Can't change system font for single nonadmin account

Archived from groups: alt.os.windows2000,microsoft.public.win2000.registry,microsoft.public.win2000.general (More info?)

Windows 2000 allows the user to select large or small fonts via
Display_Properties->Settings. I am using service pack 4. My system
font seems to be stuck on small fonts (popup menus, application
pulldown menus, titles for desktop icons, taskbar text e.g. date,
etc.). There are a few places where the fonts are large, however
e.g. Display Properties panel (not the window title bar, though) and
inside all windows for netscape communicator 4.79 (though not the
titlebar nor the pulldown menus just beneath the title bar).

The small fonts only afflict one account (a nonadmin account). If I
log off and login as admin or another nonadmin account, the fonts are
fine i.e. large fonts.

When I try to change the font size to large, I find that the panel
already shows the font size as beging large. If I try to change it to
small, then to large again, I get the message:

Windows Setup has not changed the requested settings. You may not
have the required Administrative privilege to install or uninstall
new files or drivers.

If log in as admin and change the fonts size to small and back to
large again, it doesn't affect the problem account (which still shows
the font size as large, even though it is actually small). Please
note that I do in fact reboot after each change, to ensure that it
takes effect.

I tried to log in as the problem account and use run-as to run the
Display Properties as admin (from the control panel). I don't get
the permissions error message above, but neither does the font size
change.

I tried granting admin status to the problem account and have it
change the font size to small, and back again. Again, I avoid the
above permissions error message, but no change in the small font size.

I'm not sure what else to try. I googled for the registry key for a
user-specific "system" font, but didn't find any info on which key it
might be. I wonder if this problem is related to a recent problem I
had with the registry (Re: Messed up registry trying to stop cursor
from blinking, Wed. Apr. 20). I accidentally erased

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop

and lost my customizations of Windows Explorer e.g. through windows
options panels, or via TweakUI. Any attempts to reinstate these
customizations resulted in no effect, or error messages about
inability to make the required registry changes. I solved this
problem by importing a copy of that registry folder from another
nonadmin account (same machine). Thereafter, I could make my normal
customizations and have them stick.

Thanks for any advice on how to fix my font sizes, about where they
might be in the registry, or whether the problem might be related to
the previous deletion of the above Desktop registry folder. I'd also
be curious as to why there is this residual problem, given that I can
permanently make all my regular customizations after importing that
registry folder from elsewhere e.g. window focus follows pointer,
disabling menu fading effect, and availability of context popup menu
when right-clicking on the desktop.

Fo Pa

Archived from groups: alt.os.windows2000,microsoft.public.win2000.registry,microsoft.public.win2000.general (More info?)

Much googling & trial/error later, I found a method that solved
the problem (quoted below).

Start->Programs->Accessories->Accessiblity->AccessiblityWizard.

I didn't even have to change anything. It seemed that shortly after
I opened it (or after pressing Next for the first screen), the icon &
taskbar fonts automatically went back to normal size. In fact, I didn't
even choose large fonts, I just selected the "usual" font size (whatever
that is). Isn't that nice?

This is described at
http://www.microsoft.com/enable/tr [...] msize.aspx
found by googling

windows-2000 OR win-2000 OR win-2k icon font size

Note that this makes sense, since the problem afflicted a specific
user account. It was *not* a system-wide setting, it is probably
not a key under the HKLM registry e.g.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\GRE_Initialize
which controlled by going to Display-Properties->Settings->Advanced,
then going ot the General->Font_Size.

Since it wasn't machine-wide, I tried to find a HKLU key by comparing the
registry for afflicted nonadmin account to an nonafflicted nonadmin account.
All keys related to font or size were either the same, or were application
specific (e.g. internet explorer, adobe, international fonts, etc.).

It is possible that each user's custom window settings are used to modify HKLM
keys upon login. Some HKLM settings which might have been worth
exploring were

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Control Panel
"OriginalDPI"=dword:00000078" (was 00000060 on unafflicted acount)

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontDPI
"LogPixels"=dword:00000060 (was 00000078 on unafflicted account)

But since Accessibility Wizard solved the problem, I'm leaving it.

F.P.


Fo Pa wrote:
>
> Windows 2000 allows the user to select large or small fonts via
> Display_Properties->Settings. I am using service pack 4. My system
> font seems to be stuck on small fonts (popup menus, application
> pulldown menus, titles for desktop icons, taskbar text e.g. date,
> etc.). There are a few places where the fonts are large, however
> e.g. Display Properties panel (not the window title bar, though) and
> inside all windows for netscape communicator 4.79 (though not the
> titlebar nor the pulldown menus just beneath the title bar).
>
> The small fonts only afflict one account (a nonadmin account). If I
> log off and login as admin or another nonadmin account, the fonts are
> fine i.e. large fonts.
>
> When I try to change the font size to large, I find that the panel
> already shows the font size as beging large. If I try to change it to
> small, then to large again, I get the message:
>
> Windows Setup has not changed the requested settings. You may not
> have the required Administrative privilege to install or uninstall
> new files or drivers.
>
> If log in as admin and change the fonts size to small and back to
> large again, it doesn't affect the problem account (which still shows
> the font size as large, even though it is actually small). Please
> note that I do in fact reboot after each change, to ensure that it
> takes effect.
>
> I tried to log in as the problem account and use run-as to run the
> Display Properties as admin (from the control panel). I don't get
> the permissions error message above, but neither does the font size
> change.
>
> I tried granting admin status to the problem account and have it
> change the font size to small, and back again. Again, I avoid the
> above permissions error message, but no change in the small font size.
>
> I'm not sure what else to try. I googled for the registry key for a
> user-specific "system" font, but didn't find any info on which key it
> might be. I wonder if this problem is related to a recent problem I
> had with the registry (Re: Messed up registry trying to stop cursor
> from blinking, Wed. Apr. 20). I accidentally erased
>
> HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop
>
> and lost my customizations of Windows Explorer e.g. through windows
> options panels, or via TweakUI. Any attempts to reinstate these
> customizations resulted in no effect, or error messages about
> inability to make the required registry changes. I solved this
> problem by importing a copy of that registry folder from another
> nonadmin account (same machine). Thereafter, I could make my normal
> customizations and have them stick.
>
> Thanks for any advice on how to fix my font sizes, about where they
> might be in the registry, or whether the problem might be related to
> the previous deletion of the above Desktop registry folder. I'd also
> be curious as to why there is this residual problem, given that I can
> permanently make all my regular customizations after importing that
> registry folder from elsewhere e.g. window focus follows pointer,
> disabling menu fading effect, and availability of context popup menu
> when right-clicking on the desktop.