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As far as i can remember in older versions of Windows you were able to modify the thickness of the window title bar so that minimize and close icons become smaller and the top of the window narrower.

What i'm referring to:

part of windows 10 window

I cannot seem to find this setting in windows 10. Is it hidden somewhere? How can i modify the theme used in Windows 10 (not choose another theme but modify default one).

Thanks for any help.

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1
  • And I posted the same correct answer a day before on Aug 23. I am just curious how this works?
    – Alex S
    Aug 30, 2015 at 11:37

6 Answers 6

Reset to default
27
+50

I don't have Windows 10, but the solution is probably to change the registry at
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics.

The following registry .reg file will make the titlebar thinner, the titlebar text smaller, scroll bars thinner and the border padding as thin as possible.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"CaptionHeight"="-285"
"CaptionWidth"="-285"
"CaptionFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\ 
00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\  
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\  
00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00  
"ScrollWidth"="-240"
"ScrollHeight"="-240"
"PaddedBorderWidth"="0"

Remember to export the WindowMetrics key before you start modifying it, just in case you need to revert to the defaults after having messed something up. You also need to log out and back in again to see the changes.

For CaptionHeight and CaptionWidth, use the following formula: -15*desired height in pixels. For example, to set the title bar height to 18px, set the CaptionHeight value to -15*18, resulting in -270.

For ScrollWidth and ScrollHeight, the default value is -255. A higher value (ex: -1000) will give you a wider scrollbar, and lower value (ex: -100) will give you a thinner scrollbar.

(source)

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  • 1
    @harrmyc - And I posted the same correct answer a day before on Aug 23. I am just curious how this works?
    – Alex S
    Aug 30, 2015 at 11:37
  • @AlexS: Comment on your answer.
    – harrymc
    Aug 30, 2015 at 12:22
  • 1
    This works, however the icon size change in the bottom task bar as well :/
    – gskema
    Jan 2, 2017 at 20:04
  • It didn't work on Windows 10 Pro 1909, though.
    – Artfaith
    Oct 4, 2020 at 6:09
  • This doesn't explain how CaptionFont is set / changed.
    – NetMage
    Jun 18, 2021 at 17:57
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There is a way to modify the Windows 10 title bar height using Windows Registry Editor.
Follow these steps:

  1. Open the registry editor and navigate to the following key: 

    HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

  2. Calculate the desired height by using the following formula:

    -15*desired height in pixels (Example: 20px = -15*20 = -300)

  3. Change the string value named CaptionHeight to the calculated value

  4. Sign out and sign back in for the changes to take effect

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6

First you have to open up the control panel and go to Appearance and Personalization

enter image description here

Then select Display,"make text items and other items larger or smaller"

enter image description here

Click on the small box next to Title bar and adjust your Title bar size.

enter image description here

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  • 8
    This does shrink the text, thank you, but appears not to shrink the icons and title bar around the smaller text.
    – nsandersen
    Apr 25, 2016 at 12:44
  • Changing the value does change the size of the title text and the size of the 3 buttons on the upper-right corner, but not the single window icon on the upper-left corner, by the title text.
    – David Tang
    Mar 18, 2018 at 6:23
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    This no longer applies to current versions of Windows 10.
    – NetMage
    Jun 18, 2021 at 17:56
  • 1
    This is not Windows 10.
    – Doug Kimzey
    Jul 14, 2022 at 12:09
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Here is how it's done in Win 8 / 8.1. I don't have Win 10 so please try and let us know if the same works.

http://www.eightforums.com/tutorials/8463-border-width-windows-change-windows-8-a.html

  1. Press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog, type regedit, and click/tap OK.

  2. If prompted by UAC, then click/tap on Yes.

  3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics

  1. In the right pane of WindowMetrics, double click/tap on PaddedBorderWidth to be able to modify it. (see screenshot above)

  2. Type in a data value of 0 (zero) or between -1 to -1500, and click/tap OK. (see screenshot below)

Note

The default value is -60. A higher value (ex: -1500) will give you wider window borders, and lower value (ex: 0 or -1) will give you thinner window borders.

Each -17 is equal to 1 pixel in width.

  1. Close regedit.

  2. Sign out and sign in with your user account to apply.

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4
  • +1. Your answer was correct but partial, so I posted a different one for the customization of the whole title and scroll bars.
    – harrymc
    Aug 30, 2015 at 12:22
  • AlexS says 1 pixel for each -17 delta, but @harrymc says 1 pixel for each -15 delta. Anyone know which is correct?
    – Fran
    Dec 13, 2015 at 17:48
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    @Fran: There are some sources such as this one.
    – harrymc
    Dec 13, 2015 at 18:16
  • Sorry, but 15px or 17px?
    – Artfaith
    Oct 4, 2020 at 6:10
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For Windows 10 b1607 the height of a window title bar will be adjusted accordingly to the size of the title bar font. For a (dpi) display setting of 100% the following values are valid at the moment:

  • title bar font size 9px (windows default setting): title bar height 30px
  • title bar font size 7px: title bar height 26px

It is not necessary to adjust the value "CaptionHeight" in the Windows registry anymore as proposed in several other answers because this value is adjusted by windows automatically now when the title bar font size is changed.

The title bar font can be changed here:

  • control panel > display settings
  • or: Windows settings > system > advanced display settings > change the size of text and other elements
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  • 6
    Microsoft seems to have removed this control panel in v1704
    – dsmtoday
    Apr 1, 2017 at 15:06
  • You are right. Now it's time change the registrys keys as already described. In my example, CaptionHeight (and perhaps CaptionWidth, too) has to be changed from -336 (height 30px) to -264 (height 26px). Perhaps it's easier to experiment in b1607 and then to import the keys in b1704.
    – Thorsten Albrecht
    Apr 7, 2017 at 14:52
-2

I know that you can change the font sizes through the settings app (typing in font size located it quickly) . Whether that also changes the title bar size I don't know.

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  • 1
    Sadly it works in only one direction. If I change the font to bigger the title bar becomes thicker. I'm after the opposite result.
    – mnmnc
    Aug 20, 2015 at 23:12

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