Laptop bought in Georgia: Free DOS and the Windows language
A common story for newcomers: you buy a laptop in Batumi, switch it on — and get a black screen saying Free DOS, or Windows in a language you cannot read. It is not a defect. Here is what to do.
What Free DOS is
Almost half the laptops in Georgian shops are sold without Windows: instead they come with Free DOS — a bare placeholder system you cannot actually work in. That keeps the price down, and the buyer installs Windows. It is normal and legal — just plan for a system install after you buy.
An overview of the models sold in Batumi: Laptops in Batumi.
How to install Windows properly
- Only the official Windows 11 image from Microsoft — no “custom builds” and no activators.
- You buy the licence, so it is yours and linked to your account.
- We choose the system language from the start: English, Russian or another.
- Drivers come from the laptop maker’s website, not random sources.
- We add the keyboard layouts you need — Georgian, Russian and English on one keyboard.
Windows is installed, but in the wrong language
Usually the language is changed in Settings → Time & language → Language & region: add a language and make it the display language. But some laptops come with a “Single Language” edition of Windows, where the display language cannot be changed. Then Windows has to be installed in the right language; what that means for the licence in your case I check on site and explain before any work.
What I do on a call-out
I install Windows with a backup of your files, drivers, a browser, office apps, your messengers and keyboard layouts, and set up Wi-Fi and the printer — all in English if you prefer. More: Windows 11 installation and new laptop setup.