Enable Multilingual User Interface (MUI) in SharePoint 2010

Creating a multilingual SharePoint 2010 site is extremely useful when working for global SharePoint deployments. It allows a logged-in user to change the language to one of the supported alternate languages configured. All the standard SharePoint user interface elements are translated with this feature. Like:

•     Ribbons
•     Site Settings Page
•     Site Actions Menus
•     Lists and Site Column headers
•     Quick Launch Menu
•     Certain Messages displayed in out of the box web parts

Please note: when you switch the language via MUI selector it only translates UI elements, content in the site is not translated. You can use Variations to change the content. More info: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc262055.aspx#Section4

Follow these steps to enable multilingual SharePoint 2010 sites:

Step 1: Download and Install the appropriate Language pack

Multilingual support for SharePoint 2010 is provided via language packs. Download and install the desired SharePoint Foundation & SharePoint Server Language Packs.

• Foundation: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=4731
• Server:  https://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?displaylang=en&id=3411

Important: For SharePoint Foundation 2010, You can just install SharePoint Foundation 2010 language pack alone. But for SharePoint Server 2010, both SharePoint Foundation language packs & SharePoint Server language packs must be installed.

For Multilingual User Interface, a corresponding language pack has to be installed for every language. For instance, To enable the “Hindi” language interface in SharePoint, you have to download & Install the Hindi language pack.

1. Download the Language pack for appropriate language:

2. Install the downloaded Language packs:

3. Run the Products and Technologies configuration wizard after the installation:

4. You can verify the installed language packs by navigating to:  Central Administration >> Upgrade and Migration >> Check product and patch installation status. Here you can get the list of installed language packs.

Step 2: Enable the Language packs

These steps have to be executed on every site collection where you need to activate the SharePoint 2010 multilingual user interface.

1. Open the SharePoint site collection, Go to the ‘Site Settings’ via the ‘Site Action’ menu

2. Under the Site Administration select “Language Settings”. “Language Settings” won’t appear under Site Administration section in Site Settings page until language packs are installed.

3. Choose the languages that should be available for end-users and Click Ok to save the setting.

4. Now the languages are available via the ‘Welcome Menu’ in Top Right, an option added “Select Display Language”.

5. Select the language to view the site in that language. SharePoint 2010 multilingual interface for Site settings page should look like:

Technet reference: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff805062.aspx

Update: In SharePoint 2013, you won’t see the options to switch languages from site settings Menu. SharePoint 2013 works based on browser settings. So Go to Internet explorer’s options to change the Language!