Fix: Cannot Remove Keyboard Language in Windows 10/11

Some users can’t remove keyboard language layouts via Windows 10 Settings in the usual way. Keyboard languages might reappear in Settings for some users after they’ve seemingly removed them.

Other users see languages in the system tray bar not listed within Settings. In one case or another, things shouldn’t remain like that for too long.

Let us show you how to get rid of this issue in no time. Our below keyboard troubleshooting tips are waiting for you.

What to do if you can’t remove keyboard layout languages?

1. Rearrange the listed languages

1. Click the magnifying glass search button on Windows 10’s taskbar.
2. Type the keyword keyboard language within the search text box.
3. Select Edit language and keyboard options to open the window shown directly below.
   
4. Then select the listed keyboard language layout you want to remove.
5. Click the down arrow button to move the selected keyboard language to the bottom of the list.
6. Now the Remove option for the keyboard language you need to delete might no longer be grayed out. Press the Remove button for keyboard language if you can now do so.

The keyboard language at the top of the list always has a grayed-out Remove button. So, sometimes users need to rearrange the keyboard language list to remove a specific pack. This also helps when removing a display language in Windows 11.

If only one keyboard language is listed, you’ll need to install an alternative one before you can remove it.

2. Change the current system locale setting

1. Open run right-clicking the Start taskbar button and selecting that accessory on the menu.
2. Type this text into Run: Control Panel.
3. Click OK to open the Control Panel’s window.
4. Select the Category option on the Control Panel’s View by drop-down menu.
5. Then click Clock and Region within the Control Panel.
   
6. Click Region to open the window in the snapshot directly below.
   
7. Select the Administrative tab.
8. Press the Change system locale button to open a Region Settings window.
   
9. If the keyboard language you want to remove is selected on the Current system locale drop-down menu, choose a different one there.
10. Select the Beta: Use Unicode UTF-8 for Worldwide Language Support checkbox.
11. Press the OK button on the Region Settings window.
12. Click Apply on the Region window to save the newly selected options.
13. Thereafter, restart your PC.

3. Remove the keyboard language with PowerShell

1. Open Windows 10’s Type here to search tool.
2. Input Windows PowerShell as the search keyword.
3. Click PowerShell to open its window.
4. First, input this command and hit Enter: Get-WinUserLanguageList
   
5. Note down the language tag for the keyboard language layout you wish to remove.
6. Next, input the following four separate commands into PowerShell (press Enter after each):
$LangList = Get-WinUserLanguageList
$MarkedLang = $LangList | where LanguageTag -eq <languagecode>
$LangList.Remove($MarkedLang)
Set-WinUserLanguageList $LangList -Force
7. Restart your PC after entering the above commands.

You’ll need to replace <languagecode> in the second command with the actual language tag you noted down in the fifth step. If your language tag was en-GB, the command would like this:
$MarkedLang = $LangList | where LanguageTag -eq en-GB

4. Delete the keyboard language layout’s registry key

1. Click the magnifying glass button for the search tool on the taskbar.
2. Type Registry Editor within the search box.
3. Select the Run as administrator option for Registry Editor within the search utility.
4. Next, open this key within the Registry Editor window: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Keyboard Layouts\
   
5. Open the Microsoft keyboard identifiers webpage in a browser.
6. Find the keyboard identifier hexadecimal code for the keyboard language you want to remove on the identifier page.
7. Then select a keyboard language layout key with a matching hexadecimal code within the Registry Editor. The Layout Text string for the selected key also tells you the language it’s for.
   
8. Right-click the keyboard language key and select Delete.
9. Close the Registry Editor, and then restart your laptop or desktop.

NOTE

We recommend users back up their PCs’ registries, or create System Restore points, before deleting any registry keys or strings.

5. Edit the Preload registry key

1. Open the Registry Editor as outlined within the first three steps of the previous resolution.
2. Then open the Preload key at this registry path: HKEY_USERS\.DEFAULT\Keyboard Layout\Preload
   
3. Next, you’ll need to open Microsoft’s keyboard identifier webpage; and find the hexadecimal code for the keyboard language you want to remove there.
4. Right-click the Preload string with a hexadecimal code that matches the one for the keyboard language you want to remove to open its context menu.
5. Select the Delete option to erase the string.
6. Right-click the Keyboard Layout key and select Permissions to open the window shown directly below.
   
7. Click the Advanced button.
8. Press the Disable inheritance button on the window shown directly below.
   
9. Select the Remove all inherited permissions option to confirm.
10. Click the Apply and OK options to return to the Permissions for Keyboard Layout window.
11. Then select System within the window.
12. Uncheck the Allow checkbox for Full Control to deselect it.
13. Click Apply to save the new setting.
14. Restart Windows 10 after editing the Preload key.

You’ll need admin user rights to edit the Preload key as outlined above. Also, note that you might be unable to add new keyboard layouts until you restore complete control of the System account.

Those are some of the resolutions users have confirmed to work. So, try them whenever you can’t remove a keyboard language layout.

Moreover, you can easily add keyboard layouts on Windows 10. Just follow the fantastic tips and tricks included in our guide in that regard.

Let us know in the comments area below which one worked for you. Moreover, if you know other solutions, don’t keep them all to yourself.