Windows 7 IE 11 help needed

Diane · 07/10/14 - 17:26

Ive just moved from the unsupported XP to Windows 7 IE 11 and need some help.

The menu bar where says file edit view is too small and the words file edit and view are too small is there anywhere to make this larger without making the text on websites bigger as that is fine.

I have a 23 inch screen resolution is the recommended one 1920 x 1080, have tried changing the resolution but that doesnt make the words file - edit - view any bigger.

Have googled it for hours and tried stuff suggested there but no luck.

Can anyone help me please?

[Deleted User] · 07/10/14 - 17:43

I think it's a Windows setting.

Control Panel|Display|Change Text Size Only|Menus default 9, try 12 or 14.

This will be a global change in all applications, not just IE. HTH.

Diane · 07/10/14 - 20:36

I did look in control panel and display and changed the text, think the choice on ie 11 was small medium large, I changed it from small to medium but that changed all the text on the various websites/forums that I visited to a larger one which was too big but the file - edit - view words are still so small

I will look again and see if I've missed something.

Thanks for your reply.

Smiley433 · 07/10/14 - 21:20

Try going into the Display settings on the Control Panel. There should be something there where you can configure the text size for Title Bar. Sorry, I'm on Win8 so don't know if it's changed much from Win7.

Failing that, there's probably some tutorials on YouTube which explain in detail which steps to follow.

Helmut10 · 07/10/14 - 21:27

This is for Windows 8.1, but it was very similar in Windows XP with a different description, on different Tabs if I remember correctly.

Not in IE11 > View, in the *Windows Control Panel*:

Control Panel > Display, in the "change the size of all items" increase that percentage say from 100% to 125%.

Below that "change the text size only" choose from the drop down box "Menus" There you can increase the Font size from the drop down box maybe to greater than 10, and also you can tick the "Bold" box which can help.

For everything to take effect you may need to re-start

RobinOfLoxley · 07/10/14 - 22:31

shhftw wrote: »

I think it's a Windows setting.

Control Panel|Display|Change Text Size Only|Menus default 9, try 12 or 14.

This will be a global change in all applications, not just IE. HTH.

Sussed it in W7. Above Control Panel|Display|Change Text Size Only is W8.x.

I remember pulling my hair out years ago for this.

(BTW File/Edit/View is on the Menu Bar )

You don't want Display/100% 125% etc global settings.

Right click empty desktop and Personalize.

Click Window Color Icon then Advanced Appearance Settings.
Select Item: Menu (Size is the now Menu Area)
Change Font size in the box below Menu Size.

Apply/OK/Save Changes when happy.

It's instant. Don't need to logoff and back on.

Note that this is also Global for all Menus and Context Menu and probably other places.

http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/ie/forum/ie9-windows_7/menu-font-size-change/b1982cd4-2165-e011-8dfc-68b599b31bf5
(Scroll down to 2nd post on Sep 6th 2011)

evil c · 08/10/14 - 01:58

Just to add to Robin's post above, once you have saved the changes return to the Personalisation window and you will notice that your changes will have generated an Unsaved Theme in My Themes (or the system will have updated a previously created Unsaved Theme). Right click the Unsaved Theme and then from the drop down command list click Save theme. The Save Theme as window will open inviting you to type a Theme name. Choose a name (I always pick a month and the year eg Aug 2014) and then click Save.

This will commit the theme to memory, so if you need to use system restore for example or you make any subsequent changes via the Personalisation window to sounds, font size, colour, wallpaper etc and then regret the changes, you can revert to the saved theme. I currently have four saved themes that I use when I fancy a change. Every time you change one or more criteria available via the Personalisation window a new Unsaved Theme will be generated unless you have not named it since your last changes, in which case the system will just update the Unsaved Theme.

Once you have saved a theme you can delete it to the Recycle Bin by right clicking the theme and then clicking Delete theme and then confirming via the Are you sure.... window. But note - you can't delete an Unsaved Theme you have to give it a name first, and you can't delete the theme you are using, only previously saved themes.

Helmut10 · 08/10/14 - 13:59

Well it was there in Windows XP, not Just Windows 8/8.1
At least they have apparently moved it back from the Right Click > Personalise > Colour section in Win 7 then.

The setting is not global unfortunately in a lot of Applications, including MS ones the menu text is not always affected. MS may say it's Global but it's still not, it was not in Win XP and in Win 8.1, just take a look.

Which is why I referenced the dpi settings/percent thingy as an possible option.

evil c · 08/10/14 - 16:08

Hi Helmut/OP, in Personalisation/Window colour/Advanced appearance settings, as well as changing the font size for File, Edit, View, Tools, Help, (for Internet Explorer File, Edit, View, Favorites, Tools, Help) as Menu I suggest you change Selected Items as well, then it will be global. For W7 I use the font Segoe UI size 12 with Bold enabled for both Menu and Selected Items. Menu and Selected Items size 24 and ignore the Colours for Selected Items as W7 uses the Menu colours for both.

My Control Panel Display setting is for a Full HD resolution 1920 x 1080 on an 18.4 inch laptop screen. I have also set a custom text size 131%. By the way you could make these changes well before XP as I remember customising the settings in Windows 95, 98, ME and 2000.

Diane · 08/10/14 - 22:26

Thank you so much everyone for your help, I followed Robin's instructions and it worked perfectly and my menu bar words File. Edit View are a much better size.

As you're all so helpful could you help me with something else lol

My links bar - is it possible to make the text bigger on there too, do I have to do that in the same place that I did the menu bar as couldn't see it on the drop down list.

Thanks again in anticipation

Diane

RobinOfLoxley · 09/10/14 - 00:10

Do you mean Favorites and/or Command Bar (Homepage icon, Print Icon etc)?

You can try same as before but select Icon and increase the font size,say from 9 to 12.
I wouldn't go up any more because it also changes Desktop Icon Text Font Size and may look awful.

You need to close and restart Internet Explorer 11 after the change.

Also have a look again at your Display Settings and decide if you really wouldn't rather change to 125% or 130 or 140% for the whole system. Or reduce your monitor resolution.
(full computer reboots maybe needed to test these)

Also look at Ease of Access Center, although may just take you to the same options.
(Press Windows key + U)

Or you could upgrade to Windows 8 for a few more options?

Have fun

Diane · 09/10/14 - 09:44

Hiya Robin, I meant the links toolbar where I have my favourites displayed at the top of the screen bbc- dsf - bt - sky etc etc, I want to make those words bigger lol

Thanks for your help, always harder when you get older to figure these things out but i get there in the end.

evil c · 09/10/14 - 12:08

How many shortcuts do you have on the Links toolbar, Diane? Do you have them spread across the taskbar or do you click the Links >> and they drop down? Also, do you have an Internet Explorer icon on the taskbar?

Diane · 09/10/14 - 17:11

I've got about 12 shortcuts to my fav sites on my links toolbar spread across the bar. Dont have ie icon on it that's on my desktop and taskbar at the bottom.

RobinOfLoxley · 09/10/14 - 17:20

RobinOfLoxley wrote: »

You can try same as before but select Icon and increase the font size,say from 9 to 12.
I wouldn't go up any more because it also changes Desktop Icon Text Font Size and may look awful.

You need to close and restart Internet Explorer 11 after the change.

Did you try this?

evil c · 09/10/14 - 17:37

Hi Diane, I'm not sure what you mean when you say the shortcuts are spread across the links toolbar. Are you saying that you have an additional bar as well as the taskbar on the bottom, or do you mean you have dragged the links bar across the taskbar so it displays the shortcuts?

Out of the 12 shortcuts do you use them all on a daily basis? If not, are there any you do use daily and have you considered putting the rest in a new folder called (eg) Links in Favorites?

Please bear with my questions. I have a solution for you and am trying to determine exactly what your desktop looks like and how frequently you use the shortcuts. Before I carry on, did Robin's suggestion work?

RobinOfLoxley · 09/10/14 - 19:03

This is what I see http://postimg.org/image/icj0jvi1x/

Left hand column pane is the Explorer Bar
Links/Favorites Bar is horizontal from the left
Command Bar is horizontal on the right

Personalize/Window Color/Advanced Appearance Settings....
Item: Menu. Font Size is 12
Item: Icon. Font Size is 12

http://postimg.org/image/pdiztuq3h/

(15.6" Widescreen laptop. 1366x768)

Diane · 09/10/14 - 20:35

RobinOfLoxley wrote: »

Did you try this?

Yes I have now and that's sorted it, thanks so much for everyone's help.

I now have from the top

Address Bar
File - Edit - View- favourites - Tools - Help
Google Bar
Favourites bar -- bbc - bt - sky -etc etc

and on right on same line

Home icon- read mail =- print - safety - tools

So it looks fine now - thanks again everyone lol

evil c · 10/10/14 - 01:03

It was interesting to see your IE page layout Robin. I too have the taskbar at the top but the minimalist approach for me with only 7 permanent icons including Start. There's only 4 icons on my desktop as well.

For IE I have the address bar on top with tabs on the row below, File Edit etc below that and below that the Command bar, customised with 10 small icons centred on the bar. I hardly use the left explorer pane except if I delete a tab by mistake, then have to find a page from the tab in History. All my shortcuts are in custom folders in Favorites, except for DS which I have pinned to IE on the taskbar.

Pinning the Links toolbar shortcuts to IE was what I was going to suggest to Diane, as the shortcuts are then treated as Selected Items.

RobinOfLoxley · 10/10/14 - 02:13

That IE layout is 99% MS default. I just upgraded from IE10 so I could be sure any advice I gave would work with Diane's IE11.

My W7 Taskbar I keep at the bottom (it's double height and chokka with shortcut icons, in Quick Launch too). You have mistaken my Desktop top row of Icons, showing thru' Aero for it.
I have 118 icons/shortcuts on my Desktop.

I really must make some space, it's worse than Steptoe's Yard.

I was stalwart IE for years. Frankly, I can't stand it now and never use it.
I have been wedded to Firefox for the last 5 years.

That's a mess too. I use MultiRow Bookmarks Add-on because I have so many.
http://postimg.org/image/6vd6iqyq1/

(only displaying Icons for Bookmarks. I've turned the Text Labels off for privacy on the screenshot)

evil c · 10/10/14 - 03:53

Holy cow, I couldn't cope with all those icons and tabs Robin!

Here's a pic of IE9: http://i.imgur.com/XODMM5O.jpg and my desktop: http://i.imgur.com/QBBJ4sH.jpg

Diane · 10/10/14 - 19:58

Robin, I cant believe you upgraded to IE11 just so you could help me out, that's very kind of you. Am going to have a play at the weekend so if I have any other questions I will post them here as everyone is so helpful.

Thanks again everyone and have a great weekend

RobinOfLoxley · 10/10/14 - 20:51

No problem. I thought I would have a look at it anyway. Still hate it :-)

Hey there!

Quick Links

Windows 7 IE 11 help needed

Comments