If you want to change the decimal and thousands separators in Windows for any program (not just Excel) that displays decimal numbers and large numbers, you can change the “Decimal symbol” and “Digital grouping symbol” on the same dialog box (Customize Format) where you can change the currency symbol for Windows. RELATED: How to Change Windows' Default Currency from Dollars to Euros The new separators are automatically inserted into all the numbers in your workbook that use them.
For our example, we are using a comma as the Decimal separator and a period as the Thousands separator. Enter the character you want to use for each in the edit boxes and click “OK”. The “Decimal separator” and “Thousands separator” edit boxes become available. In the Editing options section, click on the “Use system separators” check box so there is NO check mark in the box. Click “Advanced” in the list of items on the left.
