In the example below, the top keyboard is a Mac keyboard and the bottom is a typical Windows keyboard. The blue highlighted keys have unique functions specific to the operating system for which they are designed. Some of the keys on the Mac keyboard are temporarily reassigned to a different function when you start in Windows on your Mac. Specific details are given in the tables later in this article.

Example Mac keyboard 

Example Windows keyboard

 

Windows needs Apple keyboard support drivers
After you install Windows, you need to install Windows support software which includes the Mac drivers and other support software required for Windows to understand the Extended Function keys on Apple keyboards. See the Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide to learn how to install the support software.

 

Using a Windows keyboard in Mac OS X
Although Apple doesn't support the use of Windows keyboards, Microsoft provides a keyboard mapping article for attempting to use a Windows Keyboard in Mac OS X.

 

About character mapping in Windows for international keyboards

You can determine the key combinations used to access unique characters for the language and region your Apple keyboard is designed to support:

1. Download, install, and open the Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator. This allows  you to view any of the supported Apple-specific keyboard layouts that were installed in Windows.
2. Choose File > Load Existing Keyboard
3. Select the keyboard you want to see. Locate the country name in the keyboard list which is followed by "(Apple)".
4. Follow the instructions provided with the application. You can print images of the keyboard in various states (such as when holding the Shift key).

 

Which keyboard do I have?

Find your keyboard below in order to use the reference tables below.
Original MacBook Pro	Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad
MacBook Pro	Apple Pro Keyboard
Apple USB and Apple Wireless	Typical Windows Keyboard

  

How Microsoft Windows Function keys are mapped to Apple keyboards
This table shows the keyboard functions specific to Microsoft Windows and the equivalent key combinations as they are mapped to Apple keyboards.

Function	Windows Keyboard	Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad	Apple Pro keyboard	Apple USB & Wireless keyboard	MacBook Pro keyboard
Windows logo		Command (⌘)	Command (⌘)	Command (⌘)	Command (⌘)
Enter	Enter ⏎	Return	Return	Return	Return
Backspace/ Delete	Backspace	Delete	Delete	Delete	Delete
Alt (left)	Alt (left)	Option	Option	Option	Option
Alt Gr (right)	Alt (right)	Option + Control	Option + Control	Option + Control	Option + Control
Print Screen	Print Screen	F14	F14	fn + Shift + F11	fn + Shift + F11
Print active window	Alt + Print Screen	Option + F14	Option + F14	fn + Shift + Option +  F11	fn + Shift + Option +  F11
Scroll Lock	Scroll Lock	fn + Shift + F12	F15	fn + Shift + F12	fn + Shift + F12
Pause/Break	Pause	fn + ESC	F16	fn + Esc	fn + Esc
Insert	Insert	fn + Enter	Help
Number Lock	Num Lock	Clear	Clear		fn- F6
Forward Delete	Delete	Delete⌦	Delete⌦	Delete⌦	fn + Delete
Applications logo

 

How Mac keyboards are mapped for the Numeric keypad

Apple external keyboards with built-in numeric keypads as well as original MacBook Pro keyboards provide the same functionality as Microsoft-compatible numeric keypads.

 

Function	Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad	Apple Pro keyboard (with Num Lock off)	MacBook Pro keyboard
Page Up	Page Up	9	fn + ▴
Page Down	Page Down	3	fn + ▾
Insert	fn + Enter	0
Decimal Point	.	.	. 1
Delete	fn + .		fn + .1
Up arrow	8 + ▴	8	▴1
Down arrow	2 + ▾	2	▾1
Left arrow	4 + ◂	4	◂ 1
Right arrow	6 + ▸	6	▸ 1
Home	Home	7	fn + ◂
End	End	1

 

How Microsoft Windows Function keys are mapped to OS X Extended Function Keys

You can use the Extended Function keys (located along the top of your Apple keyboard) in Windows. In the table below, a checkmark indicates that your keyboard supports a function in Windows. Note:  This requires the Windows support software drivers to be installed. See the  Boot Camp Installation & Setup Guide to learn how to install the support software.

 

Key	Key Name	Apple keyboard  with numeric keypad	Apple USB,  & Wireless keyboard	MacBook Pro  keyboard	Apple Pro  keyboard
	Reduce display brightness	✓	✓	✓	F14
	Increase display brightness	✓	✓	✓	F15
	Mission Control
	Launchpad
	Dashboard
	Function	✓	✓	✓
	Keyboard brightness on/off toggle			✓
	Reduce keyboard brightness			✓
	Increase keyboard brightness			✓
	Play/Pause	✓	✓	✓
	Previous track	✓	✓	✓
	Next track	✓	✓	✓
	Mute toggle	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Volume down	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Volume up	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Media eject	✓	✓	✓	✓
	Media eject (2nd optical drive)	Option + ⏏	Option + ⏏	Option + ⏏	Option + ⏏