Fonts - Change

How to Change the Default Fonts in Windows 7​

   Information

This will show you how to change most or all of the default fonts in Windows 7 for Active Title Bar, Icon, Inactive Title Bar, Menu, Message Box, Palette Title, Selected Items, ToolTip, and various Dialog Box text and buttons.

:warn:Changing a Windows 7 font doesn't change your program fonts.

For a list of all default fonts that come supplied with Windows 7, see: Fonts supplied with Windows 7

OPTION ONE

Through Advanced Appearance Settings

   Note

This will let you change the default font, font size, and font color for the Active Title Bar, Icon, Inactive Title Bar, Menu, Message Box, Palette Title, Selected Items, and ToolTip text. See this link under step 8 there for the default Advanced Appearance settings: http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/282-window-color-appearance-change.html

   Tip

All Advanced Appearance settings for a single user are stored in the three registry keys below.

• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Colors
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\Colors
• HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

1. If you have Windows 7 Starter or Home Basic
A) Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click on the Display icon.

B) In the left blue pane, click on the Change color scheme link. (see screenshot below)

C) Click on the Advanced button. (see screenshot below)

D) Go to step 3.
2. If you have Windows 7 Home Premium, Professional, Ultimate, or Enterprise
A) Right click on a empty space on the desktop and click on Personalize. (see screenshot below)

B) Click on the Window Color link at the bottom of the window. (See screenshot below)

C) Click on the Advanced appearance settings link. (See screenshot below)

   Warning

• If you have selected a Basic and High Contrast Themes, then you will not see the screenshot. Instead, you will see the screenshot below step 4.
• If you have selected a Aero Themes, then you will see the screenshot. Continue to step 4.

3. Select a Item that you want to change the font for. (see screenshots below)
NOTE: Not all of these items will have a font for them.




4. To Change the Item Font
A) Click on the Font drop down menu and select a font. (see screenshot below)

5. To Change the Item Font Size
A) Click on the Size drop down menu and select a number for the size. The higher the number, the larger the size. (see screenshot above)
6. To Change the Item Font Color
A) Click on the Color drop down menu and select a color. (see screenshot below step 4)
7. To Have the Item Font in Bold
A) Click the B button to highlight it. If it is not highlighted, then the font will not be in bold. (see screenshot below step 4)
8. To Have the Item Font in Italic
A) Click on the I button to highlight it. If it is not highlighted, then the font will not be in italic. (see screenshot below step 4)
9. Repeat steps 3 to 8 until you have changed all of the fonts for the select items that you wanted.

10. When done, click on OK. (see screenshots below step 3)

11. Close the Window Color and Appearance window. (see screenshot below step 2B)
NOTE: You will not have this to do if you have a Basic and High Contrast Themes selected.

OPTION TWO

To Change or Restore Default Dialog Box Text and Buttons Fonts

NOTE: This will let you change the default fonts for most of the Windows 7 dialog box text and button text through the registry.
1. To Change the Dialog Box Text and Buttons Fonts
A) Open the Start Menu, type regedit in the search box, and press Enter.

B) If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

C) In regedit, navigate to the location below (See screenshots below)
NOTE: The default fonts are the ones displayed below.

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

D) In the right pane, right click on MS Shell Dlg and click on Modify. (See screenshot above)

E) Type in the name of the font you want to use and click on OK. (See left screenshot below)
NOTE: You can get the name of the font from the Font Folder Location C:\Windows\Fonts. Right click on the single font and click on Properties to see the file name. For a font group, you will need to open it first to see the single fonts in it. Be sure that you use the exact same font name that is listed. Do not include the Regular part or file extension in the font name. For example, I would type Impact instead of Impact Regular or Impact.ttf.




F) In the right pane, right click on MS Shell Dlg 2 and click on Modify. (See screenshot below step 1C)

G) Type in the name of the font you want to use and click on OK. (See left screenshot below)
NOTE: You can get the name of the font from the Font Folder Location C:\Windows\Fonts. Be sure that you use the exact same font name that is listed. Do not include the Regular part in the font name. For example, I would type Impact instead of Impact Regular.




H) Close regedit.

I) Go to step 3.
2. To Restore Default Dialog Box Text and Buttons Fonts
A) Click on the Download button below, and download the file below.
Restore_Default_Dialog_Box_Fonts.reg


Download


B) Save the .reg file to the desktop.

C) Right click the downloaded .reg file, and click on Merge.

D) Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted.

E) Continue on to step 3.
3. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply the font changes.

OPTION THREE

To Change All Default Fonts

NOTE: This will let you change the default fonts used by Windows 7 using the registry.
1. To Change Default Fonts Using a REG File Download
NOTE: This changes the default fonts in Windows 7 to the Tahoma font. You could use this REG file download to make doing step 2 below easier by editing the REG file for the font you want to use instead of Tahoma.
A) Click on the Download button below, and download the file below.
Set_Tahoma_Default_Font.reg


Download


B) Save the .reg file to your desktop.

C) Double click on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

D) Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

E) Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply changes.

F) When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
2. To Manually Change Default Fonts by Creating a REG File
NOTE: The REG file in step 1 is the same as in step 2B below. You can use it and just edit the font that you would like to use instead of Tahoma in step below.
A) Open Notepad.

B) Copy and Paste the code below into Notepad.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Segoe UI (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Semibold (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Light (TrueType)"=""
 
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
"Segoe UI"="[B][COLOR=red]Tahoma[/COLOR][/B]"

C) In Notepad, edit Tahoma in quotes with the name of the font that you would like to use in instead with it still in quotes. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can get the name of the font from the Font Folder Location C:\Windows\Fonts. Be sure that you use the exact same font name that is listed. Do not include the Regular part in the font name. For example, I would type Impact instead of Impact Regular.




D) In Notepad, click on File (Menu bar) and Save As. (see screenshot below)

E) Type in a name you would like with a .reg file extension (ex: Impact-Fonts.reg), then click on the Save button. (see screenshot below)

D) Double click on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

E) Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

F) Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply changes.
3. To Restore the Default Fonts
NOTE: This will ONLY undo all changes that you made using either step 1 or step 2 in OPTION THREE above, and restore the original default fonts used by Windows 7.
A) Click on the Download button below, and download the file below.
Default_Fonts.reg


Download


B) Save the .reg file to your desktop.

C) Double click on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

D) Click on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

E) Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply changes.

F) When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to See a Preview of the Fonts in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Delete Fonts in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Install a Font in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Show and Hide Fonts in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change the Display DPI Size in Windows 7
• How to Change the Window Color and Appearance in Windows 7
• How to Create a Font Settings Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8
• How to Change Font Styles Used for Webpages in Internet Explorer
• How to Open and Use ClearType Text Tuner in Windows 7
• How to Enable or Disable "Smooth Edges of Screen Fonts"

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Gums.

That's great news. Yeah, the underscores would have been the problem then.

Once changed the first time, you could just manually edit the registry at the location below to change the font name instead of removing everything and starting over.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
"Segoe UI"="Comic Sans MS"

 

[Gums]

I can't seem to make a .reg file anymore! When I click "save as" I enter "Name_of_File.reg", select Unicode and save to desktop. When I check desktop all I get now is the Notepad copy and no .reg file. Help!

Uh oh!!! When I went to use your downloaded .reg file for Georgia...same thing. I got the Notepad on my desktop. I think I really screwed something up this time! I keep getting taken back to Notepad. No .reg files are showing up on my desktop only the notepad versions. I'm officially in panic mode. Can't even get default to install. What now?

 

[SIW2]

What notepad versions ?

I assume they are .reg files .

What is the file extension ?

If you have mucked up the associations , Control Panel/Default Programs/Associate a file type Change the association for .reg to regedit.exe

 

[Gums]

These are the notepad versions you create before saving the file as .reg to your desktop. It's the point where you copy and paste the registry editor version 5.00. The "Save As"...The point where I get confounded is when I return to the desktop. I used to get a .reg file that would allow me to "Merge" but instead I find the original Notepad version that I had just created earlier. I can tell right away just by looking at the icon. The .reg file has the little green cube fragmenting into smaller cubes. This has the notepad on the icon. Huh??

What notepad versions ?

I assume they are .reg files .

What is the file extension ?

If you have mucked up the associations , Control Panel/Default Programs/Associate a file type Change the association for .reg to regedit.exe

OK, I'm at the point provided. Here's what I've got:

Under Name there's ".reg" under Description there's "REG File" and under Current Default there's "Notepad"


Does this help any?

 

[SIW2]

Yes, click change program - you should see regedit in the next window - select it , click OK

(See Tip box under step 4 here as well)

 

[Gums]

All right! That's the ticket. Worked like a champ! Thank you SIW2! And thanks too for bearing with me. Still new to Windows 7. Hoped I could get this issue resolved before game time. BTW...Steelers? Packers?

 

[SIW2]

I could say huh?

But I do believe they are american football teams?

Glad you got your font issue sorted

 

[Gums]

Didn't realize you're not here in the States. That's all right though. I'll make you a surrogate Steelers fan! BTW, I live in the "hinterland" of North Dakota. Most Americans think of it as the "sticks" and have never been here. It's like another planet to most. Cheers!

Todd

 

[1nfected]

Anyone know how can i change the font of the run dialog? Doesnt seem to change with the above mentioned options.

 

[Brink]

Hello 1nfected,

For the Run dialog box, you will need to use OPTION THREE to change it instead. However, this will change all fonts though.

 

[Fixer]

How do i change buttons' and other controls' font size?

 

[Brink]

Hello Fixer, and welcome to Seven Forums.

To change the font size of an item not listed in OPTION ONE, you could use a 3rd party skinning program to make it easy to do so.

 

[Fixer]

3rd party skinning program

Can you give some examples? Do you mean software like Win7 Style Builder?

 

[The Howling Wolves]

3rd party skinning program

Can you give some examples? Do you mean software like Win7 Style Builder?

Here's a free software program to take a look at.


Layouts - Add FREE Customized Layouts, Generators, Graphics and Bling to Your Page! | skin free

 

[LM2008]

Does this tutorial apply if i want to make windows 7 use one type of font only and delete the rest? i remember that last year i removed most of the fonts and only let some like Webdings, Times New Roman, Gothics one and then the text of some dialog boxes were not completely visible.

 

[Brink]

Hello LM,

Yes, you could use OPTION THREE to set everything to use one font, then manually delete the others. I would recommend to either backup the other fonts or leave the deleted fonts in the Recycle Bin for a while to make sure that there wasn't one still being used though. This way you could just easily restore it.

 

[LM2008]

I backed up the registry and the font folder, plus and image with windows backup just in case, i will restart and test. Last year i did this except the option 3 that i haven't seen it before.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, I'm always updating and adding to the tutorials.

Please let us know how it went for you.

 

[Fixer]

3rd party skinning program

Can you give some examples? Do you mean software like Win7 Style Builder?

Here's a free software program to take a look at.


Layouts - Add FREE Customized Layouts, Generators, Graphics and Bling to Your Page! | skin free

What? How is this software even connected with Windows and fonts?

 

[The Howling Wolves]

Can you give some examples? Do you mean software like Win7 Style Builder?

Here's a free software program to take a look at.


Layouts - Add FREE Customized Layouts, Generators, Graphics and Bling to Your Page! | skin free

What? How is this software even connected with Windows and fonts?

My mistake!
I thought you were talking about 3rd party software skins...