Gobalization-Testing Plan

To make globalization testing more effective, assign a testing priority to all tested components. Components that should receive top priority:
Support text data in the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) format
Extensively handle strings (for example, components with many edit controls)
Use files for data storage or data exchange (e.g., Windows metafiles, security configuration tools, and Web-based tools)

Have had many globalization problems in the past So, which operating system (OS) should you use for your international testing platform? The first choice should be your local build of Windows 2000 with a language group installed. For example, if you use the U.S. build of Windows 2000, install the East Asian language group. This combination gives you complete international support for the language selected without imposing requirements on the testers' language skills.

Even if you target a broader range of operating systems, Windows 2000 should be your primary test platform. Earlier operating systems do not give you the same flexibility with local settings and native support for the broadest range of languages and cultures/locales.
You may also use other platforms that differ from your local build of Windows 2000:

MUI (Multilanguage User Interface) Windows 2000 — especially useful if your code implements multilingual UI and it must adjust to the UI settings of the OS. This approach is an easier implemented alternative to installing multiple localized versions of the OS. To further enhance multilingual support, Microsoft offers a separate Windows 2000 MultiLanguage Version, which provides up to 24 localized language versions of the Windows user interface. For more information, see Multilanguage User Interface (MUI).