How to set Segoe UI as the system font?

[Aloha]

I want to set Segoe UI as the system font so that whatever themes I change, I always have this font on the desktop, start menu, explorer, title bar, menu bar, tooltips, message box, and so on! I read some old posts here about how to do this but it doesn't work for me. Of course I can change the font manually (through the Display Properties box) every time I change a theme. But ...

Can someone here, knowing a way to set the system font effectively, give me some help? Many thanks in avance!

PS. According to the old posts, I had to modify the registry key "MS Shell Dlg" and "MS Shell Dlg 2" from here:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes

I tried changing their values to Segoe UI but it didn't work. Changing them to SegoeUI or Segoeui couldn't help either. What am I missing?

Edited September 4, 2008 by Aloha

[Kindovic]

think segoe ui is available in vista only...

correct me if i'm wrong

[MrCobra]

Maybe this can help?? Be advised that just changing the fonts in the registry will not always display things correctly. A lot of the dialogs embedded in various DLLs have hard coded values for the original fonts (ex., the RGB color picker input boxes) and will truncate the substitued fonts.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]
"MS Shell Dlg 2"="Segoe UI"
"MS Shell Dlg"="Segoe UI"
"Helv"="Segoe UI"
"MS Sans Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24"="Segoe UI"
"MS Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24"="Segoe UI"
"MS Sans Serif"="Segoe UI"
"System"="Segoe UI"
"Microsoft Sans Serif"="Segoe UI"
"Tahoma"="Segoe UI"
"MS Serif"="Segoe UI"
"Times New Roman"="Segoe UI"
"Times"="Segoe UI"
"Small Fonts"="Segoe UI"
"Tms Rmn"="Segoe UI"
"Arial"="Segoe UI"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Arial (TrueType)"="segoeui.ttf"
"Arial Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuii.ttf"
"Arial Bold (TrueType)"="segoeuib.ttf"
"Arial Bold Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuiz.ttf"
"Times New Roman (TrueType)"="segoeui.ttf"
"Times New Roman Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuii.ttf"
"Times New Roman Bold (TrueType)"="segoeuib.ttf"
"Times New Roman Bold Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuiz.ttf"
"Tahoma (TrueType)"="segoeui.ttf"
"Tahoma Bold (TrueType)"="segoeuib.ttf"
"Microsoft Sans Serif (TrueType)"="segoeui.ttf"
"MS Sans Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)"="segoeui.ttf"
"MS Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24 (VGA res)"="segoeui.ttf"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Shell\MuiCache]
"@themeui.dll,-2037"="{Segoe UI, 8 pt}"
"@themeui.dll,-2038"="{Segoe UI, 8 pt}"
"@themeui.dll,-2039"="{Segoe UI, 8 pt}"
"@themeui.dll,-2040"="{Segoe UI, 8 pt}"
"@themeui.dll,-2041"="{Segoe UI, 8 pt}"
"@themeui.dll,-2042"="{Segoe UI, 8 pt}"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontMapper\FamilyDefaults]
"Swiss"="Segoe UI"
"Roman"="Segoe UI"

Edited September 2, 2008 by MrCobra

[ricktendo]

Thanks for the regtweak mr cobra

[spacesurfer]

You can install segoe ui in xp. it's not just for vista. you might be violating some license though.

anyway, why would you substitute arial, times new roman, etc with segoe ui?

go to display properties, appearance tab, click on advanced. click on the various menus and change the font to segoe ui. done.

Unsure how it's done with reg tweaks although i have it somewhere as i have changed it in my bartpe cd.

if you need it, let me know and i can provide it sometime.

[Aloha]

Kindovic, we can use Segoe in XP too. It looks very nice.

MrCobra, thank you for the registry. It works, even with nonVista themes. I tried changing the font size from 8 to 9, but it was still 8 and I don't know why.

However, you didn't tell me that this registry would make me lose some important fonts, such as Arial and Tahoma! I've been using Tahoma with Notepad and EditPad Lite and I am used to it. I have to use Trebuchet MS now to replace Segoe in these applications because it looks better. If I restore Tahoma, the Segoe won't be the system font any more, will it?

Edit: removing images.

MrCobra, I can get back Tahoma already by changing it in the registry you gave. But too bad, Segoe isn't the system font any more. Actually, it is still used in the message boxes, not on other windows; not on the menu bar, title bar, or start menu, I mean. I think I will have to change the font through the Display Properties then. Thanks anyway for your reg tweak.

Edited September 2, 2008 by Aloha

[Aloha]

Spacesurfer, I only see your post after I finish my post. How slow I am!

You can install segoe ui in xp. it's not just for vista. you might be violating some license though.

Did you mean that I am not allowed to use Segoe in XP? I've downloaded some Vista themes and most of them use Segoe as the system font.

Unsure how it's done with reg tweaks although i have it somewhere as i have changed it in my bartpe cd.

if you need it, let me know and i can provide it sometime.

If the reg tweak you mentioned is different from that by MrCobra, I am interested in having it. Of course, only if you have time to find it for me. Thanks for you reply, Spacesurfer.

Edit: Nevermind, Spacesurfer. On the second thought, MrCobra's regtweak is OK for me because I've just got a restore reg. I hope I'll be used to the new font when editing text files with Notepad. No big problem at all.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Aloha

[spacesurfer]

Here's the registry settings for anyway if anyone needs it:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"CaptionFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,bc,02,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"IconFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,01,00,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MenuFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,01,00,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MessageFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SmCaptionFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,\
  00,00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"StatusFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,00,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00

[Aloha]

Spacesurfer, your reg file works perfect, nearly perfect! And I can choose Tahoma from the font dropdown list in Notepad.

Here's the registry settings for anyway if anyone needs it

Thanks for the nice decision to post your registry tweak, Spacesurfer.

PS. removing images and personal thought!

I've forgot to tell you that every time I change a theme, I'll have to run this reg key again. It's all right, however.

Edited September 5, 2008 by Aloha

[spacesurfer]

well, using font substitution is not the way to change system fonts because it gets substituted everywhere and that font will be unavailable for printing in word processors.

i hope it helped your purpose.