Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font

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  1. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
       #1

    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font


    I would like to change the background color of the general context menus & also their font, but I can't find a way to do it in Windows 10. In Windows XP (I know...long, long ago), you could right click the desktop, go to Properties > Appearance > Advanced & make all sorts of changes without going to the registry. It looks like a lot of that is hidden now. Here's an image of what the color & font is now & what I'd like it to be (from WinXP):
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-10-context-menu-desktop.png Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-xp-context-menu-desktop.png

    I could not find the registry keys that would change this. Any ideas?

    Thank you in advance!
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  2. Posts : 32
    Windows 10 LTSB 2016
       #2

    Windows 10 removed a lot of customization features. Sadly, you'd need to patch your system and edit the theme file to get what you want regarding the colour. Font can be changed without patching, but requires you to edit the registry a little:

    Change Default System Font in Windows 10
    Last edited by Brink; 19 Apr 2020 at 15:28. Reason: updated link
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  3. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #3

    This may be of interest:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-1.png

    then there's Windowblinds...
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  4. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
    Thread Starter
       #4

    dalchina said:
    This may be of interest:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-1.png

    then there's Windowblinds...
    Thank you so much!! I've had Winaero Tweaker for some time, but didn't realize that the context menu font was controlled by the system font. Now I know that I can change the context menu font by changing the system font, so I changed from Segeo UI to Tahoma & may change to Arial Rounded MT. Anyway, it's much easier to read.

    I'm not sure how to change the background of the context menu. I'll check out Windowblinds...thank you again. What I'm hoping is to be able to change the background color of the context menu without changing the background of File Explorer. I'm not sure if that's possible in Win10. Anyhow, I'll try to check out Windowblinds & let you know. Again, thank you!

    - - - Updated - - -

    Clasurol said:
    Windows 10 removed a lot of customization features. Sadly, you'd need to patch your system and edit the theme file to get what you want regarding the colour. Font can be changed without patching, but requires you to edit the registry a little:

    Change Default System Font in Windows 10
    Thank you for the link to the site. @dalchina provided a slightly easier route, but it amounts to the same thing & I appreciate your help!

    I ended up installing Segsb.ttf (that's Segoe UI Semibold) & using it. For some reason, only semibold italic was installed on my system. The only thing that puzzles me now, is that I'f like to find out what size the system font is. Not sure where I can find it.
    Last edited by Brink; 19 Apr 2020 at 15:28. Reason: updated link
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  5. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #5

    I think it's not so much a font size in the normal sense. Could be wrong. See e.g.
    System Font Size Changer - Font Settings

    And see Winaero:
    Change Menu Text Size in Windows 10 Creators Update
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  6. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
    Thread Starter
       #6

    dalchina said:
    I think it's not so much a font size in the normal sense. Could be wrong. See e.g.
    System Font Size Changer - Font Settings

    And see Winaero:
    Change Menu Text Size in Windows 10 Creators Update
    Thanks you again. I have those utilities. Winaero can change menus, but the only thing that affects context menus seems to be system font.

    The other utility changes individual items, as far as I can tell. I have my menus, icons, etc. ok. I just wanted to test increasing the size of the context menu font. But before I screw around, I wanted to know what the actual size was (if there is such a size), so I could go back if/when I make a mistake. I know I can create a restore point to go back, but if I'm going to test a few things, that takes longer than just logging off & back on.

    This is what I have & it does work for individual items, but not the default system font that affects context menus:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-image.png

    As for Winaero Tweaker, I see this:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-image.png

    Maybe there is no "size" as you mention. I already have fonts set in Display settings/scale & layout to 125%. Is that the only place to change the "size"?
    Thanks again.
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  7. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #7

    I believe I have already answered this. Winaero tells you it's here:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-1.png

    And you use the tweaker - for clarity I now show for you the size setting as well:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-2.png
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
    Thread Starter
       #8

    dalchina said:
    I believe I have already answered this. Winaero tells you it's here:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-1.png

    And you use the tweaker - for clarity I now show for you the size setting as well:
    Changing the Color of the Context Menu & it's Font-2.png
    Thank you again! Sorry to be so dense. I had found those & actually changed the font of the menus. I found that this changed font of the start menu (using classic start), but not the font of the context menu. Only changing the system font changed the font of the context menu.

    BUT, I didn't play around with Message Font or Statusbar Font or Adjusting Menu Height because I didn't think that had anything to do with the context menu. Another problem is that I didn't have Segoe UI Semibold installed (don't know why). After installing it, I was able to change the system font to Semibold & it was easier to read.

    My problem was that Winaero Tweaker's dialog box for changing the system font had no option for size & the dialog box for menu font in Tweaker didn't change the context menu size.
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  9. Posts : 42,734
    Win 10 Pro (22H2) (2nd PC is 22H2)
       #9

    I can't tell you definitively what will change the font in the context menu as I've never tried it. Sorry.

    If you want more- maybe Windowblinds can help. And naturally you can scale the whole display, so maybe you can create some sort of balance that suits you.

    Maybe this
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

    which doesn't seem to specifically refer to the context menu suggests there's no way to only change the text size there.
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  10. Posts : 943
    windows 10 professional 64-bit, 22H2
    Thread Starter
       #10

    dalchina said:
    I can't tell you definitively what will change the font in the context menu as I've never tried it. Sorry.

    If you want more- maybe Windowblinds can help. And naturally you can scale the whole display, so maybe you can create some sort of balance that suits you.

    Maybe this
    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

    which doesn't seem to specifically refer to the context menu suggests there's no way to only change the text size there.
    As usual, you've been a wealth of knowledge. I appreciate your time & patience, too. I think I have enough information to adjust things to the way I want. And before I make changes, I always do one or more of the following:
    1) create a restore point, or
    2) make an incremental backup,
    3) export a registry key before editing it
    4) Use Acronis True Image's "Try & Decide" feature (which allows me to revert any changes & is faster than doing an incremental backup & restore.

    I will mark this thead solved.
      My Computers


 

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