How do I change the input language for a program being run as another user?

On Windows 8.1, alt-shift changes the input language/keyboard for all programs. This works fine for applications that I'm running under my own user account. But if I start a program with "runas", e.g.

C:\Windows\System32\runas.exe /savecred /profile /user:ff "C:\Program Files (x86)\Mozilla Firefox\firefox.exe",

alt-shift is ignored in the window, and alt-shift outside the window has no effect on the runas'ed program.

Is there any way to have input language changes apply to runas'ed programs as well?

This problem is not new to Windows 8.1; I saw the same thing in Windows 7.

Ivan Kozik

Posted 2014-11-27T20:44:05.747

Reputation: 437

Don't you change the language of the program within the program? – Rsya Studios – 2014-11-27T21:44:59.023

No, the input language is managed by Windows – Ivan Kozik – 2014-11-27T22:26:42.403

Oh right didn't see input language sorry about that. – Rsya Studios – 2014-11-27T22:42:47.007

IMHO alt-shift is not ignored, input language switching applies with no indication in language panel. Verified even with runas /user:myself notepad, where myself is the username logged on currently. On Win-8 also check that per-application input language settings (not sure if it is per-box or per-user). And has your ff user more languages installed anywise?

– JosefZ – 2014-11-29T09:50:44.500

I'm not seeing the behavior you describe (with runas /user:anotheruser), at least not with Google's Japanese IME on Windows 8.1. I've tried toggling that per-window setting as well. It's probably working for you because you're running it as the same user as the current session. (Sorry if it was unclear that I was running it as another user.) – Ivan Kozik – 2014-11-30T20:56:17.863

The ff user does have the input language and IME set up as well, and I can even log in as ff and change the language, but it has no effect on the Firefox window running on my primary desktop. – Ivan Kozik – 2014-11-30T20:58:34.003

Of course I have tried runas /user:anotheruser first, goes as described above. That experiment with runas /user:myself done to assure the language indicator stays dead. But I'm switching CZ-EN-SK keyboards only; maybe that Google's Japanese IME brings some new quality - so what about support.google.com? And to unblame Firefox, what behaviour if runasing another browser? – JosefZ – 2014-12-02T18:04:14.473

You are indeed correct! Google Japanese Input is broken with this setup, while other languages work fine. – Ivan Kozik – 2015-01-08T17:41:52.453

How do I change the input language for a program being run as another user?

No answers