A lot of people have been asking how lately, so I thought I'd make a guide for Windows users. I can't remember if we have one in the forums so I'll just sticky this one.
NOTE: This guide is aimed mostly at Vista/Win7 users. I completely forgot how to do this on XP.
Step 1
Click "Start" and open the control panel.
Step 2
Click "Clock, Language, and Region." Or "keyboards or other input methods."
Step 3
A window should pop up. It should say something like "Region and Languages." In this window, click the tab "Keyboards and Languages."
Step 4
Click "Change keyboards.." or for some users it could be "Add keyboards.."
Step 5
A new window should pop up. It'll say something like "Text Services and Input Languages" at the top. On the "General" tab, click "Add.."
Step 6
This window should say "Add Input Language." Navigate down to "Japanese" - click the +. Click the + below that. So it should look like
- Japanese (Japan)
- Keyboard
- Japanese
- Microsoft IME
Check both Japanese and Microsoft IME. Click OK.
Step 7
Now, on the "Text Services and Input Languages" window, go to the "Language Bar" tab. The language bar will allow you to switch languages at will, magically of course.
You have 3 options here.
"Floating on desktop" will make the language bar super annoying and always somewhere on your screen hovering over your windows like a ghost.
"Docked in taskbar" will make the language bar super small. It will be in the bottom right corner next to your clock. This is recommended.
The last option is "hidden." Highly unrecommended.
Step 8
Now that you have decided what to do with the language bar, click OK on all the relevant open windows. Now you are ready to use it.
Brief note on usage.
To switch languages, click the text box in which you'd like to type. Now, click the "EN" on the language bar. You should see "JP". Click "JP" and then click the "A" over to the right of that - this allows you to switch between katakana and hiragana.
To switch back to english, just click the "JP" and click "EN."
I hope this helps. Any questions or comments are welcome. 3nodding
NOTE: This guide is aimed mostly at Vista/Win7 users. I completely forgot how to do this on XP.
Step 1
Click "Start" and open the control panel.
Step 2
Click "Clock, Language, and Region." Or "keyboards or other input methods."
Step 3
A window should pop up. It should say something like "Region and Languages." In this window, click the tab "Keyboards and Languages."
Step 4
Click "Change keyboards.." or for some users it could be "Add keyboards.."
Step 5
A new window should pop up. It'll say something like "Text Services and Input Languages" at the top. On the "General" tab, click "Add.."
Step 6
This window should say "Add Input Language." Navigate down to "Japanese" - click the +. Click the + below that. So it should look like
- Japanese (Japan)
- Keyboard
- Japanese
- Microsoft IME
Check both Japanese and Microsoft IME. Click OK.
Step 7
Now, on the "Text Services and Input Languages" window, go to the "Language Bar" tab. The language bar will allow you to switch languages at will, magically of course.
You have 3 options here.
"Floating on desktop" will make the language bar super annoying and always somewhere on your screen hovering over your windows like a ghost.
"Docked in taskbar" will make the language bar super small. It will be in the bottom right corner next to your clock. This is recommended.
The last option is "hidden." Highly unrecommended.
Step 8
Now that you have decided what to do with the language bar, click OK on all the relevant open windows. Now you are ready to use it.
Brief note on usage.
To switch languages, click the text box in which you'd like to type. Now, click the "EN" on the language bar. You should see "JP". Click "JP" and then click the "A" over to the right of that - this allows you to switch between katakana and hiragana.
To switch back to english, just click the "JP" and click "EN."
I hope this helps. Any questions or comments are welcome. 3nodding
