaps you would care to
tell me what it is,

*** I already told you.

otherwise I thank you for your suggestions and ask does
anyone else know the answer?

*** Do I detect an abrasive edge to your reply?

 

[Austin,]

+++ See below.

*** See below.



*** Correct. It's your machine - all I can do is guess.


*** Configuration changes are usually easy to replicate,
*** e.g. by re-installing the most recent piece of software.
*** It is much harder to restore data.


*** I already told you.

+++ Yes I know, see the post I posted immediatly after. And thankyou your
the first suggestion was spot on. A small registry change did the trick.
And I appologies for overlooking this part of your message in the first place
(it took it as part of the quoted message at first... probably due to the
inclusion of the link)

*** Do I detect an abrasive edge to your reply?

+++ It wasnt meant to be, it was meant to thank you for your input so far
then tender for additional info.

 

[Austin,]

The following proved to be the solution to my problem. Thanks.

 

[Pegasus \(MVP\)]

Thanks for the feedback - glad you resolved your problem.