Size of text randomly changes within most apps.


streetwolf

Well-known member
Local time
2:43 PM
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OS
Windows 11
Please see this thread for details. Text size keeps changing just about everywhere on Windows 10 20H2. - Windows 10 Forums

A clean install of Windows 11 did not fix my problem. I will be the first to admit it is a really strange problem. I've always thought that a scheduled task might be the cause and for two years I've been disabling ST's. If this is true than there are task(s) that make text smaller and make text larger. At the moment my text size has stayed the same after disabling three scheduled tasks. Could be any of them.

1. Silent Cleanup
2. Proxy
3. Device User

Does anyone else see this changing of text size? As mentioned things like DPI, font size all stay the same no matter what the text size looks like.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
Yes, at first I had a few weird/font/scaling/pixelation issues. I would set custom font size which would hold for a day or a week before resizing on its own. I narrowed it down to my graphics driver. You have not completed your system profile so Since I don't know your system specs I can't point you to the correct one for you.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
First off the scheduled tasks I thought might be involved with the issue are not the cause. Even though I was able to keep the same size text for a day or so the text size changed again. Right now It's what I refer to as the small text.

My graphics card is an EVGA RTX 2080 TI. I have the latest drivers. My monitor is a BenQ PD3200U. As far as video hardware goes things things I tried were replacing cables to/from the card and trying DP and HDMI. Also used all the different ports on the card and monitor. Reseated my graphics card. The two things I didn't do which is not possible is try another card and/or monitor. But as I mentioned this problem goes back a couple of years when I installed Windows 10 20H2 (I think that was it). Prior to this version I had no problems.

I do use a font resizer program where I set my font size to 11. My DPI is set to 200%. I also use the 'Make text Bigger' which I set at 115%. As you might have seen MTB makes text for Windows UWP apps much larger than for desktop apps. I found the reg entry where the MTB feature affects Windows apps and setting it to 115 only makes text bigger for Windows apps. IMO MTB is flawed. Interestingly I recall that when I did the update that appears to have started this the MTB controls changed. I thought MTB might be the culprit but so far no.

Keep in mind when my text changes size all the tools I have that display system font sizes and names still stays at 11. DPI and MTB also stays the same. Was this the case for you when your text size changed?

Did you see in my post on the 10 Forum that even though the text might get larger Device Manager still displays the same info in it's Window? The window stays the exact same size. I measured the position on the screen with a ruler to verify this. If I do change the font size then DM will have more entries if I go smaller and less if I go larger.

The effect just raised it ugly head as I am typing this. I was in small mode and now I am in big mode. However the text on the page I am typing this on did not change size. I suspect a page refresh might change it.

Really weird wouldn't you say?
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
After submitting the post above the text did get bigger.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
I looked at what just ran as far as scheduled tasks go and nothing in the time frame. However using A program that shows what my activity was there were these entries that fit the time frame when the text size changed:

Action Time Description Filename Full Path More Information File Extension Data Source
2/27/2022 6:27:06 PM Run .EXE file svchost.exe C:\Windows\System32\svchost.exe Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft® Windows® Operating System, Host Process for Windows Services, 10.0.22000.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800) exe C:\Windows\Prefetch\SVCHOST.EXE-34F6281E.pf
2/27/2022 6:27:05 PM Run .EXE file CONSENT.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONSENT.EXE Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft® Windows® Operating System, Consent UI for administrative applications, 10.0.22000.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800) EXE C:\Windows\Prefetch\CONSENT.EXE-2D674CE4.pf
2/27/2022 6:27:05 PM Run .EXE file dllhost.exe C:\Windows\System32\dllhost.exe Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft® Windows® Operating System, COM Surrogate, 10.0.22000.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800) exe C:\Windows\Prefetch\DLLHOST.EXE-DCFBED6F.pf
2/27/2022 6:26:51 PM Run .EXE file PINGSENDER.EXE C:\PROGRAM FILES\MOZILLA FIREFOX\PINGSENDER.EXE Mozilla Foundation, Firefox, , 98.0 EXE C:\Windows\Prefetch\PINGSENDER.EXE-29949552.pf
2/27/2022 6:26:51 PM Run .EXE file CONHOST.EXE C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\CONHOST.EXE Microsoft Corporation, Microsoft® Windows® Operating System, Console Window Host, 10.0.22000.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800) EXE C:\Windows\Prefetch\CONHOST.EXE-F98A1078.pf

I always had a suspicion about CONSENT.EXE which as far as I can gather is a call to the UAC. I tested with it set to the highest down to off but the size still changes. Could be just the program running causes it. Maybe I sould rename the file and see what happens. Might cause more harm than good but as long as I have a disk image all bases are covered.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
do use a font resizer program where I set my font size to 11.
I, too, run a font resizer app. Wintools System Font Changer. I noticed my font size would revert back to default when any major update comes down the pike.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
I, too, run a font resizer app. Wintools System Font Changer. I noticed my font size would revert back to default when any major update comes down the pike.
I see that too. Updating graphic drivers also sets the font size to 9 in my case. I believe this is normal behavior. I'm wondering if my problem is only noticeable when running a hi rez monitor with a larger font size and/or DPI. If the text is small to begin with you might not notice any increase in size. This problem has been a real head scratcher for 2 years or there a bouts. I can't even use screenshots to show the difference in size as the 2 sizes display the same in a screenshot. My guess is that a screenshot is being read from memory. This would sort of imply a hardware cause for my problem like the graphics card or monitor. The only way to show the difference would be to setup a camera on a tripod and take a picture of the two sizes.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
I can say it ties to the font changer app. If I use nothing other than the settings available in windows I do not see the issue happening. I believe it's another instance of Windows rejecting a tweak to its GUI.
I have not tried the registry tweaks that Brink put in some Windows 10 tutorials but they might solve the issue. Wintools was always so much easier and I feel the Wintools method changes the exact same registry entries that are mentioned..
All of Brink's tutorials are listed in Method III of this article How to change font sizes and icon sizes in Windows 10 - Win10 FAQ
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
I respectively disagree that the font changer is doing it. I can achieve the same size font, which in my case is 11, by using the slider to 'Make text bigger'. I have to set it to around 125% to get a fontsize of 11. However as already mentioned this results in all Windows Universal apps having text that is very much larger than 11. This is why I said that the MTB is flawed. I can remember before my issue appeared I only used MTB to change my fontsize. I recall setting it to 119%. It treated Universal Apps the same as desktop apps.
 
Last edited:

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
All the way back to Windows 8, MS took away the user's ability to straight-forward change the size of "individual fonts". (By this I mean , if we wanted our icon fonts a 14 and our title bar a 6.) In XP and 7 MS gave us an easy way to do this. It was when the so called modern GUI came about in 8 that we had to start using third party tools or changing the registry ourselves. 10 completely revamped the modern GUI and then 11 revamped it again. Despite all the tweaks that regedit gurus like Brink have discovered and all the third party tools out there that can help us change so many aspects of the GUI , MS does not want it changed. They have their own algorithm between the 'scaling' option and the MTB option that THEY feel is what is best for us. I wouldn't hesitate to guess that almost every update we get from MS affects the GUI in some way and un-does some of the changes we make to it. I also wouldn't hesitate to say that at some point, the GUI will be completely locked down to where we can't change anything.

At first, I used 'scaling' set at 150% and then used Wintools to tweak font sizes for different aspects of the GUI further to my liking. It kept changing on me all the time. Since icon font size was what I was mainly interested in, I figured out if I left everything else at the mercy of 150% scaling and MTB at 125%, I could change ONLY the icon font size using Wintools and didn't have the constant reverting back to different font sizes. I still have it, just not nearly as often.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
Currently I am using only the MTB option to set my font size to 11. I'm not using a font sizer changer although they too show my font size is 11. I set my MTB to 125% to achieve this. But as I said this makes Universal Apps look more like a size of a 12 or 13. I'll leave things this way and see how it goes although I could swear I took this route before with no luck.

At the moment my text is just the right size I prefer which is the bigger variety. Quite honestly I don't know if the small or large size is the normal one. However with a high rez monitor I prefer the large size.

Btw you can see the difference between text size between a Universal App and a desktop app very easily. Unless you did the hack to make the right click context menu on the desktop the classic one you should notice that the main menu is larger than when you select show me other options. The first menu I believe is a sort of Universal App while the other menu is the standard desktop type we have been used to in Windows 10 and below.
 

My Computer

System One

  • OS
    Windows 11
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Home Built
    CPU
    13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i9-13900K
    Motherboard
    ASUS Maximus Hero Z790
    Memory
    Corsair 2x16GB @ 6400
    Graphics Card(s)
    PNY RTX3080 TI
    Sound Card
    Realtek on motherboard.
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Corsair 4k, BenQ 4k.
    Screen Resolution
    3840x2160
Unless you did the hack to make the right click context menu on the desktop the classic one
That was one of the first things I did.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • OS
    Windows 11 Pro 23H2 22631.3296
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 7080
    CPU
    i9-10900 10 core 20 threads
    Motherboard
    DELL 0J37VM
    Memory
    32 gb
    Graphics Card(s)
    none-Intel UHD Graphics 630
    Sound Card
    Integrated Realtek
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1tb Solidigm m.2 +256gb ssd+512 gb usb m.2 sata
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell Premium
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Internet Speed
    so slow I'm too embarrassed to tell
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 22H2 19045.3930
    Computer type
    PC/Desktop
    Manufacturer/Model
    Dell Optiplex 9020
    CPU
    i7-4770
    Memory
    24 gb
    Monitor(s) Displays
    Benq 27
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    256 gb Toshiba BG4 M.2 NVE SSB and 1 tb hdd
    PSU
    500w
    Case
    MT
    Cooling
    Dell factory
    Mouse
    Logitech wireless
    Keyboard
    Logitech wired
    Internet Speed
    still not telling
    Browser
    Firefox
    Antivirus
    Defender+MWB Premium

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