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Set the Regional Format (Culture) with PowerShell

Change date, time, number and currency formats with Set-Culture — the command-line equivalent of Settings > Regional format.

WindowslocalepowershellLow risk
Run Set-Culture zh-CN in PowerShell (substitute any culture tag like en-US or de-DE); verify with Get-Culture.

01Command

Command
$ Set-Culture zh-CN

02What it does

Regional format controls how Windows and apps display dates, times, numbers, and currency — it is separate from the display language. If your dates show in the wrong order or prices use the wrong symbol, Set-Culture fixes it for the current user in one command. Run Get-Culture first to see the current setting, then set it to the matching culture tag. Apps read the new format the next time they start.

03Risk

RiskLow risk
RequirementsUse any valid BCP-47 culture tag, e.g. en-US, zh-CN, de-DE.
!Warning: This changes formats, not language or keyboard. A tag like zh-CN formats with Chinese conventions but does not translate the UI — for that use Set-WinUILanguageOverride.

04Undo

✓No undo needed — this command does not change persistent state.

05Sources

  • Set-Culture
    Microsoft Learn · vendor-doc · 2026-09-17
    Evidence: Set-Culture sets the user's culture (regional format: date/time/number/currency patterns) and Get-Culture shows the current value.

Last verified: 2026-09-18 · Category: System & Settings

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