How to Change the Decimal Separator in Excel -7 Methods

Introduction to the Decimal Separator

The decimal separator (also known as the radix character) is used to separate the integer and fractional parts of a number. It is usually expressed with the dot (.) symbol. Some countries use a comma (,).

The sample dataset showcases Fruits, Countries and Sales.

Method 1 – Changing the Decimal Separator Using the Excel Options Dialog Box

To use commas (,) instead of dots (.):

Steps:

• Go to the File tab.

• Click Options.

• In the Excel Options dialog box, click Advanced.
• Click OK.

• Decimal points (.)  are converted into commas (,).

This is the output.

Read More: How to Change Decimal Places in Excel

Method 2 – Using the Text Editor to Change the Decimal Separator in Excel

Steps:

• Click Search to find the Windows Notepad.

• Enter Notepad.
• Click Notepad.

• The Notepad window will be displayed.

• Go to the worksheet and select D5:D9.

• Right-click the selection.
• Click Copy.

• Go back to the Notepad and Paste.

• The copied range is in the Notepad.

• Go to Edit.
• Click Replace.

• In the Replace window, go to Find what and enter ‘.’.
• Enter ‘,’ in Replace with.
• Click Replace All.

• Close the window.

• Dots (.) are replaced with commas (,).

• Go to the Excel worksheet and delete the values in D5:D9.

• Go to the Notepad window and Copy the values.

• Select D5 and Paste the values.

• The values with commas as decimal separators are displayed in D5:D9.

Method 3 – Utilizing the Global System Settings to Change the Decimal Separator

Steps:

• Click the Search bar.
• Enter ‘control’.
• Click the Control Panel.

• In the Control Panel window, select Clock and Region.

• In Clock and Region, select Region.

• In Region, go to Additional Settings.

• In Customize Format, select Numbers.
• Enter ‘,’ in Decimal symbol.
• Click OK.

• Click OK in the Region window.

• Dots will be converted to commas in D5:D9.

This is the output.

Method 4 – Changing the Decimal Separator with the Help of the Flash Fill Tool in Excel

Steps:

• Go to E5.
• Enter the value (3205.75) in D5 with a comma (,) as the decimal separator (3205,75).
• Press Enter.

• Enter the first number (1) of the next value (1508.15) in E6.
• Suggestions for E6:E9 will be displayed with commas as decimal separators.

• Press Enter to accept the suggestions.

This is the output.

Read More: Excel Decimal Places Problem

Method 5 – Changing the Decimal Separator by using the Find and Replace Features

Steps:

• Select D5:D9.
• Go to the Home tab.

• Click Find & Select in Editing.

• Select Replace.

• In Find and Replace, choose Replace.
• Enter ‘.’ in Find what.
• In Replace with, enter ‘,’.
• Click Replace All to replace all dots with commas.

• A message box (Microsoft Excel) will display the number of replacements (5).
• Click OK.

This is the output.

Read More: How to Add Decimals in Excel

Method 6 – Applying the Excel NUMBERVALUE Function to Convert the Decimal Separator

Steps:

• Go to E5.
• Replace the comma (,) in D5 with a dot (.), Enter the following formula in E5:

• Press Enter.
• The value in D5 is displayed with a dot (.) as the decimal separator in E5.

• Drag down the Fill Handle to see the result in the rest of the cells.

• This is the output.

Method 7 – Changing the Decimal Separator using the Text to Columns Feature

Apply the Text to Columns tool to convert the commas into dots.

Steps:

• Select D5:D9.
• Go to the Data tab.

• Click Text to Columns in Data Tools.

• In the window  Step 1 of 3, select Choose the file type that best describes your data.
• Choose Fixed width.
• Click Next.

• Click Next in Step 2 of 3.

• In Step 3 of 3, click Advanced.

• In the Advanced Text Import Settings window, enter comma (,) in Decimal separator.
• Click OK.

• Click Finish.

This is the output.

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