Configure UEM to Auto Switch Display and Input Language On Windows 10

[mrstorey303]

I’m a bit of a novice when it comes to UEM - looking for some guidance on how to achieve auto language switching in the following environment:

• Horizon 7.2
• UEM 9.2
• Windows 10 1607
• Mandatory Profiles
• Instant clone, floating pool

We have users from multiple language regions logging in to a single view pool, and I’d like to configure UEM to dynamically switch the keyboard, display language and regional settings to reflect their location - ideally by OU since our AD is structured by geographic location.

I guess to start with I’d need to install all the required language packs in to the master image, and update the existing mandatory profile to include these languages?  Then I’d configure a ‘Display Language’ config for each language using the user OU as a condition.  Is that right?

For the keyboard, I’d presumably need to create a keyboard config under the Personalization tab - but I’m not sure what settings I’d need to configure under ‘Predefined settings’ to ensure the keyboard automatically switched to the correct language (again based on user OU). 

I guess they’re just registry settings - but any idea what they are, or how I can find them out?  I tried the app profiler to try capture this, but it looks like this only works with executables?

As you can tell - I’m pretty new to UEM.  Any help or guidance would be really appreciated!

[ijdemes]

Hi mrstorey303​,

This is possible.

You need the different languages in the base image.

You can use the built-in functionality of VMWare UEM. Under the User Environment tab go to Windows Settings / Display Language. There you can add a display language and choose Organizational Unit as a condition.

Not sure why or if a separate mandatory profile is necessary for different languages. Maybe in terms of logon speed.

Regarding the regional settings. They are stored in HKCU\Control Panel\International. You can use these settings as a predefined (forced) setting and use the same OU condition.

Regarding the keyboard settings. They are stored in HKCU\Keyboard Layout. You can use these settings as a predefined (forced) setting and use the same OU condition.

Does this answer your question?

[DEMdev · Accepted solution]

Hi mrstorey303​,

You're definitely on the right track! You do indeed need to install the language packs in the master image, but I don't think any changes to the mandatory profile are needed – that's where UEM comes in.

I think the easiest way to do this would be to create three Flex config files based on built-in Windows Common Settings: Keyboard, Multilanguage User Interface settings, and Regional settings.

Then, log on with a test user, configure the keyboard, display language, and regional settings to your liking, and log off. Move the three resulting user profile archives into a "Settings for language <lang>" folder, and repeat these steps for all the other languages.

The user profile archives you've copied to the "Settings for language <lang>" folders can now be installed as predefined settings for the Flex config files you created:

If you want to enforce these settings (instead of providing them as a default but allowing the user to change them), just change the Type to Fully Enforced Settings.

On the Conditions tab you then apply your OU-based logic to determine the user's geographic location (possibly through a Condition Set, to limit the impact of future AD restructuring – having the UEM items reference a condition set means that you'd only have to modify that condition set in that case).

After creating the predefined settings you can delete the "Settings for language <lang>" folders.

[mrstorey303]

OK perfect - this looks like it covers all the bases I'm looking for - thanks!

Will get to work on this and get back to you asap.

[DEMdev]

Hmm... Next time I just should wait a little longer to see if ijdemes​ might be replying at the same time 🙂

[ijdemes]

Haha, no worries. 2 is better than 1

[mrstorey303]

Thanks for your replies guys.

Think I'm missing something here - but for me, the additional languages don't appear for new users after installing them under the administrator profile on the master machine.  So:

- Fire up master machine, login as administrator

- Install additional languages using control panel

- logout, login as test UEM user to capture profile archives / language configs, but the additional language options are not available?

This was why I mentioned the mandatory profile - I wondered if installing languages were profile-specific?

Thanks for your help.

[mrstorey303]

OK - found the issue - so, it looks like the additional languages are unavailable when I apply the mandatory profile I have configured for the pool!

Need to figure out what I should do here...

[ijdemes]

Not trying to use an easy escape here, but if you are using a non-persistent (stateless) desktop, why use a mandatory profile? Why not use a (default) local profile instead?

The other option you can test is deploy the system, add all required languages, and then create the mandatory profile and test with that.

Curious to hear your thoughts and/or outcome.

[mrstorey303]

I'm using them purely because I've read on VMware blogs and deployment guides that it's best practice to use them with UEM, and it'll help increase login times - we're currently experiencing something in the region of 30secs to login, which seems fast to some View user's I've spoken to here, but is verging on unacceptable for our users and management

Personally I'm finding mandatory profiles a pain to manage and implement - creating them the 'proper' microsoft way involves sysprepping the machine, and a laborious process using the microsoft AIK to generate a single line of code for the unattend.xml just so the 'copy to' option appears in the advanced options / user profile dialog - all pretty horrible!

Maybe it's worth not bothering with them then?  I can't honestly say I've seen an increase in login performance anyway.

[DEMdev]

I'd agree with ijdemes​ that in a non-persistent environment a local profile should do just fine. Improving logon times in Windows 10 takes some effort, but I don't think mandatory vs local profiles would play a role there. That is, for best performance you would have to tweak the mandatory profile or the default profile anyway – any further notes on that, Pim_van_de_Vis​?

As for your language packs not showing up with a mandatory profile: sorry, no clue...

[Sravan_k]

Hi mrstorey303​

As ijdemes​ and UEMdev​ said use the local account and login as admin [.\username] and install your language pkg's, after you done with installation use DefProf tool and apply it to default profile.

Please let me know if you need any help on DefProf?

Thank you,

Vkmr.

[mrstorey303]

OK - success!

For the additional languages to appear for other profiles / new users, I had to navigate to control panel / region / administrative / copy settings  and check the boxes labelled 'Copy your current settings to : New User Accounts'

That, along with all your suggestions regarding display language config, and direct flex config files for Keyboard, Region and Multi Languages User Interface settings - it seems to switch correctly for each user.  Many thanks.

I feel we probably should have a discuss Windows 10 logon times and mandatory profiles in a separate thread - I've turned them off and using local profiles for now.

The DefProf tool looks interesting - certainly would save time if I want to update the default profile - the way I've been doing it involves sysprepp'ing with copyto / unattend.xml answer file....bit of a pain.  Is DefProf supported for Windows 10?  Seems to only suggest it's used with Windows 7 and 8?

Thanks for all your help.

[ijdemes]

Thanks for the feedback mrstorey303​. And good to hear that you now have a working solution.

[Sravan_k]

Perfect!!!

Yes Defprof is 100% compatible with Windows10, you can use it on win10

Thanks for update!

Vkmr.