Lighten up . . . on-screen thrift?

[aspac]

Dear Troubleshooters,
You helped with a previous problem - here's another (grateful for any pointers): My MS Word and Thunderbird [e-mail client] have suddenly reverted to a "thinner" form in whatever typeface (usually Times Roman) I use . . . it looks a bit like the ink-saving modes on printers, only more so. It was attractive at first, then annoying. I must have pressed something inadvertently. How do I restore things? It applies only in those two contexts (print other than what I type hasn't been affected). I have no idea whether it's visible to recipients or only to me.
Another point (off-thread, I know): the last two times I've signed into Pprune I've been taken, after username and password, to a screen demanding I copy some letters into a box (I've encountered similar verification procedures elsewhere). What's all that about? Perhaps I mistyped the password?
Thanks in advance.

[aspac]

I should perhaps have added that shutting down and starting up doesn't solve the problem (I've tried that several times).

[bnt]

Which operating system is it? Word & Thunderbird run on Macs too, so we can't tell what it is from that. If it's Windows, try re-selecting the Theme, under Display Properties. Mac - dunno.

[aspac]

bnt, it's windows. Theme? Display Properties? Do I look under File, Edit, View, History, etc.?

[Sprogget]

Try Display properties/effects/ uncheck if applicable the 'use following method to smooth screen fonts'

[bnt]

Display Properties is in the Control Panel, or right-click the Desktop and select "Display" or "Properties". The exact wording differs between Windows versions, but it's the place where you do everything related to the monitor display.

The font smoothing settings are something else to look at, if resetting the Theme doesn't help. By "reset" I mean: select a different Theme, hit Apply, then select the original Theme and hit Apply again. This reloads all the original settings.

[aspac]

Thanks, bnt . . . that did it . . . not right-click on Desktop as that referred only to icons but Control Panel. In Control Panel, Themes was listed, in my version, under Personalise rather than under Display Properties . . . but I found it and the problem appears solved. so, much appreciated.