Home » Tips & Tricks: PC

How To Enable ClearType In Windows XP

Posted By: BioTecK on Thursday 24 July 2008 with 15 Comments

If you didn’t knew: Windows XP has cleartype but unfortunately this option is disabled by default. I don’t know why it’s disabled cause the text looks much sharper with this option enabled.

To enable this option follow the steps below:

  1. Click Start
  2. Click Control Panel
  3. Click Display applet
  4. Click the Appearance tab
  5. Click the Effects box
  6. Select ClearType from the second drop-down: “Use the following method to smooth edges of screen fonts” menu
  7. Click OK
  8. Click Apply

By now you’ll see that the text is much more sharper and it looks pretty smooth! :smile: Give it a try I know you’ll like it!

If you want to use ClearType on the Welcome login screen as well, you have to follow the next steps:

  1. Go to Start
  2. Click Run
  3. Type “Regedit“
  4. Navigate your way to

    HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType

  5. Change the value of FontSmoothingType to 2.
  6. Close Regedit and you’re done! :wink:
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15 Comments so far, be the next one! »

  • tx sweetie said:
    25 July 2008 at 00:56

    wow thanks for a helpful yet simple tip.I will do it right away.dropped u an EC,by the way..

    tx sweeties last blog post..I Pity For Him

  • shaxx said:
    25 July 2008 at 03:46

    hi there,

    I have moved to http://kisahberuang.com/

    Do you mind changing my link (kitapunyalife) to this new home.

    Thanks!

    shaxxs last blog post..Self Hosted Wordpress

  • sailor said:
    25 July 2008 at 08:23

    Wow, with my color blindness this can only help. Implemented your tip and everything looks a lot better. Thanks a lot. This tip is worth a stumble so many can find it.

  • Hye Munar said:
    25 July 2008 at 16:07

    Thanks for the code about cleartype. I saved your page for my future reference.

    Hye Munars last blog post..Trojan Horse Generic 10.bhes

  • BioTecK (author) said:
    25 July 2008 at 20:16

    Thnx for dropping Tx Sweetie! :smile:
    It’s a small tip but it looks much sharper.

    Hello Shaxx!
    I have changed your link to your new virtual home! :wink: It’s a nice theme you got there by the way! ;)

    Thnx for strumbling Sailor. :mrgreen: It is a great thing and I love it! I have found some methods to fine tune it to your needs.. You’ll read about it in my next post! :wink:

    Also a big thnx to you Hye Munar! Everyone should use Cleartype. The text looks much sharper and there for you can read stuff more easily! ;)

  • shaxx said:
    25 July 2008 at 20:54

    thanks Bioteck! I am still having problem enabling the commentluv. Do you know anything about it?

    shaxxs last blog post..404 After Upgrade

  • BioTecK (author) said:
    26 July 2008 at 08:18

    What’s seems to be the problem Shaxx? If you have active the plugin but you still can’t use it, you might have to add this php line in the comments.php file:
    < ?php do_action('comment_form', $post->ID); ?>. Let me know if this works.. ;) It sure worked for me back then! :)

  • shaxx said:
    26 July 2008 at 10:54

    Where exactly do I add that code? I tried that code once and it gave me a fatal error…

    Hope you can tell me exactly where to add the code in the comments.php. Thanks.

  • Angad Sodhi said:
    26 July 2008 at 19:08

    Hey that’s a really cool tip! The fonts look much better now. Thanks!

    Angad Sodhis last blog post..The ‘Microkids Related Posts’ plugin

  • shaxx said:
    26 July 2008 at 19:54

    Can’t really remember whether I have posted this or not so I am going to ask again :D

    Where exactly do I put the code into my comments.php? I did try that before and I got a fatal error instead…

    Thanks!

  • Thang said:
    26 July 2008 at 21:45

    Hello Bio TecK! The white boxes with shadow a long their borders in this post are pretty cool. Why don’t you write an article about displaying this white box in Blogger’s post?

    Thangs last blog post..One click to Enable/Disable Registry Editor.

  • BioTecK (author) said:
    27 July 2008 at 22:48

    I have left you a comment on your blog Shaxx. It it doesn’t work/help you out just drop me an e-mail! ;)

    Yep.. This way reading blogs is made very easy Angad Sodho! :wink:

    Well, the picture in the post and it’s shadows it’s done in Photoshop using the drop shadow feature Thang. You’re right, maybe I can write how you can use that feature! ;)

  • shaxx said:
    28 July 2008 at 03:00

    it didn’t work and I have dropped you an email via yr contact form. Thanks :D

    shaxxs last blog post..Fish Spa Therapy

  • Pam Hoffman said:
    28 July 2008 at 06:39

    OK, the first thing worked.

    When I tried the second one, I got all the way thru to ‘Desktop’ and there is only one thing under that and it ISN’T ‘FontSmoothingType’ I can tell you that!

    HKEY_USERS/.DEFAULT/Control Panel/Desktop/FontSmoothingType

    Thank for the info though, it’s great to find these gems here on your site!

    Pam Hoffman
    http://seminarlist.blogspot.com

    Pam Hoffmans last blog post..ad:tech Chicago

  • BioTecK (author) said:
    28 July 2008 at 19:13

    I have received you’re email Shaxx. Going to answer it in a minute! ;)

    It’s strange Pam Hoffman. I have made a screen shot of my registry and I can see it. Which version of Windows XP do you use, XP Pro or Home? I’m using Windows XP Pro. Maybe that’s the reason why you can see it? I don’t know..
    Here’s the screen shot.
    As you can see I haven’t enabled this option.. ;)
    If you want this function enabled, You can make a new REG_DWORD key in the registry.