CSA keyboard has different key mapping on two different MacBooks.

Question

CSA keyboard has different key mapping on two different MacBooks.

Brand new Mac user here. On my MacBook Air, I selected "Canadian-CSA" as input method. Now, the key left to the 1 is mapped as ù. However, on my wife's 2018 MacBook Pro, that key is a \. Yes she has selected the same input method : "Canadian-CSA". According to every picture of the CSA layout I can find online, that key should be a \.

I'm confused about why this is different on both computers. Also, it's a key I use all the time in the calculator app and when typing formulas in excel. Is there a fix for this.

MacBook Air 13″

Posted on Oct 7, 2025 10:24 AM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

121,884 points

Oct 7, 2025 4:18 PM in response to paul-emile161

Do these two machines have different keyboard types? The US (ANSI) type, with horizontal enter key, will have ù at the top left corner. The European (ISO) type, with vertical enter key and extra key next to left shift, will have / at the top left and ù at the bottom left.

If you have a US/Ansi keyboard, / is on Option at the bottom right corner.

Below is a picture of the standard ISO hardware CSA keyboard:

[Edited by Moderator]

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Answer 2

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

121,884 points

Oct 8, 2025 5:29 AM in response to paul-emile161

Here is one you can try.

To install it, you put the .bundle file in Home/Library/Keyboard Layouts, then logout/login, then go to system settings / keyboard / text input / edit / all input sources and use the plus button at the bottom to add it to your input source list. It may be in the "others" category.

To get to Home/Library, you hold down Option and do Finder > Go.

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Answer 3

Tom Gewecke

Level 10

121,884 points

Oct 7, 2025 4:14 PM in response to paul-emile161

paul-emile161 wrote:

Is there any solution for me to remap the keys, short of returning the machine and trade it in for a French keyboard?

I can easily make a custom layout for you that puts / in the top left corner. But where would you want the ù, since the US keyboard just does not have the extra key next to Z where it should be?

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Answer 4

Oct 7, 2025 3:21 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

Yes. I'm in Canada and was given the choice between "English" and "French" keyboard. I never thought this would've been an issue, I thought the keyboard layout was governed by software. Is there any solution for me to remap the keys, short of returning the machine and trade it in for a French keyboard?

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Answer 5

Oct 7, 2025 6:31 PM in response to Tom Gewecke

That would be nice! I can do without the ù key just fine. I had totally forgotten about the existence of that key. I haven't owned an ISO keyboard in years. But now at least I understand why the programmers decided to keep the ù key and scrap the / \ | key. Makes sense when typing text in French. I don't mind sticking with keyboard shortcuts or autocorrect though.

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