Enabling Arabic on XP

Prerequisites: Windows XP Professional/Home Edition Windows XP CD on-hand Procedure: 1. Turn on your computer and access the Control Panel. Either via the Start Menu, or by clicking on My Computer and clicking the Control Panel icon. 2. Once there, click on the Regional and Language Options icon. 3. Click on the Languages tab on the top. 4. Where it says Supplemental Language Support, check the box that says Install files for complex script and right to left languages. 5. Click OK and the computer will ask for the Windows XP CD to be inserted. Insert it and after the computer is done with the installment, it will prompt you to restart the computer, so restart it. 6. Go back to the Control Panel and click on Regional and Language Options 7. Go to the Advanced tab at the top. 8. There will be a large white area in the middle containing language names. Click on the ones most relevant; there are a total of 5 choices for the Arabic language. 9. Click OK, the computer will ask for the Windows XP CD again. Supply it and then restart the computer upon the prompt. 10. Once the computer has restarted, go back to the Language Options: Control Panel > Regional and Language Options > Languages tab. Click on the Details button. 11. Click on the Add button and select Arabic (Saudi Arabia) from the large list. Then click OK and you will be returned to the Text Services and Input Languages box where you clicked Add. 12. The white space should contain only English, and Arabic, if any other languages are there, click on them and click on the remove button to the right. Also, there should be a small drop-down box above the languages. Make sure the small box displays English as the default language (or you may choose Arabic as the default language). 13. Click on Key Settings. There should be only 3 items in the white area: 1) Switch between input languages, 2) Switch between English and 3) Switch between Arabic . 14. Click on Change Key Sequence. Make sure the Switch Input Languages sequence is: left ALT + Shift. 15. Click OK for everything (3 times) 16. When you open a document and start typing, your output should be in English. HOLD (left)-ALT & PRESS SHIFT to change to Arabic. Do the same to change back.

To Type Arabic on a Non-Arabic Keyboard

There are several ways to do this: 1. Use the On-Screen Keyboard 1.1. To enable this, go to Start, then All Programs 1.2. Then go to Accessories, then Accessibility 1.3. Click on On-Screen Keyboard The languages of the keyboard will change as you switch between languages. 2. You can buy transparent Arabic letter stickers for every key on the keyboard at www.latkey.com 3. Buy a separate Arabic keyboard, which is not the best idea.