Keyboard Settings on Windows and macOS: How They Work and Why Symbols Change

When you use an external keyboard on different operating systems, such as Windows or macOS, it is common to notice differences in the behavior of certain keys. One of the most frequent cases occurs with the numeric keypad, where the decimal separator can change from a period (.) to a comma (,).

In this article, we explain why this happens and how to fix it, especially in cases involving keyboards for Windows and macOS.

Why Doesn't the Keyboard Type What You Expect?

Although the keyboard is physical (hardware), the one who actually interprets the keys is the operating system (software).

This means that

• The keyboard sends a signal.
• The system decides which character to display.

Therefore, the same keyboard can behave differently on Windows and macOS.

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Keyboard Settings on Windows

In Microsoft Windows, keyboard behavior mainly depends on:

1. System Language

• Spanish (Spain)
• Spanish (Latin America)
• English (United States)

2. Regional Settings

This is where the decimal separator is defined:

• Period (.) → U.S.-style setting
• Comma (,) → European or Latin American setting

Path:

• Control Panel → Region → Additional Settings

There you can change:

• Decimal separator
• Thousands separator

Result on Windows:

If you set the decimal separator as a period (.), the numeric keypad will respect it.

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Keyboard Settings on macOS

On macOS, the behavior is different and this is where most doubts arise.

Key Point:

On macOS, the numeric keypad depends more on the regional settings than on the keyboard language.

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Common Case: The Numpad Types a Comma (,) Instead of a Period (.)

This happens when:

• The system region is set to a country that uses the comma as a decimal separator
  (for example: Spain, many Latin American countries)

Even if the keyboard physically has a period (.), macOS replaces it with a comma (,).

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How to Fix It on macOS

Option 1: Change the Region

1. Go to System Settings
2. Select Language & Region
3. Change the region to:
   • United States (or another that uses the period as decimal separator)

This will make the numeric keypad use (.)

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Option 2: Adjust Advanced Formats

In recent versions of macOS:

1. Go to Language & Region
2. Look for Advanced Format
3. Manually change:
   • Decimal separator → (.)

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Option 3: Check the Input Source

1. Go to Keyboard
2. View Input Sources
3. Make sure to use:
   • Spanish ISO
   • or the correct keyboard layout

Although this influences it, the decimal separator mainly depends on the region.

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Key Difference Between Windows and macOS

Function	Windows	macOS
Decimal Separator	Direct regional setting	System region
Numpad respects setting	Yes	Not always
Manual control	More flexible	More limited

On macOS, the system “prioritizes” regional settings over the physical keyboard.

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Is this a keyboard issue?

✔ This is not a keyboard fault
✔ It is normal macOS behavior

Solution:
Change the system region or decimal format to use a period (.)

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Conclusion

Keyboard behavior does not depend solely on the device but on the operating system.

• On Windows, control is more direct and configurable.
• On macOS, the system region defines the decimal separator.
• With external keyboards like the KlipXtreme Ballistic 90T, this can cause visible differences.

Understanding these settings allows you to quickly solve common problems without needing to replace the keyboard.