Windows 10: Change Icons Text Size in Windows 10

Hi,

I just joined this forum after getting a new PC with Windows 10 and a 27" UHD monitor about 2 weeks ago. The first thing I noticed is how tiny the text is in certain menus and websites. This forum came up in my search on how to fix this problem and I've been reading just about everything I could find on the subject.

My problem is that I'm not computer savy at all and I don't feel very comfortable doing things like going into the registry and changing this or that. I'm prone to really messing things like that up. Answering something yes when it should have been no and things like that.

I'm not even sure what it is that I would like to change. Some websites have small text on them. This one however is ok. I think my major problem is when I look at my system my menus seem to be very small. If I'm saving a picture and trying to rename it that text is very tiny and hard to read. What's that called?

 

Hello Jezza, and welcome to Ten Forums. *Smile

You may need to try different sizes until you find one that works best for you.

No worries though. You can create a restore point before making any changes. This way if it should have an adverse affect, you could do a quick system restore to undo the changes.

Create System Restore Point in Windows 10 Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

System Restore Windows 10 Windows 10 Performance Maintenance Tutorials

 

Hi Brink and thanks,

But if I don't want to try the registry things, what other choice do I have? I think I've read about a tool that Wintools has that will go in and allow you to change font and text size without having to dig into the registry.

 

If you mean this:
Change Icons Text Size in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

and changing the registry then the good news is that this is 100% safe. You are just bringing back something that W10 used to have and that got removed.

I found these give the look I wanted (17" laptop). I fact I've downloaded all the files and saved them becaue this omission by MS would be a deal breaker for me if I couldn't achieve this look.

Title Bars 11 Bold
Menus 9 Bold (this alter things such as the top info line of a program... File/Edit/View etc) CU now set to 11 Bold.
Message Boxes 9 Bold
Palette Title 9 Standard
Icons 12 Bold (this alters the file explorer view). CU now set to 14 Bold.
Tooltips 12 Bold

 

@Jezza819

In addition to all the individual font/text changes already mentioned above, it may a simple issue of your resolution on the monitor. This is a quick thing to check, and can easily be reverted without any registry tweaks or restore points. It's a built-in function of Windows 10.

Change DPI Scaling Level for Displays in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

The default is 100%, which on a large 27" monitor (like mine), it can make things look microscopic. Try 125% or 150% and see if that gets you a lot closer. It can be done along with the other mods to the individual font/size changes, but I would suggest adjusting the resolution first, before making those individual changes.

The screen to make the change looks like this:

 

WinTools makes the same registry changes that the .reg files in Option Two make.

There's no need to dig in the registry though. The .reg files in Option Two will make all the changes for you.

 

Mine actually came set with a default of 150% and it's still tiny.

Ok so if I understand that chart correctly the default size is 9? That's the size of the the text at the top of my screen in the description of the tabs, the description of the files, etc.?

Also if I do try this fix and download the file for let's say 11 bold and don't like it or it's still not big enough, just go download the next size up or do you need to revert the machine back to it's defaults and delete the one you don't like before trying a different one?

 

You would only need to try a different .reg file to change it again. No need to restore the default size first. *Smile

 

Ok that makes it a little easier. I'm trying to summon up the courage to try this because I've got to do something. It's almost like I can feel my eyes getting weaker every day dealing with this. *Sad

 

It will be fine, honest. Try the size 12 first. That seems to be a common ground one. You can always change it. Just run the .reg, log off and back on. Look. Repeat until happy! *Smile

 

Ok I've got some of it. My files are all labeled in the correct size. Like if I click on the file icon in the bottom toolbar, what it brings up is all in the correct size. However it still hasn't touched the type in the tabs across the top of the screen or the text when you go to save something. For instance if you just right click on this screen, that text is still very tiny.

Is that a different setting that needs a separate download to adjust?

 

It sounds like that would be a separate setting for you browser instead.

Setting the global DPI scaling level to higher DPI like Dick posted earlier will make everything appear larger if that may help. *Smile

Change DPI Scaling Level for Displays in Windows 10 Windows 10 Customization Tutorials

 

I'm reluctant to suggest a 3rd party tool, but I have used this on one of my test Insider builds, and it works quite well. Functions very much like the deprecated options for individual font sizes. If not appropriate, just zap it.

System Font Changer: restore font changing in Windows 10 Creators Update - gHacks Tech News

 

Ok we're getting very, very close. This got all of my tabs bigger and the right click menu bigger. Now the last piece of the puzzle is when you right click on something like a picture and you select "save file as" or you're downloading something it brings up the "save as" thing and shows the file name and allows you to call it what you want, that's still very faint and small. What is that called?

 

You mean like this? In your browser?





If that's what you're talking about, those are browser font & size adjustments.