How to get exactly the same keyboard layout in Windows as in macOS?

Question

I am using macOS on my MacBook Pro but for different reasons I do also have to use Windows 10 to make some programming now and then. I would like to use exactly the same keyboard layout in Windows and I have not found a good solution yet.

My main problems with Windows keyboard are:

• the { and } is at a different place, which I just can not handle. I want them to be where they are on OSX.
• I want to use cmd+x, cmd+z, cmd+c, cmd+v etc… in Windows as I would use them in macOS.

Is there a program to change this? I really just want the macOS standard to work in Windows.

Solution 1

If you are using Windows 10 version 1903 or higher, I would suggest using PowerToys by Microsoft. The following answer provides the full details https://superuser.com/a/1588228/1306677

Solution 2

I have managed to get this work with AutoHotKey. This is more complex to configure than MS PowerToys, but allows far more options, e.g. send an ASC character based on a specific key click (in comparison, PowerToys only allows to switch key shortcut to a different key shortcut - which on Czech keyboard e.g. means the key for ^ cannot be created, as the only option to write this via keyboard is AltGr + 3 - but this is written as an accent (=dead key), which is not really sufficient.

My aim was slightly different (I wanted a Czech Mac layout on a Windows machine) but the approach to handle this is the same.

A few representative examples:

<^>!sc003::@
<^>!sc007::
Send {ASC 094}
return
<^>!sc00A::{
<^>!sc00B::}
+sc02B::
Send {ASC 096}
return

The example configures:

• RAlt + scancode 003 (that is the key with number 2 on most keyboards, with character ě on Czech keyboard) to @ sign
• RAlt + scancode 007 (key with number 6 on most keyboards) to ^ sign
• RAlt + scancode 00A and 00B (keys with numbers 9 and 0) to { and }
• Shift + key 02B (the one next to Enter) to the grave accent sign

Similarly you can remap other keys and combinations to other variants. See AutoHotKey website for more details.

Comments

[uint128_t]

Could you elaborate on how the { and } are at a different place? I'm currently using a Mac with a Windows keyboard, and the { } are the shift characters for [ ], which are just to the right of p on both keyboards.

[rablentain]

I realized that this is a language specific problem. I am using a swedish keyboard where those are not the same in osx and Windows.

[uint128_t]

Alright, makes sense. I added an answer that I think addresses those things.

[pederpansen]

Are you aware of the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator? It is not officially supporting Windows 8/10, but I got it to work under Windows 8, so I suppose it should work under Windows 10 as well. You can use it to create arbitrary keyboard layouts.

[rablentain]

I would like to change in Windows, not in osx.

[DarkDiamond]

Welcome to SuperUser! Please do not post link only answers as the linked site might change, rendering your answer useless. Instead quote the linked site and provide the link as reference only.

[Toto]

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