Setting the default input method for the Windows 10 login screen

Solution 1:

I had the same question but with French being the default on Windows 10 rather than the one I wanted so I ended up here.

HoD is very close. I was able to use his suggestion to find the solution for me. This solution uses your current display and input language to change the Welcome screen and possible for new user accounts if you want. So make sure you have the display and input settings while logged in that you want to apply to the login screen before doing the steps:

1. Click the language on the Taskbar.
2. Then click Language preferences.
3. At the bottom under "Related settings," click "additional date, time, & regional settings" which opens the control panel
4. Click the "Region" option
5. Then go to the far right tab "Administrative". (HoD's step 2)
6. In the "Welcome screen and new user accounts" click copy settings. (HoD's step 3)
7. Tick "Welcome screen and system accounts" (and "new user accounts" if you want it to be applied to those as well). (HoD's step 4)
8. Click Ok. (HoD's step 5)

I was able to use HoD's suggestion to find the solution here. It's for Windows 8.1, but works on 10 so far.

Hope it will help you, too!

Solution 2:

I'm on Win7 so I will check again tonight on Win10 to see if this is still correct. So first set up your own settings (language, keyboard etc) they way you want it. Then do this:

1. Open Control Panel and open "Change Keyboard or other input methods"
2. Open the tab 'Administrative'
3. Click on "Copy settings..."
4. Tick "Welcome screen and system accounts" and "new user accounts" if you feel like it.
5. Click Apply and then OK

Solution 3:

I am using Group Policy Registry settings to setup en-US welcome screen input language by default on domain computers. There are only two registry values in single key:

[HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload]
"1"="00000409"
"2"="00000419"

I am sure that default input language is EN on welcome screen. It is very usable because usernames are also English.

But this policy doesn't work on Win10 by default, "from box". And that's why.

There is undocumented feature in Windows 8/8.1/10. It performs automatically copying user language settings to login screen. This feature can be disabled by Local or Domain GPO here:

Computer configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Locale Services/
Disallow copying of user input methods to the system account for sign-in

"This policy prevents automatic copying of user input methods to the system account for use on the sign-in screen. The user is restricted to the set of input methods that are enabled in the system account. Note this does not affect the availability of user input methods on the lock screen or with the UAC prompt. If the policy is Enabled, then the user will get input methods enabled for the system account on the sign-in page. If the policy is Disabled or Not Configured, then the user will be able to use input methods enabled for their user account on the sign-in page."

Just enable it, and you can control input language on welcome screen by only two registry values.