Resolved Tiny font size in applications after Windows reinstall

You've stated that you have set all display settings back to a more Common default setting. Ala desktop properties. This should have included Small to medium font, Standard theme, whether it be Areo, Basic or Classic, Resolution set to recommended (windows will have bolded the one it recommends based on your system) and the "Refresh" setting. All the previous made no difference.

Is this effect the same if you log into windows using another account?

This brings us back to:
Is it possible that your graphics card needs updating and that if it is, the "ATI software" (Catalyst Control Center) has been set or needs to set to something that may need to be returned to defaults.

Have you , in the past or now, used a themer/skinner, zoomer or have used or set "accessibility setting" or theme?

I know you have stated that you were trying to avoid this type of "T-Shooting elimination" but, with proper backup and restore point usage, any thing you do, can be undone. Graphics card driver updating and rollbacks are done everyday by an incalculable number of people. I have tried to reproduce your problem using many display, font, DPI, compatibility settings and have not been able to. This makes me wonder if the root cause is something we do not have in common such as Graphics card and any software that may be used or loaded for such.

What caused or prompted you to reinstall Windows? Did you use any form of windows "backup and restore" features?

 

Ann,

Those are a lot of tips and questions. I'll try to answer them in order.

My settings are as follows (in the Personalize window): Aero theme, Windows 7. I have not set or chosen any special settings. Plain vanilla.

If I log off and try to log on again, there is only one user shown: me. How would I log on as a different user?

I have never looked for or at ATI software or Catalyst Control Center. However, since you raised the question, I did a search for "catalyst" and found the msi for it. I ran it. There was no change to the small or normal type size or fonts. After the installation I did another search for "catalyst" and there was nothing there except the same .msi program. There was no change in the fonts or sizes. On a hunch I changed my screen resolution from the native 1366 x 768 dpi to 800 x 600. Again there was no change in the fonts or sizes. One curiosity item: my display in the Display > Screen Resolution box is shown as "Mobile PC Display" when I have a desktop HP Pavilion all-in-one PC. Could this be a clue?

I have an ATI Radion HD 3200 Graphics adapter. In Device Manager I tried to update the driver software for it but the answer was that my "device is up to date." The same for my monitor.

I don't know what the first three items are, but I have never toyed with or set any of them. My machine, as far as I know, is in pristine condition and is working well, apart from the font issue.

I clean-installed Windows on my machine on 8/5 but my farthest-back Restore Point is on 8/10, long after this problem first surfaced. Therefore, there is no option of doing a System Restore to correct it.

My computer had been acting strangely for a long time. I couldn't run sfc /scannow anymore, Windows Update refused to work and there were many other assorted non-working features, but the last straw was when my machine repeatedly automatically shut down about one minute from startup. It would run "OK" in Safe Mode, but not normally. It was then I decided to bite the bullet. I found that, even with a mint, official Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit install disc I could not do an in-place Windows reinstall; it refused to run. So my only option was a total, clean reinstall.

I hope this information helps. Thank you.

Frank

 

Ann,

Your suggestion about using System Restore to go back to a point before this problem happened was a good one.

This got me to thinking. My answer was accurate as far as System Restore is concerned, but I have another resource for registry backups: ERUNT The Emergency Recovery Utility NT (http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/) which I didn't remember until right after you jogged my memory, above.

I found that I had ERUNT registry backups all the way back to 8/6, the day after I did the clean install. I restored that backup and now my fonts and font sizes are all back to normal!

While this does not address or answer the question/problem, at least it puts it to rest on my computer. I now have a lot of work to do to get my PC back in normal operating order, but at least I won't be saddled with that depressing font problem!

Bottom line: in view of the hard work you and Arie, and others, have done in helping me solve my computer problems, I have contributed to WindowsBBS for a one-year's membership. Thank you.

Frank D

 

Arie,

Although I never said so, I actually reinstalled all my programs, whether purchased or downloaded -- I didn't just copy them from my full backup. As you say, this is pretty much common knowledge since the good old days of Windows 3.1. What caused the problem I'll never know, but as they say, all's well that ends well.

Frank

 

Hi Frank,
I am ecstatic now that this problem is fixed for you. Yea for Erunt. Thank you so much for the update, supporting Windowsbbs but the pleasure of helping you was purely mine.

 

NVM should have read more of the thread before posting DOH