In previous versions of the software, such as Windows 7 and older, changing the default system font was as simple as accessing the personalization settings. What’s more, you were able to modify the font for anything from icons and message boxes to menus and title bars.
This all changed with Windows 10. In this version of the operating system, you are stuck with the default “Segoe UI” font, which can no longer be changed quite as easily. However, it can still be done, as long as you are willing to go the extra mile, and modify the Registry.
If you want to change the default font in Windows 10, this guide will walk you through the steps necessary for modifying the font of most desktop elements:
Changing the default font in Windows 10
To change the default font on your PC, simply follow the steps below:
- Open Settings, and go to Personalization.
- Here, click on Fonts.
- Select the font that you wish to use. For instance, this could be Arial, Verdana, Courier New, etc.
- Then, open Start.
- Type Notepad into the search bar, and open the application.
- Copy and paste the following Registry code into the text file:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
“Segoe UI (TrueType)”=””
“Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)”=””
“Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)”=””
“Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)”=””
“Segoe UI Light (TrueType)”=””
“Segoe UI Semibold (TrueType)”=””
“Segoe UI Symbol (TrueType)”=””
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
“Segoe UI”=”ENTER-NEW-FONT-NAME”
7. Now, replace the “ENTER-NEW-FONT-NAME” placeholder with the name of the font you chose. Type it in exactly as it appears in the title of the settings page. For example, Arial.
8. Go to File > Save As.
9. Here, select the All Files option, and name your file however you wish, with the .reg extension. For example: change-font.reg.
10. Then, click Save.
11. Now, right click on the .reg file, and then select Merge.
12. Click Yes, and then OK.
13. Finally, restart your computer. The font should now be changed on your device.
Warning: It’s important to note that changing the Registry is always a risky move, as it could cause irreversible damage to the installation if not done correctly. For that reason, it’s recommended to make a full backup of your PC, or even to create a system restore point before proceeding, in order to be able to revert the changes you made.
Restoring the default Windows 10 font
In case you ever want to revert the font changes you made, simply follow the steps below to restore the original system font:
- Open Start.
- Type Notepad into the search bar, and open the application.
- Copy and paste the following Registry code into the text file:
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 Emoji (TrueType)”=”seguiemj.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”
“Segoe UI Symbol (TrueType)”=”seguisym.ttf”
“Segoe MDL2 Assets (TrueType)”=”segmdl2.ttf”
“Segoe Print (TrueType)”=”segoepr.ttf”
“Segoe Print Bold (TrueType)”=”segoeprb.ttf”
“Segoe Script (TrueType)”=”segoesc.ttf”
“Segoe Script Bold (TrueType)”=”segoescb.ttf”
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
“Segoe UI”=-
4. Go to File > Save As.
5. Here, select the All Files option, and name your file however you wish, with the .reg extension. For example: change-font.reg.
6. Then, click Save.
7. Now, right click on the .reg file, and then select Merge.
8. Click Yes, and then OK.
9. Finally, restart your computer. The original font should now be restored on your device.
Although a bit more difficult than before, the default font can still be changed on Windows 10, with just a couple of additional steps. Just make sure to choose a simpler font that’s easy to understand, to avoid any issues regarding special symbols.
