Some of the functionality of FIM is presented towards end-users. As such it might be desired to present that in the native language of the users. FIM provides two language packs: one for the FIM Portal and one for the FIM client add-ins. Some of the information I will provide below can also be be found at: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff512688(WS.10).aspx Installation will not be covered here.

To me it wasn’t clear what is looked after when determining the language. It’s explained on TechNet quit good, but I found that out afterwards. There are 4 places where you can configure a language which is relevant to FIM:

• System display language
   
  
• User display language
  
• User regional settings
  
• User IE language settings (Tools –> Internet Options –> General: languages)
   
  

There are 4 FIM interfaces where the language is shown in the user his language:

1. In the ctrl-alt-del experience: when clicking “reset my password”
2. After logon, when password registration kicks in (or mspwdregistration –all is executed)
3. When browsing the portal
4. When clicking “register for password reset” in the portal, the registration wizard is started
   

For the ctrl-alt-del experience, the only language that matters is the system display language. This actually makes sense as the user is not logged in yet. The first problem with this is that a user requires administrative privileges to alter this setting. The second one is that when users share a workstation, the system language is shared. So it’s hard to have a user be able to reset his password in his own language.

The second item, the initial registration which automatically starts at first logon, follows the system display settings of the user. The portal clearly follows the regional settings of the user. And finally, the registration wizard, when triggered from the portal, also follows the regional settings of the user.

Now the problem I have with the language packs is that, although they include “Dutch”, they only do this for nl-NL and not for nl-BE. Just like they include “French”, they only do this for fr-FR and not for fr-BE. As a small country we are being discriminated! ;) Below is how the FIM language packs work out for me, regardless the fact that nl-BE and fr-BE are not supported:

1. In the ctrl-alt-del experience: when clicking “reset my password”
   -> Works: the system display language is "Dutch” or “French”
   -> There is no relation to the Netherlands (NL) or Belgium (BE) in the display language settings, so this makes sence
2. After logon, when password registration kicks in (or mspwdregistration –all is executed)
   -> Works: seems to follow the user display language (“Dutch” or “French”)
   -> There is no relation to the Netherlands (NL) or Belgium (BE).
3. When browsing to the portal
   -> Magically works: although the regional settings are set to nl-Be or fr-BE, the portal is displayed in the correct language
4. When clicking “register for password reset” in the portal, the registration wizard is started
   -> Does not work: possible workaround: add nl-NL or fr-FR as the primary language in the portal. From then on, the wizard will be shown in the user his language… But I don’t like this solution.

The languages which are supported are listed at the following URL, now I understand why they mentioned specific countries between brackets: http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff512688(WS.10).aspx Note there is also a difference for the client add-in versus the Portal languages. For neither Belgium (FR/NL) is supported, but for the portal they work just fine.

P.S. The language of the actual questions can be localized by using multiple workflows/MPRs and sets based on a region or language attribute. This has nothing to do with the language settings on the system.