How to change default system font on Windows 10

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You don't have to settle with the default system font on Windows 10. You can change it to anything you want – here's how.

Windows 10 change system font
Windows 10 change system font (Image credit: Windows Central)

On Windows 10, you can change the default system font, but you now have to make changes to the Registry to complete this task.

In older versions like Windows 7, the Control Panel included personalization settings to change the system font for many visual elements on the desktop, such as File Explorer, icons, title bars, menus, message boxes, and more. However, for some reason, Windows 10 removed these settings, and you are now stuck with the default system font.

However, it is possible to change the "Segoe UI" default font on Windows 10, if that is something you want to do. Now, it just takes a few more steps using the Registry.

In this Windows 10 guide, we will walk you through the steps to change the default system font for most desktop elements.

How to change default font on Windows 10

To change the system font on Windows 10, use these steps:

Warning: This is a friendly reminder that editing the Registry is risky and can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your PC before proceeding. Alternatively, you can create a system restore point, which will also help you revert the changes.

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the text editor.
  3. Copy and paste the following Registry code onto the 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"="NEW-FONT-NAME"
  4. Open Settings.
  5. Click on Personalization.
  6. Click on Fonts.
  7. Select the font family you want to use.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Note the official name of the font family – for example, Courier New.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. In the Notepad text with the Registry code, replace "NEW-FONT-NAME" with the name of the font you want to use in the entire system – for example, Courier New.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the File menu.
  2. Select the Save as option.
  3. Use the "Save as type" drop-down menu and select the All Files option.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Confirm a descriptive name for the file, such as "my-system-font," and use the ".reg" as the extension – for example, my-system-font.reg.
  2. Click the Save button.
  3. Right-click the newly created ".reg" file and select the Merge option.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the Yes button.
  2. Click the OK button.
  3. Restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, the new font should be available throughout the desktop visual elements, including File Explorer, message box, taskbar, and apps that use the system default font settings.

Although you can select from a lot of different fonts, it is recommended to choose a style that is easy to understand since fonts like Webdings or Wingdings use symbols, and they can cause issues to the installation.

How to restore default system font on Windows 10

If you change your mind, you can always restore the previous settings using the Registry or using a restore point.

Undo settings with Registry

To restore the default font settings on Windows 10, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Notepad and click the top result to open the text editor.
  3. Copy and paste the following Registry code onto the 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. Click the File menu.
  5. Select the Save as option.
  6. Use the "Save as type" drop-down menu and select the All Files option.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Confirm a descriptive name for the file, such as "restore-default-font," and use the ".reg" as the extension – for example, restore-default-font.reg.
  2. Click the Save button.
  3. Right-click the newly created ".reg" file and select the Merge option.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the Yes button.
  2. Click the OK button.

After you complete the steps, the Windows 10 default font should rollback to the previous configuration.

Undo settings with Restore point

Alternatively, you could also use a previous restore point created before modifying the font settings to undo the changes. However, use this option as a last resort, since depending on when you are restoring the system, the feature may also undo other system changes you may have configured after the restore point was created.

To undo system changes, use these steps:

  1. Open Start.
  2. Search for Create a restore point and select the top result to open the app.
  3. Click the System Protection tab.
  4. Click the System Restore button.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the Next button.
  2. Select the restore point you created before applying the settings.

Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
  1. Click the Next button.
  2. Click the Finish button.

Once you complete the steps, the system will need to be restarted to finish the process.

Mauro Huculak
Mauro Huculak

Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.