Through Control Panel

• One way to change Vista's Explorer font is by going into the Control Panel and clicking Appearance and Personalization, then Personalization and then Window Color and Appearance. In the Advanced tab, a sample window can be seen with an Item pull-down menu. Select the element of Windows Explorer you wish to change the font for, and choose a new font.
  
  

From the Desktop

• The Window Color and Appearance menu can also be reached from the Desktop. Right-click on an empty area, and select "Personalize." Next click "Personalize appearance and sounds." This will take you to the same window as Step 1.
  
  

Finding the Right Font

• While there are a wide variety of fonts to choose from, take care to pick one that will be readable and not strain your eyes over long stretches. A Windows Explorer navigable only by Wingdings may be fun, but it will hardly help you find what you're looking for in a hurry; a small font may be size-efficient, but straining to read it could cause permanent eye strain. If you want to revert to Vista's default font at any point, it's called Segoe UI.