This is the most critical step for version 1.1 and later. Unlike earlier versions where you could simply select the language in the launcher, the patched v1.1 update relies on the Windows Registry to determine the language. If you skip this step, the game will ignore your new files.

Need for Speed: The Run to English, you typically need to replace specific localization files and modify the Windows Registry. This process is common for versions that defaulted to Russian or other languages. Manual Language Patch Steps

Simply pasting English files often crashes the game. A "patched" pack means it includes modified configuration files or registry entries to make the game accept the new language files without crashing.