How to fix interface distortion on Windows 7 & 8 & 10

[Stan Hilliard]

If your TP105 or TP414 has a distorted interface with tab 6 being off screen -- here is why. There is a known problem with some Windows computers resulting from recent changes in the way Windows handles fonts -- beginning with Windows 7.

Here is the way the problem comes about:
At the time that Windows 7 is installed, the installation program checks the current resolution of the monitor. If the monitor is at high resolution, the Windows 7 installer will install larger fonts. (125%.) It does this because otherwise the high resolution screen would make the fonts look too small.

If users subsequently set the already installed fonts back to standard size, (100%) Windows 7 will adjust most fonts correctly. But it cannot adjust bit-mapped fonts, like the "MS Sans Serif" fonts used by TP105 and TP414. This explains why on your screen tabs 3 & 4 are distorted and tab 6 is hidden (off screen).

TP105 and TP414 are not the only legacy programs experiencing over-sized fonts due to the change introduced with Windows 7. And your PC is probably not the only one that causes some fonts to be over-sized.

Here is the fix:
The fix to this problem requires a change to the Windows 7 registry. Here is a link to the fix (including the program FONT FIX.REG that implements the fix automatically.)
http://www.rlvision.com/misc/windows_7_font_bug.asp

Below is a listing of the contents of a small file, FONT FIX.REG, that makes the changes to the registry for an English system using Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts]
"MS Sans Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24"="SSERIFE.FON"
"MS Serif 8,10,12,14,18,24"="SERIFE.FON"
"Courier 10,12,15"="COURE.FON"

Also, here are two links to detailed explanations of the problem by a Microsoft developer:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordy ... 1#comments

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingfordy ... tings.aspx

Stan Hilliard, H & H Servicco Corp., 651-777-0152