Change Default System Font in Windows 10  

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    Change Default System Font in Windows 10

    Change Default System Font in Windows 10

    How to Change the Default System Font in Windows 10
    Published by Category: Customization
    08 Feb 2021
    Designer Media Ltd

    How to Change the Default System Font in Windows 10


    Windows 10 uses the Segoe UI font as the default system font. This font is used for icons, menus, title bar text, File Explorer, and more.

    If you would like to use a different font, then you are able to change this default font to any font you like.

    Changing the font will have no effect on modern UI items like apps from the Store, Start menu, Action Center, or Settings.


    This tutorial will show you how to change the default system font in Windows 10 for all users.

    You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to change the default font in Windows 10.

    Be very careful which font you chose to use as a system font!

    Many font types do not support all characters needed for the operating system. When that happens, some things will become unintelligible. This happens, specially, when using downloaded custom fonts, not thought for use in an operating system's user interface, but just for publishing. An operating system needs additional characters, that a novel or blog doesn't.

    It is highly recommended to create a restore point before changing the default system font. This way you could do a quick system restore back to this restore point if needed to undo an undesired effect of changing the font.



    Contents

    • Option One: To Change Default System Font in Windows 10
    • Option Two: To Restore Default System Font in Windows 10



    EXAMPLE: Default vs "Arial Bold" font in Windows 10
    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-clock.png
    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-run.png
    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-task_manager.png
    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-control_panel.png





    OPTION ONE

    To Change Default System Font in Windows 10


    1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.

    Change_default_font_in_Windows_10.reg

    Download

    2 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    3 Unblock the .reg file.

    4 Right click or press and hold on the .reg file, and click/tap on Edit to open it in Notepad.

    5 In Notepad, replace ENTER FONT NAME HERE at the bottom with the name of the font (ex: "Arial Bold") you want to have as the default font in Windows 10. (see screenshot below)

    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-1-change_default_font_in_windows_10.png

    To see your available fonts and their names:

    A) Open the C:\Windows\Font folder.

    B) You can click/tap on a font family (ex: "Arial") to open it and see the individual font names (ex: "Arial Bold") in the family.
    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-fonts.png

    6 Click/tap on File, and click/tap on Save to save the changes you made to the Change_default_font_in_Windows_10.reg file. (see screenshot below)

    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-2-change_default_font_in_windows_10.png

    7 Double click/tap on the modified Change_default_font_in_Windows_10.reg file to merge it.

    8 When prompted, click/tap on Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    9 Restart the computer to fully apply.






    OPTION TWO

    To Restore Default System Font in Windows 10


    1 Click/tap on the Download button below to download the .reg file below.

    Restore_default_font_in_Windows_10.reg

    Download

    (Contents of .reg file for reference)
    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
    "Segoe UI (TrueType)"="segoeui.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Black (TrueType)"="seguibl.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Black Italic (TrueType)"="seguibli.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)"="segoeuib.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuiz.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Historic (TrueType)"="seguihis.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuii.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Light (TrueType)"="segoeuil.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Light Italic (TrueType)"="seguili.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Semibold (TrueType)"="seguisb.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Semibold Italic (TrueType)"="seguisbi.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Semilight (TrueType)"="segoeuisl.ttf"
    "Segoe UI Semilight Italic (TrueType)"="seguisli.ttf"
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
    "Segoe UI"=-

    2 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

    3 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

    4 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

    5 Restart the computer to fully apply.

    6 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


    That's it,
    Shawn






  1. Posts : 56,804
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #1

    Good one Shawn! Been doing something similar for a long while...tired old eyes!

    Suggestion... you may want to mention this has virtually no effect on Modern Apps and the Start Menu and Action Center/Settings, etc. For lack of a better term, it's just for "Win XP/7/8 type older UI's", like Control Panel and what you already mentioned. Might avoid post-back's of "this doesn't work".

    Also, in addition to Cliff's warning about rogue fonts, any app that is optioned in to use the system fonts will be affected. I.E. - Firefox, Google and others.

    TC
      My Computers


  2. Posts : 4
    w10a
       #2

    Hi,
    w10 anniversary is a true mess for fonts !
    Windows 10 keeps "breaking" things badly and it's quite impossible to keep things steady either in Segoe UI or in Arial and even Tahoma (often preferred to Segoe by many people).
    So don't expect too much from the changes indicated above.
    Wandering through the registry, around Fonts and Font Substitute keys I noticed several folders containing fonts settings.
    Most interestingly, I also noticed, "Tahoma" written like this : "Tahoma, TTF, 10"
    So I changed the Substitute for MS shell dlg + Ms Shell dlg 2 to Tahoma, TTF, 10.
    I did this because W10 seems to fall back regularly for some items (ribbon, and some menus) to those 2 "shitty" fonts that no one can read because too small. And so do software which use "MS" system fonts ..
    So far, it looks like, "my" changes are staying and fonts for some "shell" fall back use now Tahoma in 10 pts instead of 8.

    This is given for info. And the interesting thing is really substitution with "xxx, TTF, 10", or 8 or 12, 14 ...
    If you don't know what you do, don't try anything and don't complain to me. You better ask Microsoft to make a system working and designed for laptops and desktops rather than tablets and smart phones and kids !
    ;-)
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 37
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #3

    Segoe UI Semibold, Anyone?


    I run W10 Pro v1607 (Build 14393.1715).

    I would love to change my System font from Segoe UI to SegoeUI Semibold. But nothing happens when I make the indicated substitution ... "Segoe UI"="Segoe UI Semibold".

    It would surely help my aging eyes if someone knows how to do this.
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    Hello RetiredEngineer, :)

    I just tested "Segoe UI"="Segoe UI Semibold" on my system, and it worked. However, it is a subtle change that may be hard to notice. Just to confirm, did you restart the computer to apply after merging the .reg file?

    You might try "Segoe UI"="Segoe UI Bold" for a more noticeable difference.
      My Computers


  5. Posts : 56,804
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #5

    @Brink

    Shawn, I discovered one minor tweak to using this for Segoe UI Semibold. If you leave the ttf (TrueType Font) entry alone, it makes a noticeable difference, particularly in Task Manager. I just commented the line in the .reg.

    Code:
    Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
    
    ; Created by: Shawn Brink
    ; Created on: October 25th 2016
    ; Tutorial: https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/67931-font-change-default-windows-10-a.html
    
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
    "Segoe UI (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Black (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Black Italic (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Historic (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Light (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Light Italic (TrueType)"=""
    ; "Segoe UI Semibold (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Semibold Italic (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Semilight (TrueType)"=""
    "Segoe UI Semilight Italic (TrueType)"=""
    
    [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
    "Segoe UI"="Segoe UI Semibold"
    
    ; "Segoe UI"="ENTER FONT NAME HERE"
    Change Default System Font in Windows 10-2017-10-03_10h10_34.png
      My Computers


  6. Posts : 68,543
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Great news and idea Dick. :)
      My Computers


  7. Posts : 56,804
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #7

    Brink said:
    Great news and idea Dick. :)
    Thanks! :)
      My Computers


  8. Posts : 37
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
       #8

    Very nice, improved rendering of Segoe UI Semobold. Solves all my visual problems.

    Thank-you, Dick.
    Last edited by RetiredEngineer; 03 Oct 2017 at 21:24.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 56,804
    Multi-boot Windows 10/11 - RTM, RP, Beta, and Insider
       #9

    RetiredEngineer said:
    Very nice, improved rendering of Segoe UI Semobold. Solves all my visual problems.

    Thank-you, Dick.
    @RetiredEngineer You're welcome! I'm a member of the tired eyes club myself! :) Take care......
      My Computers


 

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