Windows Default system/dialog font changed - very tiny

[CraigT]

Hello, all. I'm hoping someone can help with this. I've seen it posted elsewhere, and have been through all the steps to resolve, but nothing has worked so far, or has worked piecemeal.

Yesterday I cleaned some house and uninstalled some programs that I haven't used in years. That's the only thing I can think of that triggered this - only thing "odd" I've done to my system in a long while.

After rebooting, the font Windows is using in system dialogs has changed to some type of tiny serif font - very difficult to make out. First saw this in a Print dialog (from Firefox), then in another dialog in another app (don't remember which one). I managed to resolve that with a Font Substitution fix in the registry ("MS Shell Dlg"="MS Sans Serif" - was originally pointing to "Microsoft Sans Serif"). After this, the Print and the other dialog resolved and looked normal.

Today, working in Excel - the VBE (programming) - a "tool tip"/dropdown window is showing this same tiny font.

(This is what all the dialogs were looking like.) Again, there was another dialog I had opened just prior to this that had the same issue, and again, I can't remember what I was doing - where that dialog was.
I would have thought fixing this in the registry would fix it across the board, but it looks like different dialogs are drawing/mapping from different sources(?)

I have been through the Fonts and FontSubstitution registry keys. I have been in the Display - Personalize - Windows Colors - Advanced... - Window Color and Appearance dialog box (all fonts/sizes look good here).

Not sure where to go from here to fix this all over Windows. Am hoping someone knows where I can find additional system font settings to check, or how to find if I have a damaged font file(?)

Thanks much for any help!!!

Craig Thttp://www.sevenforums.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/

 

[Layback Bear]

Welcome CraigT to our forum.

Here is a tutorial by Brink and a list of things at the bottom of the tutorial.
They should cover everything on how to select fonts.


http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1175-fonts-change.html

• 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"

 

[CraigT]

Hi, Layback Bear. Thanks very much for the response. I've actually stepped through most of those already, and read through and tried the couple that I hadn't. I'm still having the issue here, and seeing weird font issues all over different apps when I use them.

Since yesterday, I'm seeing:
- In Excel 2016, layout view, the "Page #" watermarks in that view, I do believe, used to be in a sans serif font, but are now in a serif font(?)
- All the street, city/town, country, etc. names/labels in my MapPoint application are all a small, narrow font (still sans serif, as original). This is the most significant change - as this affects all labels in all maps displayed. The application fonts themselves (menu bars, etc.) are all normal, however.
- The weirdest one by far is the "auto-complete" text in Excel VBA. Unlike the one previously shown (drop-list is the tiny font), this shows the expected arguments of a function/method as you type - and it is a MIX of normal/OK fonts and the tiny, serif font (???)

I'm not sure where this magic setting is, or... is it possible to have a damaged font file and the system is bouncing to a secondary/backup font because the target one is faulty?

Thanks again for any ideas or responses. Greatly appreciated.

 

[Layback Bear]

Because the proper settings might be caused by something I don' use (Excel) I will go to the ranch and see if I can find someone that can help you.

Hang in there, are members are all over the world. Some might be napping.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi and welcome to SevenForums,
While you were in the Personalize section
Did you notice if you were using a Unsaved theme ?
if so switch to another that was saved.

 

[CraigT]

Hi, ThrashZone. Thanks for your response. As a matter of fact, the Theme I have been using has been unsaved (for the years I've been using it). I clicked on a standard Aero theme (Windows) and then changed the desktop image to what I use, then I saved it.

I haven't noticed any changes since then. Do I need to reboot to see font change updates?

Thanks again for the input.

CraigT

 

[Layback Bear]

If in doubt, reboot. It can't hurt anything.

 

[Anak]

Go to: Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Fonts, click on Font Settings in the left pane, in the next window that opens click on the "Restore default font settings" button. I do have the Hide Fonts based on... box checked and the Allow Fonts to be installed.. box unchecked, this seems to be the default as I have never adjusted these settings.

You may see the monitor display flicker then settle, Windows may or may not ask for a reboot when changing this significant of system setting, I would reboot in any case, then check all areas in question to see if fonts are okay.

One other suggestion:
Boot into the: Advanced Boot Options screen, please, do not have any disks of any type in your optical disk drive or any USB flash drives attached to your machine then,

• Turn off the computer.

• Turn on the computer and press the F8 key. You may have to start tapping the F8 function key as soon as you restart your machine.

If you can get to the advanced boot options screen, use the down arrow to move the highlighted choice down to "Last Known Good Configuration (advanced)" then press the Enter Key and let the operating system boot.

Check your problem areas.

 

[townsbg]

If Anak's suggestion doesn't work go into programs and features (from control panel), right click on office and select change, and in the office setup window select repair. Hit next and follow the menu prompts. All office applications must be closed.

 

[Layback Bear]

Thank you all for coming to the aid of our new member.

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
Yea sometimes saving a desktop theme will undo stuff like this if it suddenly shows as a unsaved theme
It's good practice to name themes as you change your desktop image/.... they do act as little restore points.

Delete the unsaved theme and yes restart will not hurt

 

[ThrashZone]

Hi,
I ran into some thing I had Shawn and our sites mad scientist to check it out first
What Callender found on his test

Tested by replacing just one system font. The font installed okay and the downloaded fonts scan clean on VirusTotal.

How I restored my Windows 7 default fonts | withsteps.com

Of course Shawn stated the might of been overlooked was that sfc /scannow should restore the fonts since they are system fonts,
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/1538-sfc-scannow-command-system-file-checker.html

 

[Callender]

You might try this: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...wrong-characters-post3206620.html#post3206620

Then try this: http://www.sevenforums.com/general-...wrong-characters-post3206664.html#post3206664

You can stop Windows Font Cache service via services.msc. Ask if you don't know how.

 

[Layback Bear]

@ CraigT

Please keep these good folks advised what you have tried and the results.
Be precise.

 

[CraigT]

Another oddity - and SOLUTION...

Thanks everyone for your replies. Wasn't able to run through all the solutions yesterday - was on agenda for today - and found something very odd this morning. Along with my solution

Opened an Excel file that should *all* have been in Arial, and half was Arial and half was some serif font! First time I've seen "user text" change fonts - has been all system dialogs and drop-downs that I've had no control over. Even when I selected Arial to change them all back to that font, they didn't look correct (although they did change to a sans serif font).

Dove into Fonts (in Control Panel) and checked out Arial. Was missing a couple of "versions" - including Regular - although it had several of the Narrow and Bold variants. Copied the Arial font files from another Win 7 system I have to mine, to fill in the missing gaps, and voila! All my menus, drop-downs, etc. (everywhere I've seen a problem) are showing correctly now! (Didn' really think of Arial, as I thought Segoe UI and Tahoma were the fonts "of choice" these days, and Arial was left collecting dust.) Still not 100% sure what trashed Arial, but at least I stumbled on the problem/solution finally.

Thanks again, everyone who submitted, researched, and hung in there during this issue. Greatly appreciated. Will definitely be back to SevenForums in the future when I have issues. (Well, Win 7 issues, anyway.)

 

[Layback Bear]

Glad you found the problem.

You don't have to have a problem to visit our forum.
Drop by anytime your in the mood.

 

[Anak]

You're welcome; Yes! Glad to hear your problem is solved.

Still not 100% sure what trashed Arial, but at least I stumbled on the problem/solution finally.

Depending on what type of program(s) it/they were; It could have been the "house cleaning" you did. Do you remember if they needed their own language pack(s)?

I've noticed and wonder if this can be tied into the admonishment I've been seeing for the last year or so where Windows update will tell you that if you've recently installed a language pack you will have to reinstall it after installing this update.
I was thinking backwards here.

Here's what I was thinking:

Important

• If you install a language pack after you install this update, you must reinstall this update. Therefore, we recommend that you install any language packs that you need before you install this update. For more information, see Add language packs to Windows.

Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/3148789

It wouldn't hurt to force a check for Windows Updates since the Fonts Folder has been disrupted, if it looks okay and you don't need a bunch of updates, okay, but, I would hold my breath until the next patch Tuesday has passed. Speaking of which, is in progress right now.