Windows 10 includes language packs to make it easy for people who frequently use foreign languages. These language packs are useful for both display and input. If more than one language pack is active, Windows will display a language bar on the taskbar. This makes it very easy to switch keyboards, but for some users, the language bar on their computer is missing.
Some users have reported that the language bar is missing or not visible on Windows 10-based computers. Let's take a look at how to enable the language bar and input indicator first, and then troubleshoot the error.
How to enable input indication in Windows 10
Press the Windows+I button to launch Settings and click Personalization.
Click the taskbar in the left pane and select Turn the system icon on or off under the notification area on the right.
You will receive a new pop-up window. Toggle the option indicated by the input here.
You can now switch languages instantly from the taskbar.
How to enable the language bar in Windows 10
When the Input Instructions are in the system tray after activation, the language bar appears on the taskbar. Users prefer the language bar because it can be removed and placed anywhere on the desktop.
1. Press the Windows+I shortcut to open "Settings" and click "Devices".
2. Select "Input" in the left pane, then scroll down to find "Advanced Keyboard Settings" under "More Keyboard Settings" on the right.
3. Scroll a little bit again and check the box before the "Use desktop language bar (if available)" option.
4. Here's what the taskbar looks like. The first icon is used for the language bar, and the second icon is used for input instructions.
5. To unpin the language bar and move freely on the desktop, click on the language bar and select "Show Language Bar".
6. Now you can move it around, and it will stay at the top of any window you may have open at that time.
WHAT TO DO IF THE LANGUAGE BAR IS MISSING IN WINDOWS 10
If you still don't see the language bar on the taskbar, here are some ways to fix the problem.
Unhide
1. The language bar may be hidden. Press Windows+I on your keyboard to open "Settings" and click "Devices".
2. Select "Input" in the left pane, scroll down to find "Advanced Keyboard Settings" under "More Keyboard Settings", and click on it.
3. At the bottom, you will see the language bar option. Click on it.
4. From the pop-up window, select the "Dock on taskbar" or "Float on desktop" option.
5. Click the "Apply" button, and the language bar should be displayed on the taskbar.
Check the registry
You may need to make a small change in the Windows registry to help the language bar reappear on the taskbar.
1. Press Windows+R to open the runtime box prompt and type regedit, then press enter.
2. Now, you will navigate to the following folder path:
KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run 3. Right-click anywhere in the empty space in the right pane and select String Value under New.
4. This will create a new file called "New Value #1" that you can name whatever you want. Right-click on it and select Modify.
5. Enter the following values.
"ctfmon"="CTFMON.EXE" 6. Click "OK", then restart the system and check whether the language bar on the taskbar is visible.
Perform an SFC scan
This utility will scan your Windows system for irregularities as well as corrupted files and restore them. One of these files is Windows Resource Protection or WRP, which is required for the language bar to work properly. Let's see if it's lost or damaged.
1. Press Windows+R to open the run box and type cmd, then press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to run as administrator.
2. Type the following command and press enter to run it.
sfc /scannow Note: The scan may take a while to complete. When you're done, exit the command prompt and check if the language bar is still missing. If yes, let's move on to the next solution.
Remove/add languages
Some users have reported that removing and adding their preferred second language really worked.
1. To do this, press the Windows+I shortcut to open "Settings" and click "Time and Language".
2. Under "Region & Language", you can delete a language pack by clicking on its name and selecting the "Delete" option. Keep your native language the same and remove all paraphrasing.
3. To re-add a language, click "Add Language" on the same screen, search for your preferred language, and click "Next".
4. On the next screen, you can choose whether to show only the language or both the voice and handwriting languages. Click "Install" to complete the installation.
Update Windows
Are you using the latest version of Windows?
1. Press the Windows key + I key to open "Settings", and then select "Update & Security".
2. Click the "Check for Updates" button, if there is an update, Windows will provide installation services. In most cases, Windows will automatically install these updates, but may turn off automatic updates on your system.
Language bar
We hope you've put the language bar on the taskbar by now. As we saw above, the language bar may not have been set up correctly in the first place. Adjusting the settings can help resolve this common error.