Minitab Blog How to Change the Language in Minitab 17 Statistical Software

While most of us work in Minitab Statistical Software using our preferred language, some need to share Minitab project files or present the results in a different language. Others among us just want to play around with the languages because playing around with Minitab is fun!Thankfully, Minitab offers our statistical software in eight languages, including English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese and Spanish. Changing the language in Minitab 17 is a breeze! Just follow the instructions below.Step 1: Update Minitab to the current versionMake sure you have the newest version of Minitab 17. You can check for updates within Minitab by choosing Help > Check for Updates:If updates are available, proceed with the installation. If no updates are available, then the newest version is already installed and the first step is complete. (Note: if you encounter an error message that says that the Minitab License Update Manager is not installed, you can contact technical support for help.)This is an important first step, because the language pack that will be installed is only compatible with the newest version of the software.Step 2: Download and install the language packA single language pack can be installed or you can install all the available languages. The language packs for Minitab 17 can be downloaded from Minitab.com on this page. Simply select one of the languages from the drop-down list, or choose "All Languages," then download, save the language pack installer to your computer, and launch the setup by double-clicking on the installer.Step 3: Change the language within MinitabAfter installing the language pack, open Minitab and choose Tools > Options. Use the Language drop-down list to select a language, and then click OK.Now close and re-open Minitab, and the software will be in the selected language. Going forward, the language can be changed as needed from the Tools menu by following the same procedure: Change the language, click OK, then close and re-open Minitab.What will change, exactly?When language is changed (for example, to Korean, as shown below), the menus and any output generated will be in the new language:It's important to note that Minitab cannot translate output that was generated in a different language. In other words, if I generate my graphs or other output in English, changing the language will not change the language on any of the output that was already generated. If your output needs to be in Korean, that output must be generated while the software is in Korean.For more Minitab tips & tricks, you may want to check out the posts Minitab Tips and Tricks: Top 10 Countdown Finale and the Tips and Tricks from Minitab's Technical Support Team.