On every new version of Windows, Microsoft often introduces new features aim to make you more productive and secure. At the same time, the company also reviews the operating system and decides whether or not to keep some of the older features.

For example, on Windows 7, you're able to quickly open the personalization preferences and change the system font for various elements in the operating system, including the font for icons, title bars, menus, message box, and more. On Windows 10, this isn't the case anymore, and you're stuck with the default system font on your computer.

The font on Windows 10 is called Segoe UI, and if you don't like it, you can use this Windows 10 guide, which will walk you through the steps to modify the registry to change the default system font on your computer.

How to change the default Windows 10 system font

Important: Before you go through this guide, it's worth noting that modifying the registry is risky, and it can cause irreversible damage to your installation if you don't do it correctly. It's recommended to make a full backup of your system before proceeding. Alternatively, you can create a system restore point, which will also help you to revert the changes you make using this guide.

1.    Open Control Panel.
2.    Open the Fonts option.
3.    See the font available on Windows 10 and note the exact name of the font you want to use (e.g., Arial, Courier New, Verdana, Tahoma, etc.).

4.    Open Notepad.
5.    Copy and paste the following registry code into the text file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Segoe UI (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Light (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Semibold (TrueType)"=""
"Segoe UI Symbol (TrueType)"=""

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]

"Segoe UI"="ENTER-NEW-FONT-NAME"

6.    In registry code above, make sure to replace ENTER-NEW-FONT-NAME with the name of the font you want to use like Courier New.

7.    Click File.
8.    Click Save As.
9.    Under "Save as type," select All Files, and name your file anything you want with the .regextension.
10.    Click Save.

11.    Double-click your new .reg file to merge into the registry.
12.    Click Yes.
13.    Click OK.

14.    Restart your computer to complete the task.

Once your computer restarts, you should see the new font family throughout the elements, including on File Explorer, message box, taskbar, and apps that make use of the default system font.

If you want to revert the changes use the previously created system restore point or follow these steps:

1.    Open Notepad.
2.    Copy and paste the following registry code into the text file:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"Segoe UI (TrueType)"="segoeui.ttf"
"Segoe UI Black (TrueType)"="seguibl.ttf"
"Segoe UI Black Italic (TrueType)"="seguibli.ttf"
"Segoe UI Bold (TrueType)"="segoeuib.ttf"
"Segoe UI Bold Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuiz.ttf"
"Segoe UI Emoji (TrueType)"="seguiemj.ttf"
"Segoe UI Historic (TrueType)"="seguihis.ttf"
"Segoe UI Italic (TrueType)"="segoeuii.ttf"
"Segoe UI Light (TrueType)"="segoeuil.ttf"
"Segoe UI Light Italic (TrueType)"="seguili.ttf"
"Segoe UI Semibold (TrueType)"="seguisb.ttf"
"Segoe UI Semibold Italic (TrueType)"="seguisbi.ttf"
"Segoe UI Semilight (TrueType)"="segoeuisl.ttf"
"Segoe UI Semilight Italic (TrueType)"="seguisli.ttf"
"Segoe UI Symbol (TrueType)"="seguisym.ttf"
"Segoe MDL2 Assets (TrueType)"="segmdl2.ttf"
"Segoe Print (TrueType)"="segoepr.ttf"
"Segoe Print Bold (TrueType)"="segoeprb.ttf"
"Segoe Script (TrueType)"="segoesc.ttf"
"Segoe Script Bold (TrueType)"="segoescb.ttf"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\FontSubstitutes]

"Segoe UI"=-

3.    Click File.
4.    Click Save As.
5.    Under "Save as type," select All Files, and name your file anything you want with the .regextension.
6.    Click Save.
7.    Double-click your new .reg file to merge into the registry.
8.    Click Yes.
9.    Click OK.
10.    Restart your computer to complete the task.

Remember not to choose a crazy font, such as Webdings or Wingdings, which are symbols and they can cause issues on your system.