PRB: Windows NT 3.50 Fonts Look Different from v.3.51 Fonts

ID: Q137328

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Win32 Software Development Kit (SDK)
Microsoft Windows NT 3.51

SYMPTOMS

An application can instruct Windows that a fixed (non-proportional) system font should be used for a dialog box by specifying "Fixedsys" in the dialog box template in the applications resource file (.rc file). For example:


   IDD_ABOUTBOX DIALOG DISCARDABLE  22, 17, 167, 64
   STYLE DS_MODALFRAME | WS_CAPTION | WS_SYSMENU
   CAPTION "About Generic"
   FONT 9, "Fixedsys"
   BEGIN
   ...

The fixed system font used in a dialog box in Windows NT version 3.50 differs from that used in version 3.51. A 32-bit Windows-based application run under Windows NT version 3.50 displays a bolder looking dialog box font. In addition, the font editor in Microsoft Visual C++ displays the system fixed font as it would look under Windows NT version 3.50, so the font is incorrectly displayed for a Windows NT version 3.51 application.

RESOLUTION

To instruct Windows to use the bolder font in Windows NT version 3.51 as it does in version 3.50, you need to mark the application as a version 3.10 application. This will also ensure that the application's dialog box font looks the same under the Visual C++ dialog editor as it does when run under Windows NT 3.51. To mark your application as version 3.10, click Settings on the Project menu in Visual C++, click the Link tab in the Project Options dialog box, and add this:


    /SUBSYSTEM:windows,3.10

You can also add this manually to the "linker" options in your makefile.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

Additional query words: 4.00

Keywords : kbNTOS351 kbSDKWin32 kbDSupport
Version : WINDOWS:; winnt:3.51
Platform : WINDOWS winnt
Issue type : kbprb