How to fix
Remove Unknown Locale (qaa-latn) language
on Windows

Hello, recently I have noticed that there is a strange language added to my keyboard language selection options - it is called Unknown Locale (qaa-latn). I am not sure where it is coming from, but I don't want it there. Any solutions for this would be appreciated.

Windows 10 users can easily swap from one keyboard language to another via the taskbar quickly. They can also add additional languages via the settings panel if so desired. People are now used to this feature (it has been around for years now), and it provides easy access to language swaps.

Some users claimed that they found a strange language within the language selection bar - Unknown Locale (qaa-latn). This phenomenon occurs seemingly out of nowhere, as users reported. However, in most cases, it is associated with some type of changes done to the computer, e.g., it can occur due to third-party software, corrupt registry[ref en-2] entries, etc.

Additionally, some users reported that the unknown language appeared after they applied the latest Windows updates. In such a case, uninstalling the most recent updates could help you fix the problem, although it might not always be possible.

The problem here lies with the fact that users can't remove Unknown Locale (qaa-latn) via the Settings panel as the language simply does not show up there. However, there are plenty of workarounds and other fixes that could help your solve this annoying problem.

It seems like the issue affects mostly Windows 10 machines, although occurrences on Windows server, as well as virtualization software[ref en-3] such as Hyper-V.

If you want to try a quick solution, we strongly recommend employing the [d1] repair tool. If the reason for the problem is corrupt Windows registry entries or damaged system files, this tool could replace them with working ones and solve the problem quickly for you.

1. Add and remove the Unknown Locale (qaa-latn) language via the settings

• Right-click on Start and pick Settings
• Select Time & Language

• Pick Language on the left
• On the right, scroll down and click Add a language
• In the search bar, type qaa-latn and select it from the search results and click Next

• Once it's added, wait a few minutes
• Go back to the list of languages in Settings and remove it.

If you can't add the language manually, check the solution no. 4.

2. Make sure your Windows is up to date

If you have not done some, ensure that all the Windows updates, including the optional ones, are installed properly.

• Type Updates in Windows search and press Enter
• Click the Check for Updates button

• Wait for all the files to be downloaded and apply everything available (including optional updates)
• Once done, restart the PC and check whether the situation improved.

If the issue occurred after you updated your operating system, you can try uninstalling the latest Windows updates and going to the previous build:

• Type Control Panel in Windows search and hit Enter
• Go to Programs > Uninstall a program
• Select View installed updates on the left
• Click on Installed On to sort all the updates by date
• Find the Microsoft Windows section
• Right-click on the most recent update and pick Uninstall

• Restart your PC.

3. Remove all recently installed third party software

Third-party software can easily add a strange language setting to your keyboard settings. For example, an application named Keyman, which modifies keyboard settings, is known to be responsible for the appearance of Unknown Locale (qaa-latn).

In some cases, such programs might be installed without your permission within a software bundle[ref en-1] (this typically happens when you don't pay close attention to the installation process and skip steps). Therefore, even if you think you have not done anything out of the ordinary, you should check whether unknown apps are installed on your device.

• Right-click on Start and pick Apps & Features
• Look through the list of installed programs
• Select Keyman (or another recently installed app) and pick Uninstall + Uninstall

• Restart your PC and check whether the unknown language is gone.

4. Use PowerShell command lines

This command might help you to get rid of the extra language easily. This option is an alternative to the first one listed in this article.

• Right-click on Start and pick PowerShell (Admin)
• If User Account Control shows up, click Yes
• Now copy and paste the following command lines, press Enter after each:

$LanguageList = Get-WinUserLanguageList
$LanguageList.Add("qaa-latn")
Set-WinUserLanguageList $LanguageList -Force

• Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language and remove the language from there.

5. Keep the chosen keyboards only

This method would allow you to get rid of all the languages that have the keyboard chosen option. ALl additional ones will get removed:

• Open PowerShell (Admin) as explained above
• Copy and paste the following commands, pressing Enter each time (note - you can pick which languages you want to keep from the list - simply ad the comma after  the en-US):

Get-WinUserLanguageList
Set-WinUserLanguageList en-US
Y

• Close down PowerShell.

6. Check system for file corruption

Running an SFC scan can help you in case your Windows registry is corrupted:

• Type cmd in Windows search
• Right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator
• In the new window, run the following command and press Enter:

  sfc /scannow

• Reboot your computer.