Setting the default font

[Jud McCranie]

There's no way to set the default system font is there (XP home, SP1)? The
one that is used if no other font is specified, which seems to be an 8 point
MS Sans Serif.

I got an LCD monitor two days ago, and the default font is horrible on LCD.
I've got it set to its maximum resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, I have font
smoothing on, ClearType.

 

[Jud McCranie]

I've got it set to its maximum resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, I have font

smoothing on, ClearType.

PS, I'm using large fonts. If I use the Extra large fonts, it makes the
minimum size of the title bar so large that it inteferes with one of the
programs I use the most.

 

[Kelly]

Hi Jud,

This will change most of them. Go to Start/Run/Regedit and navigate to this
key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows
NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes

In the right pane, change the Font Name for: MS Shell Dlg and MS Shell
Dlg2.

Then right click the Desktop/Properties/Appearance/Advanced/
Icon and set the same Font Name there. Ok your way out, then reboot.

 

[Jud McCranie]

In the right pane, change the Font Name for: MS Shell Dlg and MS Shell

Dlg2.

Thanks for the suggestion, however I tried Tahoma, Verdana, and Arial
(rebooting each time) and it didn't make any difference as far as I can
tell.

Then right click the Desktop/Properties/Appearance/Advanced/
Icon and set the same Font Name there.

I did that, but it didn't change the fonts I was concerned with. (I've had
the ones you can set there set to better fonts for a long time.)

 

[Alex Nichol]

There's no way to set the default system font is there (XP home, SP1)? The
one that is used if no other font is specified, which seems to be an 8 point
MS Sans Serif.

I got an LCD monitor two days ago, and the default font is horrible on LCD.
I've got it set to its maximum resolution, 60Hz refresh rate, I have font
smoothing on, ClearType.

In Display - Appearance click Advanced and select things under the Item
drop down, choosing font and size where offered. Especially the one for
Icon which is also used in Explorer Lists and details, and the one for
Message Box
You want to be on the native resolution of the monitor, corresponding to
the physical numbers of dots. Usually 1024x768 for a 15 inch; 1280x1024
for 17 to 19 inch. Some at 1600 x1200 are coming in above that

 

[Jud McCranie]

In Display - Appearance click Advanced and select things under the Item

drop down, choosing font and size where offered. Especially the one for
Icon which is also used in Explorer Lists and details, and the one for
Message Box

Thanks, but I've had those set for years. I'm talking about the font of the
things that can't be set there. There seems to be a default font - a tiny,
connect-the-dots font - that many things use. For example, on the Display
Properties window, the names of the tabs, the text, and the button labels.
In all these years, I've never been able to find a way to set them.

You want to be on the native resolution of the monitor, corresponding to
the physical numbers of dots

Yes, I made sure of that.