Windows Fonts all thin and faded looking in Windows 7

[mtamborra]

Hi All,

I just got a new laptop. It's a dell like my last one and it is connected to the same docking station, and same 2 monitors as my old one. They both are Windows 7 64-bit. The fonts for things like web browsers, windows explorer and some 3rd party apps are horribly faded looking and really straining on the eyes. The whites are super bright and the thin font makes it harder to see.

I tried to do that "truetype" font thing in control panel and that helps with some of the headers, but most fonts still look horrible even though I chose the darkest option for all of them.

Here are some examples ("old" is from the old laptop where everything looked fine and "new" is from the new one where it all looks faded). All of these screenshots were taken on the same monitor.

So its the same monitors, same version of windows, same font style and type it seems but just thinner and more faded and I can't figure out why. Please help

Thanks
Mike

 

[Layback Bear]

Welcome to our forum mtamborra.

This could be helpful.

Start Orb.
Type in Clear Type
When Adjust Clear Type Text shows, tick on it and follow the instructions.

Let us know if it helps.

 

[mtamborra]

Hi Layback

I tried this already. I typed "truetype" in my thread but meant to say "cleartype". Its already on with the darkest options selected for all the boxes. I turned it off for a sec to see the difference and it looks extra horrible with it turned off.

I also updated the graphics driver on the dell site but it was already the most current. I also found an older thread on here about a similar issue and downloaded someone's "aerobold" windows 7 theme and installed it, but that just made headers bold and most of the main fonts ( like the one inside this box i'm typing in) are still very faded.

 

[Layback Bear]

I really can't give any more suggestion. I have my reasons. Sorry.

Hopefully others will drop by and maybe help.

 

[rvcjew]

Does turning off the smoothing of fonts help or just make it worse?
System, Advanced system settings.

 

[mtamborra]

Turning off the clear type fonts makes it even worse. I've also experimented with different windows 7 themes but they only seem to make the text of headers larger and more bold, the stuff inside, like chat boxes, spreadsheets, text inside of web browsers still looks very faded. I've tried lots of stuff at this point and open to any suggestions. Including manually changing all fonts in the registry (trying to avoid this) if need be

 

[rvcjew]

Turning off the clear type fonts makes it even worse. I've also experimented with different windows 7 themes but they only seem to make the text of headers larger and more bold, the stuff inside, like chat boxes, spreadsheets, text inside of web browsers still looks very faded. I've tried lots of stuff at this point and open to any suggestions. Including manually changing all fonts in the registry (trying to avoid this) if need be

So it is faded on all fonts all the time?

EDIT: try this from How to Reset Windows 7 to its default font for the whole system? - Super User

1. Open Fonts by clicking the Start button, clicking Control Panel, clicking Appearance and Personalization, and then clicking Fonts.
2. In the left pane, click Font settings.
3. Click Restore default font settings.

 

[mtamborra]

Does turning off the smoothing of fonts help or just make it worse?
System, Advanced system settings.

Hi, thanks for the tip. I tried turning that off but it seems to make them even more faded.