Computer Hope

Microsoft => Microsoft Windows => Windows 3.x/9x/ME => Topic started by: glyphmeister on February 09, 2011, 11:22:29 PM

Title: Font problem in help system and other programs
Post by: glyphmeister on February 09, 2011, 11:22:29 PM

So here's what I got:

(http://www.sandstonearchaeology.com/files/winhelp.jpg)

I get the same font in Adobe Type Manager:

(http://www.sandstonearchaeology.com/files/winatm.jpg)

I can make that font change by deleting the current font it is using. It may then use something better, or it might be worse. Any ideas how I can fix this?

Title: Re: Font problem in help system and other programs
Post by: glyphmeister on February 10, 2011, 08:49:37 PM

I solved the problem!

Using the clever utility, HwndSpy, I was able to determine that all of the instances where the font was not corresponding to what was expected (in this case, the default Windows font of MS Sans Serif), the font that was being used by the dialog was listed as "MS Shell Dlg". I searched the Internet and determined that Windows 98, while it seems to be advertized as using the registry to define MS Shell Dlg (as everything NT and later do) actually sets the value for this in the win.ini file! In looking at my win.ini, I saw that at some point that specification had been deleted (who knows when - I've had an issue like this for some time). So I added the line

Code: [Select]


[FontSubstitutes]
MS Shell Dlg=MS Sans Serif


and everthing is fixed! I hate the registry anyway, so I was glad to find the solution was with something as simple as win.ini! Hope this helps some other poor 98 fan.

Title: Re: Font problem in help system and other programs
Post by: glyphmeister on February 11, 2011, 08:00:42 AM

Here's a picture of the help system to show the difference:

(http://www.sandstonearchaeology.com/files/winhelp_fix.jpg)

It had been selecting different fonts for the tabs and menu bar, though they were all specified as MS Shell Dlg. The Adobe Type Manager is behaving itself now, too.