How to disable all caps menu titles in Visual Studio

Question

I assume the title is self explanatory. Just want to change the look of the Visual Studio 2012 not to show menu title in all capital letters.

If you have a large widescreen monitor with a very high resolution to maximize the amount of code you can see, the all caps menu is actually quite nice. Different strokes for different folks I guess. — Code Maverick, Aug 30 '13 at 13:22
I've posted the workaround (for regedit and PowerShell) to https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/775717/do-not-use-cap-i-tal-let-ters-for-menu-headers#tabs — Grault, Dec 07 '13 at 07:55
Looks like they are reverting to title case in Visual Studio 14 and making this an environment option in Visual Studio 2013 Update 3. http://visualstudio.uservoice.com/forums/121579-visual-studio/suggestions/2837384-change-all-caps-menu-in-vs-2012-to-vs-beta-format — patridge, Jul 31 '14 at 19:04
for newer versions (like Visual Studio 2013 Update 4 or probably VS 2015) there is an option for this. go to `Tools > Options > Environment` and select `Turn off upper case in the menu bar` option — S.Serpooshan, Aug 29 '16 at 06:44

score 621 · Accepted Answer · edited May 23 '17 at 12:34

621

Richard Banks posted about a registry key for just such a tweak.

Visual Studio 2012 (Full)

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\General
DWORD: SuppressUppercaseConversion
Value: 1

In PowerShell, you can run this to set that registry key and the uppercase goes away.

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\General -Name SuppressUppercaseConversion -Type DWord -Value 1

Visual Studio Express 2012

The above registry key is not the one that will affect Visual Studio Express 2012 RC. A comment by FormatC showed up on Banks post about the key for Express. You can find that key mentioned in Mike Gleason's answer or run the following PowerShell command to set it.

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\11.0\General -Name SuppressUppercaseConversion -Type DWord -Value 1

Visual Studio Express 2012 for Web

Set-ItemProperty -Path HKCU:\Software\Microsoft\VWDExpress\11.0\General -Name SuppressUppercaseConversion -Type DWord -Value 1

Visual Studio 2013

Replace 11.0 with 12.0 in the registry keys above.

Visual Studio 2015 Developer Preview

Replace 11.0 with 14.0 in the registry keys above.

edited May 23 '17 at 12:34

Community

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answered Jun 02 '12 at 03:26

patridge

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And it's probably obvious, but for VS Express 2012 **for Web**, use VWDExpress instead of VSWinExpress. – G. Lombard Jul 22 '12 at 12:02
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For VS Express 2012 for Windows Desktop, use WDExpress instead of VSWinExpress – jumpinjackie Sep 14 '12 at 04:34
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For cmd: `reg add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\General /v SuppressUppercaseConversion /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f` – Kevin Smyth Apr 23 '13 at 14:40
Note: Adding SuppressUppercaseConversion worked for me, except I had to chose 32-bit even though I have a 64-bit system. – Bob Horn Jun 22 '13 at 21:23
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Why... just why did we need SHOUTING capital letters in all new MS products? – Paul C Oct 30 '13 at 11:23
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On VS Express 2013 Desktop I had to use `HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WDExpress\12.0\General` – maep Nov 30 '13 at 12:12
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Note that Visual Studio 2015 release candidate has Title case by default. – Blake Mumford Apr 30 '15 at 08:34
If you're like me in that you liked the all-capital menu case, you can restore it in VS2017 by un-ticking Tools -> Options -> Environment -> General -> "Apply ttitle case styling to menu bar". – Violet Giraffe Dec 23 '18 at 14:44

score 67 · Answer 2 · edited Apr 05 '14 at 15:13

67

I have written an extension which will do this for you.

You can download it from the Visual Studio Gallery:

It can also hide main menu altogether and have it appear only on mouse over or alt key press (like in IE)

enter image description here

edited Apr 05 '14 at 15:13

Ben Voigt

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answered Jun 07 '12 at 17:42

Jarek Kardas

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[This Hide Main Menu extension](http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/bdbcffca-32a6-4034-8e89-c31b86ad4813/) is extremely light-weight, if you don't want all the functionality that VSCommands gives you. – Jarrod Dixon Aug 16 '12 at 04:27
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@Jarrod Dixon Hide Main Menu doesn't change letter case so it is not really useful and even with menu hidden it can only show it with keyboard shortcut and does not support mouse... – user503386 Aug 17 '12 at 13:24
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while VSCommands has some great features, which I use often, the way it implements the 'Sentence Case' is somewhat buggy. Eg the ".NET Reflector" menu gets rewritten as ".net reflector", all lowercase. So imo the registry key is still the way to go even if you use VSCommands. – stijn Aug 30 '12 at 10:08
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@stijn great find about the sentence case issue, thanks for that. It should be fixed in latest build https://dl.dropbox.com/u/65031070/SquaredInfinity.VSCommands.VS11.2.0.5.vsix It will also be availabe from Visual Studio Gallery soon. – Jarek Kardas Sep 11 '12 at 08:01
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When you recommend an off-site resource, you need to disclose your relationship to it. Even if the cost is $0. – Ben Voigt Apr 05 '14 at 15:12
The biggest problem with the extension approach, is that it can't be used in the Express versions of Visual Studio. They don't seem to allow the addition of extensions. I opted for the Kevin Symth approach: reg add HKCU\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\11.0\General /v SuppressUppercaseConversion /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f Worked fine for me. You'd have to change it for each of the various versions of VS ... – silverfox1948 Oct 07 '14 at 22:53

score 57 · Answer 3 · edited Dec 21 '14 at 12:45

57

After years Microsoft has changed their mind on this feature. As of Visual Studio 2013 Update 3 RC, an option has been added to change between mixed case and upper case: Tools -> Options -> Environment -> General -> Turn off upper case in the menu bar
Obviously this is not for VS 2012 but going forward this option will be there.

Here is the notification from Brian Harry of Microsoft:

Mixed Case Menus – I know I’m going to get some feedback on this one :) This is a long standing request by a vocal portion of the VS user base since VS 2012 to change the “ALL CAPS” menus. In VS 2013 Update 3, we have added a Tools –> Options setting to control whether you see ALL CAPS or Mixed Case. The default is still ALL CAPS but, if you change it, it will persist across upgrades and will roam across your IDE instances using the VS Online roaming settings feature (if you log into VS so it knows who you are).

edited Dec 21 '14 at 12:45

user247702

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answered Jul 02 '14 at 21:02

Scott Wylie

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In 2014 CTP2 it is set by default to Mixed Caps :D It seems, that the feedback done what it should. Now waiting to remove this option at all from VS. It seems, that Microsoft *again* will have to learn the "don't fix it if it ain't broken" rule... – Spook Jul 09 '14 at 09:44
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@Spook i prefer the all caps menus myself. What harm is there in leaving the option that you feel it needs to be removed? – Andy Aug 01 '15 at 19:45
I was refering to the idea of making menu titles ALL CAPS in the first place. – Spook Aug 03 '15 at 06:02
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@Andy I was originally mildly irritated at the all-caps menus, got used to it years ago, just happened across this (wasn't really looking for it), implemented it and I'm almost stunned at how friggin' strongly I prefer the mixed-case menus. So I'm firmly in the camp of leave it alone if it isn't broken (by which, like Spook, I mean they shouldn't have made the menus all-caps in the first place, nobody was asking for that). – Craig Tullis Oct 03 '15 at 22:06
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@Craig That's fine, but they did change it, got blowback and made it configurable, so why not leave it where it is now and give users a choice? – Andy Oct 04 '15 at 15:27
@Andy I suppose they will. I'm just adding my voice to the giant chorus saying that in general, when things aren't broken, don't screw with them. Fix the broken stuff. There are plenty of broken things to play with. – Craig Tullis Oct 05 '15 at 00:36
@Craig So they shouldn't have changed themes, i mean the vs2005 theme worked, so why change it. I'm going to disagree with you that they only change "broken" things. – Andy Oct 05 '15 at 00:38
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@Andy I'm okay with you disagreeing. :-) They also forced the Windows 8 full-screen "metro" UI down everybody's throats and that has been pretty much universally rejected. Windows 8.x was not a success and nobody used "modern UI" apps. Now, modern UI apps on Windows 10 are in resizable windows and it's possible to side-load them. Regardless, I can't think of too many reasons to develop Windows Store apps for business. When 98% of the market hates something you did, it's a clear sign you shouldn't have done it and shouldn't do it again. Peace. ;-) – Craig Tullis Oct 05 '15 at 05:31
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In VS 2015 Community, this setting is where it's described in the answer but it's called "Apply title case styling to menu bar." – bcr Jun 07 '16 at 01:40
In VS 2017, it's also called "Apply title case styling to menu bar". – Thomas Eyde Jul 17 '17 at 05:41

score 15 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 16 '12 at 22:00

And for

Visual Studio Express 2012 for Windows Desktop

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\WDExpress\11.0\General
DWORD: SuppressUppercaseConversion
Value: 1

I guess the reason MS omitted any mention of Visual Studio from the keyname is that such a mention might help someone identify the key :)

score 12 · Answer 5 · answered Oct 10 '12 at 18:41

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The VS Commands extension can do this and is one of the most popular on the gallery. Worth checking out!

enter image description here

http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/a83505c6-77b3-44a6-b53b-73d77cba84c8?SRC=VSIDE

answered Oct 10 '12 at 18:41

Bryan Legend

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score 8 · Answer 6 · answered Jul 22 '15 at 14:17

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Now that Visual Studio 2015 has changed the default back to Title Case, for those crazies like me who had gotten used to ALL CAPS, you can change it back by disabling the following option:

Tools -> Options -> Environment -> General -> Apply title case styling to menu bar

answered Jul 22 '15 at 14:17

boflynn

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Same for vs 2017 – Qwerty Jun 17 '19 at 12:13

score 8 · Answer 7 · answered Aug 29 '15 at 03:39

Visual Studio 2015 Community Edition does not respond to the SuppressUppercaseConversion registry value.

The answer is to enable the option boflynn identified:

• Tools -> Options -> Environment -> General -> Apply title case styling to menu bar

In my case that setting was not on by default, perhaps since I ported my VS 2013 settings.

-Noel

score 7 · Answer 8 · edited Aug 27 '12 at 12:25

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For express use:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VSWinExpress\11.0\GeneralSuppressUppercaseConversion

Credit to FormatC

edited Aug 27 '12 at 12:25

abatishchev

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answered Jun 05 '12 at 23:45

Mike Gleason

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Erwin Mayer · Answer 9 · 2013-10-01T07:01:11.697

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I have been using the following reg files to enable/disable the lowercasing in Visual Studio 2012 and Visual Studio 2013:

http://erwinmayer.com/dl/VS2012_ALLCAPS_Toggle.zip http://erwinmayer.com/dl/VS2013_ALLCAPS_Toggle.zip

Just double click on VS201x_ALLCAPS_Disable.reg inside the archive to disable all caps menu titles, and VS201x_ALLCAPS_Enable.reg to re-enable them.

You can easily edit the reg files before with a text editor to see what they contain.

edited Oct 01 '13 at 07:01

answered Sep 13 '12 at 05:08

Erwin Mayer

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The only solution worked for my premium version. Lost half an hour for solving this... – Alex Blokha Nov 05 '12 at 13:29
As with Alex, this is the only solution that worked me - I have Premium as well. – fre0n Dec 23 '12 at 18:30
Make sure there's no space following SuppressUppercaseConversion if you're not using the .reg file! – Apr 16 '13 at 20:41

score 2 · Answer 10 · answered Dec 01 '13 at 13:19

2

For Visual Studio 2012 Express for Windows Phone, use

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\VPDExpress\11.0\General\SuppressUppercaseConversion

answered Dec 01 '13 at 13:19

Luke Woodward

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score 1 · Answer 11 · answered Nov 27 '13 at 18:11

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I think "VSCommands for Visual Studio 2012" is the best option for this.

Grab this plugin from here: http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/a83505c6-77b3-44a6-b53b-73d77cba84c8

answered Nov 27 '13 at 18:11

Amit Mishra

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rbento · Answer 12 · 2020-12-16T13:48:20.160

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Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2019

Check the option Apply title case styling to menu bar

which can be found in Tools > Options > Environment > General

edited Dec 16 '20 at 13:48

answered Dec 15 '20 at 20:23

rbento

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