127

How can the default font be changed for the Windows 7 Sticky Notes application? I can't stand that faux handwriting font it uses.

8 Answers 8

35

Here's a .reg file you can just double-click that will change the Segoe fonts to the Consolas within the registry. Created and tested working on Windows 8.1 Preview

stickynote_font_fix.reg

Linked code:

REGEDIT4

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Segoe Print (TrueType)"="consola.ttf"
"Segoe Print Bold (TrueType)"="consolab.ttf"

Log out and the font used by the Sticky Notes app should be legible.

8
  • 9
    Probably a better option than deleting the font files but will of course render the Segoe Print font unusable system wide, which may be a problem for some. Sep 3, 2013 at 12:43
  • 3
    I'm disturbed that you tried this on Windows 8.1. I guess that means that after 4 major releases of Windows (Sticky Notes appeared in Vista I think) Microsoft still haven't seen fit to allow font choice in the Sticky Notes app. Sep 3, 2013 at 12:45
  • 1
    You could add mappings to that registry file that map the real Segoe Print files to different names allowing you to choose to use them elsewhere if you like. Sep 3, 2013 at 12:54
  • Very useful and harmless solution! My own choice of fonts is "segoeui.ttf" and "segoeuib.ttf" for a modern and clean look.
    – jv42
    Jan 19, 2015 at 9:13
  • Link appears to be broken.
    – bpcookson
    Jan 11, 2016 at 12:04
78

There are workarounds.

If you cut-and-paste text from another program, let's say Word, to a Sticky Note, that note will take on the original fonts the text was in.

To change size, luckily there are keyboard shortcuts...

Ctrl + Shift + > makes the font bigger

Ctrl + Shift + < makes the font smaller

There is a complete list of keyboard shortcuts available here.

9
  • 3
    Nice find!
    – alex
    Sep 4, 2009 at 8:26
  • 1
    I knew about this but it's changing the default font that I'm really interested in. Sep 4, 2009 at 10:21
  • 25
    ctrl+mousewheel also works for this Jan 28, 2011 at 7:36
  • 3
    @Jeff: Yes it does, but that seems to work globally, while the keyboard method can be used to make text of different sizes, by selecting and modifying, which is a really nice thing to have found out.
    – paradroid
    Jul 18, 2011 at 0:32
  • 3
    @VitaminYes Because mouse scroll isn't font size; it's (temporary) zoom.
    – Schism
    Jul 7, 2014 at 18:54
39

I know this is an old question, but I have an answer that might be better than deleting the font, but will still render the Segoe Print font useless. In the registry, you can change the font that Windows thinks is Segoe Print and Segoe Print Bold

  1. Navigate to: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts
  2. First, export that key so you have a backup.
  3. Find Segoe Print (TrueType)
  4. Change the value to the file name of any other font that you wish to use that is already installed (navigate that registry key to find others).
  5. Do the same for the "Segoe Print Bold (TrueType)" and match it to the Bold version of this font.
  6. Then, log out and back on.
2
21

There is a workaround for the default font in sticky notes.

The default typeface for notes is Segoe Print and if you don't use this font for anything else you can delete it from your system, after which sticky notes will use MS Sans Serif as the default font.

7
  • is it possible to choose the font you'd like to use, rename it to "Segoe Print" by editing the name, buried in the font file, using a text editor, and then install that font? should work. Dec 22, 2009 at 13:38
  • 16
    @Redandwhite: Please don't say that. "should work" is a forbidden expression.
    – bobobobo
    Dec 28, 2009 at 0:03
  • 10
    You risk breaking apps with that that rely on that font - do not recommend you do this. Apr 15, 2011 at 13:02
  • 2
    Deleting system components (even if they are just fonts) is a bad idea. Dec 5, 2012 at 18:04
  • The above commenters are right. While deleting a font file is less risky than deleting other files, there is always the chance of causing problems and in general system files should not be tampered with. Dec 6, 2012 at 9:51
19

Answer by NudeRaider


You can download a .MUI editor and modify the sticky notes mui file and change the font to whatever you want.

"C:\Windows\System32\en-US\StikyNot.exe.mui"

First of all thanks for the tip with the MUI file. With it I could successfully change the default font the sticky notes are using. Btw. plain notepad works fine for editing.

To solve the access denied problem you have to be administrator, and take control of the file first and then add full access permissions for your user name.

Step by step:
- right click the file -> properties
- Security tab -> advanced
- Owner tab -> edit
- click your user name -> OK
- Permissions tab -> change permissions
- add...
- enter your user name (or click advanced to search for it) -> OK
- click the top left check box (allow > full access) -> OK
- OK -> OK -> OK that's it, now you can access the file.

Then you can remove the write protection but you still can't overwrite the file because notepad doesn't let you save in that folder. So save the edited MUI file elsewhere and copy it into the en-us folder. Then restart your computer or it won't take effect.

Also note that the en-us folder depends on your system language (e.g. de-de for german), but the filename itself always stays StikyNot.exe.mui.

2
  • I had to use notepad++ to edit the mui file because notepad corrupted the files I edited!
    – Thinker
    Jan 18, 2011 at 16:29
  • apologies for the typo in user name @NudeRaider
    – Sathyajith Bhat
    Feb 9, 2011 at 3:34
3

You can copy the text into a Notepad window and change the font there to whatever you like and then copy the text back into the note, and the font will stick.

I also found a nice freeware tool named StickyTool that expands the functionality of the Windows 7 Sticky Notes. The current version, however, is not able to change the default font of the Sticky Notes application, but I know from one of the developers that they want to integrate that in a future version.

4
  • Some might find StickyTool useful. Personally the standard sticky notes app is perfect for me, other than the horrid font. I'm looking for a similar app I can use on my new laptop, which has Windows 7 Home Basic and therefore no Sticky Notes app. Mar 30, 2010 at 10:29
  • Virus Scan reports file to be virus free virscan.org/report/62538dbf51fe1adaa2111b76c4aeaa89.html
    – Sathyajith Bhat
    Apr 28, 2011 at 15:08
  • 1
    Copy text into Notepad and change font there and copy back is not working
    – Deqing
    Jul 4, 2013 at 2:24
  • @Deqing you are right. It is not supposed to work, actually. Jan 26, 2017 at 4:55
3

IMHO, switching to something like http://pnotes.sourceforge.net/ would be your best bet.

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  • 1
    There are many alternative apps for notes but why should I be forced to use another app just because the developers/designers of the built-in one made a poor choice? Sep 3, 2013 at 12:48
  • 4
    People always use Notepad++ instead of Notepad; I don't see how this is any different. Sep 26, 2014 at 13:19
  • Once thing to remember is that many folks do not have the ability to install software on employer's machines due to "policy" so must make do with built in applications.
    – N West
    Jan 10, 2019 at 19:58
1

I can't believe no one mentioned this, but Sticky Notes is written in JavaScript. You can hack the code whatever you want.

Moreover, the fonts are adequately defined in the localization file.

%LocalAppdata%\Microsoft\Windows Sidebar\Gadgets\Notes.gadget\js\loc.js

var L_YELLOW_TEXT        = "Yellow";
var L_PURPLE_TEXT        = "Purple";
var L_BLUE_TEXT          = "Blue";
var L_GREEN_TEXT         = "Green";
var L_PINK_TEXT          = "Pink";
var L_WHITE_TEXT         = "White";

var L_DELETENOTE_TEXT    = "Delete";
var L_PREVIOUSNOTE_TEXT  = "Previous";
var L_NEXTNOTE_TEXT      = "Next";
var L_ADDNOTE_TEXT       = "Add";

var L_FONT_1_TEXT        = "Segoe Print";
var L_FONT_2_TEXT        = "Segoe Script";
var L_FONT_3_TEXT        = "Segoe UI";
var L_FONT_4_TEXT        = "NA";
var L_FONT_5_TEXT        = "NA";
var L_FONT_6_TEXT        = "NA";
var L_FONT_7_TEXT        = "NA";
var L_FONT_8_TEXT        = "NA";
var L_FONT_9_TEXT        = "NA";
var L_FONT_10_TEXT       = "NA";

var L_PREVIOUS_text = "Previous";
var L_NEXT_text = "Next";

SCREENSHOT

2
  • That's certainly an option if you want to use Sticky Notes. I've stopped using it; not because of the font. I prefer a combination of Joplin and pen and paper these days. Oct 26, 2023 at 9:31
  • @SteveCrane To be honest I still haven't found the ideal note app yet (lmao). So far Sticky Notes is a neat solution, I'm using it to jot down temporary texts and todos. I've also gone so far as to setup a sync script to view it on my Android phone.
    – skygate
    Nov 21, 2023 at 3:45

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