Configure Default Regional Settings for Your AppStream 2.0 Users

Note

The instructions on this page only apply to Windows fleets. Default regional settings are not supported for Elastic fleets.

In AppStream 2.0, users in a Windows stack can configure their streaming sessions to use settings that are specific to their location or language. For more information, see Enable Your AppStream 2.0 Users to Configure Their Regional Settings. You can also configure your fleets to use default settings that are specific to your users’ location or language. In particular, you can apply the following Windows settings to your fleets:

• Time Zone — Determines the system time used by Windows and any applications that rely on the operating system time. AppStream 2.0 makes available the same options for this setting as Windows Server 2012 R2, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019.

• Display Language — Determines the display language used by the Windows operating system and certain Windows applications.

• System Locale — Determines the code pages (ANSI, MS-DOS, and Macintosh) and bitmap font files that Windows uses for non-Unicode applications in different languages.

• User Locale (also known as culture) — Determines the conventions used by Windows and any applications that query the Windows culture when formatting dates, numbers, or currencies or when sorting strings.

• Input Method — Determines the keystroke combinations that can be used to enter characters in another language.

Currently, AppStream 2.0 supports English and Japanese only for these language settings.

Specify a Default Time Zone

To specify a default time zone to be used in your users’ streaming sessions, perform the steps in either of the following two procedures.

Procedures

• Specify a Default Time Zone (Windows Server 2012 R2)
• Specify a Default Time Zone (Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2022)

Note

Currently, AppStream 2.0 supports only UTC and (UTC+9:00) Osaka, Sapporo, Tokyo.

Specify a Default Time Zone (Windows Server 2012 R2)

1. Connect to the image builder that you want to use and sign in with a user that has local administrator permissions. To do so, do either of the following:

   • Use the AppStream 2.0 console (for web connections only)

   • Create a streaming URL (for web or AppStream 2.0 client connections)

     Note

     If the image builder that you want to connect to is joined to an Active Directory domain and your organization requires smart card sign in, you must create a streaming URL and use the AppStream 2.0 client for the connection. For information about smart card sign in, see Smart Cards.

2. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Control Panel.

3. Choose Clock, Language, and Region, then Date and Time, then Change time zone.

4. In the Time zone list, choose a time zone, and choose OK.

5. To apply any change to the time zone setting, restart your image builder. To do so, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Windows PowerShell. In PowerShell, use the restart-computer cmdlet.

6. While Windows restarts, the AppStream 2.0 login prompt displays. Wait for 10 minutes before you log in to the image builder again. Otherwise, you may receive an error. After 10 minutes, you can log in as Administrator.

7. If required, configure additional default regional or language settings. Otherwise, on the image builder desktop, open Image Assistant and install and configure applications for streaming.

8. After you finish configuring your image builder, follow the necessary steps in Image Assistant to finish creating your image. For information about how to create an image, see Tutorial: Create a Custom AppStream 2.0 Image by Using the AppStream 2.0 Console.

9. Do one of the following:

   • Create a new fleet and choose your new image for the fleet. For more information, see Create an AppStream 2.0 Fleet and Stack.

   • Update an existing fleet to use the new image.

10. Associate your fleet with the stack that is assigned to the users for whom you are configuring the default settings.

    The default time zone setting that you configured is applied to the fleet instances and user streaming sessions that are launched from those instances.

Specify a Default Time Zone (Windows Server 2016, Windows Server 2019, and Windows Server 2022)

1. Connect to the image builder that you want to use and sign in with an account that has local administrator permissions. To do so, do either of the following:

   • Use the AppStream 2.0 console (for web connections only)

   • Create a streaming URL (for web or AppStream 2.0 client connections)

     Note

     If the image builder that you want to connect to is joined to an Active Directory domain and your organization requires smart card sign in, you must create a streaming URL and use the AppStream 2.0 client for the connection. For information about smart card sign in, see Smart Cards.

2. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Control Panel.

3. Specify the default time zone by using PowerShell or the Windows user interface:

   • PowerShell

     • Open PowerShell and run the following command:

       Run Set-TimeZone -Id "Tokyo Standard Time"

       Note

       To run this command, you must be logged in to the applicable computer as Administrator.

   • Windows user interface

     1. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and type timedate.cpl to open the Date and Time control panel item.

     2. Right-click the Date and Time icon, and choose Run as administrator.

     3. When prompted by User Account Control to choose whether you want to allow the app to make changes to your device, choose Yes.

     4. Choose Change time zone.

     5. In the Time zone list, choose a time zone, and choose OK.

4. If required, configure additional default regional or language settings. Otherwise, on the image builder desktop, open Image Assistant and install and configure applications for streaming.

5. After you finish configuring your image builder, follow the necessary steps in Image Assistant to finish creating your image. For information about how to create an image, see Tutorial: Create a Custom AppStream 2.0 Image by Using the AppStream 2.0 Console.

6. Do one of the following:

   • Create a new fleet and choose your new image for the fleet. For more information, see Create an AppStream 2.0 Fleet and Stack.

   • Update an existing fleet to use the new image.

7. Associate your fleet with the stack that is assigned to the users for whom you are configuring the default settings.

   The default time zone setting that you configured is applied to the fleet instances and user streaming sessions that are launched from those instances.

Note

Your users can change their time zone from the default setting that you configured. They can configure their regional settings during an application streaming session, as described in Enable Your AppStream 2.0 Users to Configure Their Regional Settings. Also, if a user previously selected a time zone when streaming from any fleet instance in the same AWS Region, the user-specified time zone setting automatically overrides any default time zone setting you specify through your image builder.

Specify a Default Display Language

There are two ways to specify the default display language for your users’ streaming sessions. Use the AppStream 2.0 default application and Windows settings feature, or configure your image builder while signed in with an account that has local administrator permissions. The procedure in this section describes how to specify a default display language by using the AppStream 2.0 default application and Windows settings feature.

Note

Changing the display language in Windows also automatically changes the user locale and input method to match the language and region of the display language. If you want all three settings to match, you do not need to separately change the user locale or input method.

1. Connect to the image builder that you want to use and sign in with the Template User account. To do so, do either of the following:

   • Use the AppStream 2.0 console (for web connections only)

   • Create a streaming URL (for web or AppStream 2.0 client connections)

     Note

     If the image builder that you want to connect to is joined to an Active Directory domain and your organization requires smart card sign in, you must create a streaming URL and use the AppStream 2.0 client for the connection. For information about smart card sign in, see Smart Cards.

   Template User lets you create default application and Windows settings for your users. For more information, see "Creating Default Application and Windows Settings for Your AppStream 2.0 Users" in Default Application and Windows Settings and Application Launch Performance.

2. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Control Panel.

3. Choose Clock, Language, and Region, then Language, Add a language.

4. Choose a language, and choose Add.

   Note

   Currently, AppStream 2.0 supports only English (United States) and Japanese.

5. The language that you selected appears in the list of languages you added to Windows. Choose the language that you just added. Then choose Move up until the language appears at the top of the language list.

6. Choose Advanced Settings. Under Override for Windows display language, choose your language from the list.

7. If you want to use the input method associated with the language that you added, under Override for default input method, choose the input method for the language.

8. Choose Save. When prompted to log off, choose Log off now.

9. When prompted, log in again to the image builder as Template User. Confirm that Windows is using the display language that you selected.

10. In the upper right area of the image builder desktop, choose Admin Commands, Switch User.

    

11. When prompted, log in as Administrator.

12. If required, configure additional default regional or language settings. Otherwise, on the image builder desktop, open Image Assistant and install and configure applications for streaming.

13. In Step 2 of the Image Assistant process, choose Save settings.

14. Follow the necessary steps in Image Assistant to finish creating your image. For information about how to create an image, see Tutorial: Create a Custom AppStream 2.0 Image by Using the AppStream 2.0 Console.

15. Do one of the following:

    • Create a new fleet and choose your new image for the fleet. For information, see Create an AppStream 2.0 Fleet and Stack.

    • Update an existing fleet to use the new image.

16. Associate your fleet with the stack that is assigned to the users for whom you are configuring the default settings.

    The default display language and associated user locale and input method settings that you configured are applied to the fleet instances and user streaming sessions that are launched from those instances.

    Alternatively, you can configure a default display language while logged in to the image builder as Administrator. If you chose different display languages while you were logged in under the Template User and Administrator accounts and you chose Save settings in Step 2 of the Image Assistant process, the Template User settings take precedence.

Note

Your users can change their user locale and input method from the default settings that you configured. They can change to any one of 11 different supported locales and nine different supported input methods. To do so, they can configure their regional settings during application streaming sessions, as described in Enable Your AppStream 2.0 Users to Configure Their Regional Settings. Also, if a user previously selected a user locale or input method when streaming from any fleet instance in the same Region, those user-specified settings automatically override any default user locale and input method that you specify through your image builder.

Specify a Default System Locale

To specify a default system locale for your users’ streaming sessions, perform the following steps.

1. Connect to the image builder that you want to use and sign in with an account that has local administrator permissions. To do so, do either of the following:

   • Use the AppStream 2.0 console (for web connections only)

   • Create a streaming URL (for web or AppStream 2.0 client connections)

     Note

     If the image builder that you want to connect to is joined to an Active Directory domain and your organization requires smart card sign in, you must create a streaming URL and use the AppStream 2.0 client for the connection. For information about smart card sign in, see Smart Cards.

2. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Control Panel.

3. Choose Clock, Language, and Region, then Region.

4. In the Region dialog box, choose the Formats tab.

5. Choose Change system locale.

6. In the Region Settings dialog box, in the Current system locale list, choose a language and region.

   Note

   Currently, AppStream 2.0 supports only English (United States) and Japanese (Japan).

7. Choose OK to close the Region Settings dialog box, and choose OK again to close the Region dialog box.

8. When prompted to restart your computer, allow Windows to restart.

9. While Windows restarts, the AppStream 2.0 login prompt displays. Wait for 10 minutes before you log in to the image builder again. Otherwise, you may receive an error. After 10 minutes, you can log in as Administrator.

10. If required, configure additional default regional or language settings. Otherwise, on the image builder desktop, open Image Assistant and install and configure applications for streaming. After you finish configuring your image builder, follow the necessary steps in Image Assistant to finish creating your image. For information about how to create an image, see Tutorial: Create a Custom AppStream 2.0 Image by Using the AppStream 2.0 Console.

11. Do one of the following:

    • Create a new fleet and choose your new image for the fleet. For more information, see Create an AppStream 2.0 Fleet and Stack.

    • Update an existing fleet to use the new image.

12. Associate your fleet with the stack that is assigned to the users for whom you are configuring the default settings.

    The default system locale setting that you configured is applied to the fleet instances and user streaming sessions that are launched from those instances.

Specify a Default User Locale

To specify a default user locale for your users’ streaming sessions, perform the following steps.

Note

If you plan to configure the display language and you want the user locale and display language to match, you do not need to change the user locale. Changing the display language automatically changes the user locale to match.

1. Connect to the image builder that you want to use and sign in with an account that has local administrator permissions. To do so, do either of the following:

   • Use the AppStream 2.0 console (for web connections only)

   • Create a streaming URL (for web or AppStream 2.0 client connections)

     Note

     If the image builder that you want to connect to is joined to an Active Directory domain and your organization requires smart card sign in, you must create a streaming URL and use the AppStream 2.0 client for the connection. For information about smart card sign in, see Smart Cards.

2. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Control Panel.

3. Choose Clock, Language, and Region, then Region.

4. In the Region dialog box, choose the Formats tab.

5. In the Format list, choose a language and region.

   Note

   Currently, AppStream 2.0 supports only English (United States) and Japanese (Japan).

6. Choose OK to close the Region dialog box.

7. If required, configure additional default regional or language settings. Otherwise, on the image builder desktop, open Image Assistant and install and configure applications for streaming.

8. In Step 2 of the Image Assistant process, choose Save settings.

9. Follow the necessary steps in Image Assistant to finish creating your image. For information about how to create an image, see Tutorial: Create a Custom AppStream 2.0 Image by Using the AppStream 2.0 Console.

10. Do one of the following:

    • Create a new fleet and choose your new image for the fleet. For more information, see Create an AppStream 2.0 Fleet and Stack.

    • Update an existing fleet to use the new image.

11. Associate your fleet with the stack that is assigned to the users for whom you are configuring the default settings.

    The default user locale setting that you configured is applied to the fleet instances and user streaming sessions that are launched from those instances.

Note

Your users can change their user locale from the default setting that you configured to any one of 11 different supported locales. To do so, they can configure their regional settings during application streaming sessions, as described in Enable Your AppStream 2.0 Users to Configure Their Regional Settings. Also, if a user previously selected a user locale when streaming from any fleet instance in the same Region, that user-specified setting automatically overrides any default user locale setting that you specify through your image builder.

Specify a Default Input Method

To specify a default input method to be used in your users’ streaming sessions, perform the following steps.

Note

If you plan to configure the display language, and you want the input method and display language to match, you do not need to change the input method. Changing the display language in Windows also automatically changes the user locale and input method to match the language and region of the display language. If you want all three settings to match, you do not need to separately change the user locale or input method.

1. Connect to the image builder that you want to use and sign in with an account that has local administrator permissions. To do so, do either of the following:

   • Use the AppStream 2.0 console (for web connections only)

   • Create a streaming URL (for web or AppStream 2.0 client connections)

     Note

     If the image builder that you want to connect to is joined to an Active Directory domain and your organization requires smart card sign in, you must create a streaming URL and use the AppStream 2.0 client for the connection. For information about smart card sign in, see Smart Cards.

2. On the image builder desktop, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Control Panel.

3. Choose Clock, Language, and Region, then Language, Add a language.

4. Choose a language, and choose Add.

   Note

   Currently, AppStream 2.0 supports only English (United States) and Japanese.

5. The language that you chose appears in the list of languages you added to Windows.

6. Choose Advanced Settings. Under Override for default input method, choose the input method for the language you added.

7. Choose Save.

8. Log off and log in again. To do so, choose the Windows Start button on the image builder desktop. Choose ImageBuilderAdmin, Sign out. When prompted, log in as Administrator.

9. If required, configure additional default regional or language settings. Otherwise, on the image builder desktop, open Image Assistant and install and configure applications for streaming.

10. In Step 2 of the Image Assistant process, choose Save settings.

11. Follow the necessary steps in Image Assistant to finish creating your image. For information about how to create an image, see Tutorial: Create a Custom AppStream 2.0 Image by Using the AppStream 2.0 Console.

12. Do one of the following:

    • Create a new fleet and choose your new image for the fleet. For information, see Create an AppStream 2.0 Fleet and Stack.

    • Update an existing fleet to use the new image.

13. Associate your fleet with the stack that is assigned to the users for whom you are configuring the default settings.

    The default input method that you configured is applied to the fleet instances and user streaming sessions that are launched from those instances.

Note

Your users can change their input method from the default setting that you configured to any one of nine different supported input methods. They can configure this setting by configuring their regional settings during application streaming sessions, as described in Enable Your AppStream 2.0 Users to Configure Their Regional Settings. Also, if a user previously selected an input method when streaming from any fleet instance in the same Region, that user-specified setting automatically overrides any default input method that you specify through your image builder.

Special Considerations for Application Settings Persistence

When you create a stack in the AppStream 2.0 console, in Step 3: User Settings, if you use the same settings group under Application settings persistence as another stack that uses different regional settings, only one set of regional settings is used for both stacks. For each user, the default regional settings for the stack that the user logs into first automatically override the default regional settings of any other stacks in the same application settings group. To avoid this problem, do not use the same application settings group for two different stacks that have different regional settings.

Special Considerations for Japanese Language Settings

This section describes key points to keep in mind when configuring Japanese language settings for your AppStream 2.0 users.

AWS CLI

Changing the Windows system locale to Japanese requires that your image builder have AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI) version 1.16.30 or later installed. To update the version of AWS CLI on your image builder, follow the steps in Installing the AWS Command Line Interface.

Japanese Keyboards

If your image builder input method is set to Japanese when you create an image, AppStream 2.0 automatically configures your image to use a Japanese keyboard. Any fleets that use the image are also automatically configured to use Japanese keyboards. However, if you want to use a Japanese keyboard within your image builder session, update the following registry settings for the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\i8042prt\Parameters registry key:

Name	Type	Data
LayerDriver JPN	REG_SZ	kbd106.dll
OverrideKeyboardIdentifier	REG_SZ	PCAT_106KEY
OverrideKeyboardSubtype	DWORD	2
OverrideKeyboardType	DWORD	7

After changing these settings, restart your image builder. To do so, choose the Windows Start button, and choose Windows PowerShell. In PowerShell, use the restart-computer cmdlet.