MS AppLocale quick tutorial

What is it?
When you want to use a japanese program on a US or localised (Europe) Windows XP, you need to set your "system locale" to japanese and reboot your system in order for Windows to display the program properly. This is not very convenient and furthermore can cause problems with other programs (because of their installation path) and add the visual inconvenience of the infamous Yen "slash".
AppLocale basically allows you to tell programs "no dudes, you're not on a western system, you're on a japanese one, so display proper japanese language please!"
AppLocale tells your system to act as if it were Japanese, only for the programs of your choice, while no changes are done to your "system locale" and no reboot are needed, on the fly!!
IMPORTANT : AppLocale only works on Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server.

Now for the installation :

Download the program from microsoft :
http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/6/8/568a8caf-29c4-43ec-a10f-97730f26977e/apploc.msi [ Mirror ]

Download this handy little reg file that will add an option to programs' context menu allowing you to launch them as if they were on a real japanese system! (also works on shortcuts)
localejap to exe context.zip

Install the MSI installation file and then run the "localejaptoexecontext[INSTALL].reg" file (click yes, you want to write into the registry).

Now, when you want to run a japanese program or western program that needs japanese compatibility, just right-click this program's shortcut and select the "Locale Japanese" option.

Now you will see this screen, click OK (there's no way to disable this screen afaik :/ )

Actually there is a way now! Here you can grab a patched AppLoc with the nag screen removed! Just put it in c:\windows\AppPatch\

PRO TIP!
After AppLocale is installed, you may see weird caracters when installing standard programs (Installshield display corrupted, strange kanjis and accents), in this case open the AppLoc.tmp file from WINDOWS\AppPatch\AppLoc.tmp with notepad, delete everything, save, then set the AppLoc.tmp file to "Read-only" (in right-click > properties for that file). Fixed!

Your program is now COMPLETELY japanese aware!

Here's what it looks like WITHOUT Applocale ;(


Winamp!
(Witness the beautiful japanese in playlist & scrolling title!)

BeforeAfter

mIRC!
(allows you to keep fixedsys as your font and still be able to display japanese properly!)

BeforeAfter

Toshiba Audio Application!
(allows you to upload JAPANESE mp3s to the gigabeat (japanese filename & japanese ID3 tags) so that the gigabeat's LCD pannel displays them properly!)

BeforeAfter

Tip: for EAC to retrieve Japanese ID3 tags, you need to set your freedb server as :
http://freedbtest.dyndns.org:80/~cddb/cddb.cgi

~ The End ~

Already Counter AppLoc users, what about integrating the feature Microsoft...?