ClearType font smoothing doesn't save under Windows XP.

franpa · Post by **franpa** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 1:07 pm

Hello, the ClearType font smoothing option is not saving and is always reverting to Standard smoothing which makes it harder to read text on the LCD Monitor, why would it reset all the time?

Post by **grinvader** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 8:28 pm

Because it hates your guts.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Mon Jan 05, 2009 10:52 pm

sounds like your windows profile has screwed up, create a new one, then copy your files and shit to it, then delete the old.

sweener2001 · Post by **sweener2001** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 5:17 am

cooltype

heh

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:02 am

Oddly, I have the other problem.

SOME applications, and I'm not naming names(Live Messenger and the rarely-used Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer) insist on ignoring the ClearType(tm) setting and ALWAYS using the feature.
A feature I disabled because the proper settings for dark text on light background and light text on dark background are pretty much directly opposed, and I regularly use both(within the same window, even!), so a lot of text will INVARIABLY look like ass when it's enabled.

Just be glad I'm not using a CRT right now, or this rant would swing in an ENTIRELY different direction(given that subpixel antialiasing won't work on most CRTs).

kode54 · Post by **kode54** » Tue Jan 06, 2009 9:42 pm

Gil_Hamilton wrote:Oddly, I have the other problem.

SOME applications, and I'm not naming names(Live Messenger and the rarely-used Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer) insist on ignoring the ClearType(tm) setting and ALWAYS using the feature.

This article explains it for IE, which may also affect Live Messenger.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 12:31 am

Gil_Hamilton wrote:Oddly, I have the other problem.

SOME applications, and I'm not naming names(Live Messenger and the rarely-used Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer) insist on ignoring the ClearType(tm) setting and ALWAYS using the feature.
A feature I disabled because the proper settings for dark text on light background and light text on dark background are pretty much directly opposed, and I regularly use both(within the same window, even!), so a lot of text will INVARIABLY look like ass when it's enabled.

Just be glad I'm not using a CRT right now, or this rant would swing in an ENTIRELY different direction(given that subpixel antialiasing won't work on most CRTs).

its not cooltype, SegoeUI is jus a really shit house font.

Also, i recommend getting the Cooltype Tweaking powertoy, so you can adjust it on your own preference.

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 3:22 am

Thanks Kode!

That does indeed fix IE.
Does nothing for Messenger and WMP, sadly.

Squall_Leonhart wrote:
Gil_Hamilton wrote:Oddly, I have the other problem.

SOME applications, and I'm not naming names(Live Messenger and the rarely-used Windows Media Player and Internet Explorer) insist on ignoring the ClearType(tm) setting and ALWAYS using the feature.
A feature I disabled because the proper settings for dark text on light background and light text on dark background are pretty much directly opposed, and I regularly use both(within the same window, even!), so a lot of text will INVARIABLY look like ass when it's enabled.

Just be glad I'm not using a CRT right now, or this rant would swing in an ENTIRELY different direction(given that subpixel antialiasing won't work on most CRTs).
its not cooltype, SegoeUI is jus a really shit house font.

Really? SegoeUI has a color fringe, despite fonts being 1-bit?

You're right about one thing. It's not cooltype. It's CLEARType.

Also, i recommend getting the Cooltype Tweaking powertoy, so you can adjust it on your own preference.

I did. I can adjust the color fringing, but within the named applications, I can't eliminate it. I CAN eliminate it in everything else by turning ClearType back off.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:10 am

cleartype, cooltype, who gives a fuck on naming, its a shithouse smoothing method thats only worthwhile on lcd panels.

franpa · Post by **franpa** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:23 am

Didn't it used to be called CoolType under windows 9x or something? or is that something different?

Post by **odditude** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:33 am

franpa wrote:Didn't it used to be called CoolType under windows 9x or something? or is that something different?

CoolType is Adobe's name for it.

franpa · Post by **franpa** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 4:50 am

Ah, cool ^^".

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 8:10 am

I should hit you for that.

Squall_Leonhart · Post by **Squall_Leonhart** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:38 am

Gil_Hamilton wrote:I should hit you for that.

because you were corrected.

don't worry, i figured i got cooltype from somewhere, though my i couldn't drag it from memory.

sweener2001 · Post by **sweener2001** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 10:50 pm

it would be because of franpa's reply.

Gil_Hamilton · Post by **Gil_Hamilton** » Wed Jan 07, 2009 11:03 pm

What sweener said. franpa made a physically painful pun.

Now I remember why I always quote the person I'm replying to.

franpa · Post by **franpa** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 1:45 pm

Is there a way to enable it in Windows XP via a command line argument or something? as I could just make a BAT file and dump it in the Startup folder.

funkyass · Post by **funkyass** » Mon Jul 20, 2009 5:15 pm

you can use a reg file:

Code: Select all

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop]
"FontSmoothing"="2"

check the permissions on that Key.

franpa · Post by **franpa** » Tue Jul 21, 2009 11:32 am

Seems simple enough, I'll check it out. I'll set it to 2 and remove editing permissions from it.