Typing in Japanese on the forum.

[DrakeXIV]

Yeah.

Cant figure it out.

(Not sure if this sort of thread should be in this section but I couldn't find anything else which fit.)

[kayuu]

Windows XP (this is the only OS I know it for):

Start > Control Panel > (Classic View) > Regional and Language Options > Languages tab

Make sure that the two boxes are checked. You may be asked to insert windows disk to install it, so hope you have one to hand

Click 'details'

Click 'add', select 'Japanese' from the dropdown, then click 'OK'.

Then you need to make sure the language bar is showing, so you can pick a language. Click the 'Language Bar' button and check the box that says 'show the language bar on desktop'.

That should be all, now you just click the language bar it's created and pick your language. You type as though you're typing in Romaji - i.e. typing 'ne' on your keyboard will produce 'ね' on screen. Watch out for particles like 'wa' (actually ha) and 'o' (actually wo).

When you've finished typing a word (or sentence, but it's easier to do it per-word or the Kanji will get all muddled and I find it frustrating to cycle through it all) you can press space bar to cycle through all the kanji that fit (try not to rely on this too much if you don't know Kanji - you'll get some odd cominations!) and press enter. If you don't want to write any Kanji, just press enter at the end of each word.

Hope that helps.

[everdream]

Is there a chance it could be done without a CD? My computer never came with one, and I've emailed microsoft but I keep going in circles. On internet, you can only download it for XP office, but I have XP professional (service pack 2)
(Do computers even come with the windows CD when you buy them, mine didn't, nor the rest of my family's)

[kayuu]

If computers don't come with a CD, they usually have a partition with all the important install bits on, so it should install automatically without a CD. Or, you can try the manufacturer's 'recovery' CD.

However, if yours doesn't and didn't come with a Windows CD or a recovery CD (all computers should) you're stuck. There's no way to do it. I suggest borrowing a Windows CD from a friend who has one.

[everdream]

Hmm, I guess that's because my computer was home built by someone else (and I have an inkling my xp is not a genuine copy, however it passes windows 'genuine windows checks). Hmm...my mother's laptop has vista, and she has the recovery CD. there's little hope of it working for me right?

[Chris Hart]

Check the FAQ. Instructions exist there currently for Windows 9x, Windows XP, Mac OSX, and XWindows under Linux. I am working on getting a section togeather for Windows Mobile 5, as I just noticed that being absent.

Edit:
WIKI now edited. Also slightly modified the formating of the portion that references Linux. (converted subsections into indexable subsections)

[richvh]

It doesn't have to be the install CD for your computer, it just has to be an XP install CD. You can borrow a friend's, or take it into a computer shop and have it installed...

[DrakeXIV]

ばんざい!　

Thanks for your help guys.

Got it.
　
どうも　ありがとう　ございました　よ！

[viewer]

it isn't working for me, I did all that, and its showing JP on the language bar, but obviously I'm not typing hiragana. what am I missing?

Domo arigotou!

[saraLynne]

viewer wrote:
what am I missing?

Switching from Direct Input to Hiragana

Use alt+~ (or whatever is on the button to the left of the '1') to swap between direct input and hiragana. Or you can use the button on the language bar to switch, too.

[viewer]

どもありがと！！！さらさん

[viewer]

yeah... guess I still need some spelling practice...