Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated January 11, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013
Roy is from the UK but he works in Italy. There are two major differences in how Excel works on his system in Italy when compared to how his UK system works. One is that commas are used instead of decimal points. The second is that when Roy is working with functions he must enter semicolons between function parameters instead of commas. Both differences are frustrating to him, as he is used to entering decimal points and commas (in functions) without even thinking about it. Roy wonders if there is a way to make the Italian version of Excel function like his copy back in the UK.
A partial solution for the decimal point and separators in numbers can be realized by overriding, within Excel, the symbols used for the decimal point and thousands. Follow these steps:
Figure 1. The advanced options of the Excel Options dialog box.
This will not solve the entire problem, however. The better solution is to leave Excel unchanged and make your configuration changes in Windows itself. Follow these general steps:
You may have to restart Windows and/or Excel for these changes to be fully implemented.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (5843) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, and 2013. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Changing Input Conventions.
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