Fonts - Change Default

**Brink**

How to Change the Default Vista Fonts

INFO: This will show you how to change most of the default system fonts that Vista uses to a font that you want to use.

NOTE: Although this will not change any program fonts, it will change the menu fonts in the programs that came with Vista. EX: Windows Mail, Internet Explorer, etc... I have not found the location to change the default font for the Recycle Bin confirmation dialog box, Run window box, and a few message boxes.

FONTS FOLDER LOCATION: C:\Windows\Fonts and Control Panel (Classic View) -> Fonts icon

RELATED LINKS:
1. How to Change the Advanced Appearance Settings in Vista

2. How to Change the ClearType Font Settings in Vista

3. How to Change the DPI Scale in Vista

4. How to Change the Screen Resolution in Vista

Here's How:
STEP ONE:
For Vista Dialog Box Text and Buttons :
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. In the white line (Start Search) area, type regedit and press Enter.
3. Click the Continue button for the UAC prompt.
4. In regedit, go to: (See screenshots below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes

5. In the right pane, right click on MS Shell Dlg and click Modify.
NOTE: The default fonts are the ones displayed below.

Reg.jpg

6. Type in the name of the font you want to use and click OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can get the name of the font from the Font Folder Location at the top. Be sure that you use the exact same font name and that it is spelled correctly.

Modify.jpg

7. In the right pane, right click on MS Shell Dlg 2 and click Modify.
8. Type in the name of the font you want to use and click OK. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: You can get the name of the font from the Font Folder Location at the top. Be sure that you use the exact same font name and that it is spelled correctly.

Modify2.jpg

8. Close regedit.
9. Logoff and logon or restart the computer to apply the changes.

STEP TWO:
In Advanced Appearance Settings :
NOTE: The default font here is Segoe UI.

1. Open the Advanced Appearance settings window.
NOTE: See: How to Change the Advanced Appearance Settings in Vista

2. Click on the Item: you want to change the Font for. (See screenshot below)
NOTE: These are the Items that have fonts that can be changed. Repeat this for each item you want to change the font for. The font settings that are grayed out are not available with the selected color scheme. See: How to Change the Color Scheme in Vista

Active Title Bar
Icon
Inactive Title Bar
Menu
Message Box
Palette Title
Selected Items
ToolTip

Advanced2.jpg

3. To Change the Item Font - Click on the Font: drop down menu and select a font. (See screenshot below)

4. To Change the Item Font Size - Click on the Size: drop down menu and select a number for the size. The higher the number, the larger the size.

5. To Change the Item Font Color - Click on the Color: drop down menu and select a color.

6. To Have the Item Font in Bold - Click the B button to highlight it. If it is not highlighted, then the font will not be in bold.

7. To Have the Item Font in Italic - Click on the I button to highlight it. If it is not highlighted, then the font will not be in italic.

8. Click OK.
9. Click OK to apply changes.

Advanced1.jpg

That's it,
Shawn

Verwolk · 11-23-2007

Many thanks, Brink, for the useful information!
I'm sorry, it seems everything is not so simple. I'm running Vista Ultimate x86 with Classic Theme, so AERO and Desktop windows manager are disabled. One thing is annoying me, here is the screen:

I've applied registry hint you has described, rebooting, but the problem still here. I've checked registry again, and everything is OK. Both parameters MS Shell Dlg and MS Shell Dlg2 are Tahoma.
Maybe you're can help?
Thanks in advance
VW

**Brink** · 11-23-2007

Hi Verwolk,

Welcome to the Forum.

Most, but not everything is affected by this change. The Run window happens to be one of them. Sorry. Did you do all of step two also to change everything else?

Shawn

Verwolk · 11-23-2007

Yes, everywhere are Tahoma.

Thank you for the quick responce: )

**Brink** · 11-23-2007

You welcome Verwolk,

I'm still digging around the registry for other areas that affect the fonts. If I find the buggers, I'll update this tutorial to include it. Just keep checking back for updates. I'll send you a PM to if I find the one for Run.

Shawn

Mastermike · 04-06-2008

Hi,
Another newbie is there a quick way to set font defaults in works, or will the method described serve to change and lock all font settins on all the programs.

Thanks,

Les.

**Brink** · 04-06-2008

Hi Les,

Welcome to Vista Forums.

I do not know if it will work in Works or not. All programs are different. Some use the same default as Vista, and some use their own settings. You can give it a shot to see. If it does not, then you can change them back to the default fonts if you wanted to.

Sorry,

Shawn

Mastermike · 04-06-2008

Hello Shawn,

Thanks for that reply I will have try later I know it's not desperate but it is one of those silly things that buggs me there has to be a simple answer but not for a Silver Surfer like
me.

Rgards

Les.

**Brink** · 04-06-2008

I know how you feel about those little things. Let us know how it went for you.

Shawn

Bennal · 05-16-2008

I'm having the same problem as Verwolke, well i imagine its the same problem, i can't view his image completely, its only thumbnail size.

My lovely Tahoma font has been applied using your methods in the advanced appearance settings, and the registry tweaks. Credit is due there, well done for sussing that out, i can't stand cleartype in vista, so i turned it off and was left with nasty looking segoe UI everywhere.

The only places so far that don't seem to adopt the new font, are in prompt boxes and some message boxes, such as run, and the recycle bin delete confirmation box. Its driving me up the wall, i've scoured the registry for the culprit, and can't find it anywhere. Has anyone found a fix for this yet?

I've upped a screenshot of my issue, here:
http://elitehudson.com/hosting/sf1/viewer.php?id=758379Rogue font.jpg

The wordpad is open to show SegoeUI, compared with the message box, just to make sure its displaying that, when it should really be tahoma.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

Ben

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