How to change the Windows console font?

Question

I have been using Cleartype and Vista fonts on Windows XP for quite a while now. I love the Consolas font for working with source code. I would love to have it as the font of my Windows console (command) window too. Is there a way to do this?

Answer 1

• Create a backup of the windows registry.

• On regedit, navigate to

  HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Console\TrueTypeFont

• Right click on the right pane, select New -> String value.

• Write "00" (without the quote) as the entry name.

• Right click on the new entry, click on Modify.

• Write the name of the desired font on the Value data field. That value should match one of the entries on HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

• If you want to add additional fonts, repeat the previous steps, adding a "0" to the entry name each time (that is, the third entry should be "000" and so on).

• Reboot your pc to apply the changes.

• Open a console window, right click on the title bar, select Properties.

• Select the Font tab. The new fonts should appear on the list.

Before doing any of this, please read the article "Why are console windows limited to Lucida Console and raster fonts?", which explains in great detail why you shouldn't do that anyway.

Answer 2

This is a simple registry tweak.

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Console\TrueTypeFont

Add a string value (REG_SZ) with the name 00 and put Consolas in the 'data' field.

You will then need to reboot your PC, and change the default within command prompt.

Start -> Run -> Cmd.

Right click the title of the window -> Properties -> Fonts.

Answer 3

See also How to set the command prompt font on XP? on Server Fault.

Answer 4

Right click on the title bar, and you can change it there, I believe.

Answer 5

Well ... you can always try something like this to replace your old cmd : http://sourceforge.net/projects/console/