Buying a laptop in Prague: what expats should check first
Czech keyboards, Windows locked to one language, and who to ask about returns. A short checklist to run through before you pay, so you don't end up with a laptop you have to fight.
By Josh, Reboot Prague · Last updated September 2026
Check the keyboard first
Laptops sold in the Czech Republic frequently have a Czech keyboard, with Czech characters printed on the keys and the Y and Z swapped compared with an English layout. Switching the layout in Windows takes a minute, but the printed keys don't change. If you type without looking, that's fine. If you don't, look for a model sold with an English (US or UK) layout, or budget for keyboard stickers.
Check the Windows edition before you pay
Some laptops ship with Windows Home Single Language, which is locked to one display language, usually Czech. It looks like a normal Windows install until you try to add English, and then you can't. In a shop, ask which edition it has. On a laptop you already own, open Settings → System → About and read the "Edition" line. If it says Single Language, it can be sorted with a clean install or edition change; that's exactly what I do on the Czech laptop to English page.
Know your rights on returns and warranty
- Guarantee: consumer goods carry a 24-month legal guarantee against defects present at purchase. Keep your receipt or invoice.
- Online purchases: EU rules generally give you 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason.
- In-store purchases: there's usually no automatic "changed my mind" return, unless the shop's own policy allows it. Ask before you pay.
Rules have exceptions, especially for opened software and business purchases. Check the shop's terms before relying on any of this.
Check these before you leave the shop
- Ask for the exact model name and the Windows edition, and which keyboard layout it has.
- Look at storage: a laptop with very little space fills up fast once Windows updates and your files arrive.
- Make sure it comes with Windows already activated, so you're not paying for it twice later.
- Skip bundled "security suites" and trials. They slow things down, and Windows' built-in protection is fine for most people.
- Keep the receipt somewhere you can find it in a year.
After you buy: the first-hour setup
A new laptop is quickest to sort in one go: language and keyboard, Windows updates, removing pre-installed junk, and a backup so the next problem isn't a disaster. That's a job I do, either remotely or on-site in Prague. The price is on the pricing page.
Deciding between two laptops?
Send me the models and I'll tell you what to check before you pay.
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Frequently asked
Do I have a right to return a laptop I bought in a Czech shop?
For online purchases from a Czech or EU seller, EU rules generally give you 14 days to withdraw without giving a reason. For in-store purchases there's usually no automatic right to return something just because you changed your mind, unless the shop offers it. Ask before you pay.
How long is the warranty on a laptop bought in the Czech Republic?
Consumer goods carry a 24-month legal guarantee against defects that were already there at purchase. Keep the receipt or invoice, because you'll need it for any claim.
Can I change the Czech keyboard to English?
You can change the layout in Windows in a minute, but the letters printed on the keys stay Czech. If you touch-type, that's fine. If you don't, choose a model with an English (US or UK) keyboard or fit stickers.
What is Windows Home Single Language?
An edition of Windows tied to one display language. It's common on laptops sold in a single country, and it doesn't let you simply add English. Changing it means a clean reinstall or an edition change, which is a routine job.
Can you help me choose a laptop?
Yes, and it's often the cheapest help there is. Send me the model you're considering and I'll tell you what to check before you pay. See the contact page.