Permamently amend Vim font size

Question

Warning: first-time Vim "user"

I'd like to make the GUI font much bigger.

It is installed on a modern windows 32-bit machine.

I've used the Edit menu and found a good font using Select Font...

Then I entered the command:

set gfn?

To return ...

guifont=Consolas:h16:cANSI

Now apparently I need to add something to my vimrc file. I think I have found the file here?:

So why am I now struggling to make the changes?
Whichever way I try (notepad or via Vim>Open) to open this file it seems to be read-only.
I assume once open I need to add something like the following at some point(?) in the file?

if has('gui_running')
  set guifont=Consolas:h16:cANSI
endif 

Answer 1

Because your _vimrc lives under Program Files , Windows is trying to protect you from potentially damaging the system (and is preventing potentially malicious programs from doing the same).

In order to edit your _vimrc , you need to be running Vim as administrator. Right-click the gVim icon and select Run as administrator from the menu. You should then be able to edit the file.

You'll probably want to make lots of other changes to this file over time; you'll have to remember always to edit it as administrator.

Answer 2

I don't know much about the windows platform, but it seems that you were editing the system vimrc. try to start (g)vim, and type :e $MYVIMRC this should be user-lvl. usually under $HOME

write the setting you want there, and save.

or you could in vim, :echo $HOME , to see which dir is your HOME. then create the _vimrc file there.