Removing foreign language fonts

Anonymous
2009-10-30T16:13:49+00:00

Does anyone know of a way to remove the many foreign language fonts from Windows 7? There wasn't an option to exclude them during setup. I've tried deleting them, but Windows tells me that they are system fonts which cannot be deleted. I've also tried "Hiding" them, but they still show up in the font list in Office and other programs. All I want and need are the basic English language fonts. Having to wade through dozens of useless (to me) fonts is a major annoyance. There should be a way to exclude them from my system if I don't need them.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Accessibility

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Anonymous
2009-12-05T14:33:12+00:00

Hello mcbarker69,

The reason that I did not know the fonts in question is because no particular fonts were mentioned, and I had gone into fonts and removed a couple foreign fonts with no problem. However that being said, in order to remove the fonts that are being referred to follow these steps:

Take ownership of the file:

 - Click Start Orb > type fonts in the search box > click Fonts

 - Right-click the font > click Properties - Click Security tab > click Advanced - Click Owner > click Edit - Select your Username > click OK

Click OK on the Windows Security box

Change Permissions of the file:

 - Click Permissions > click Change Permissions

 - Select your Username > click Edit

 - Checkmark Allow for Full control

 - Click OK - Click OK

Click Yes on the Windows Security box

 - Click OK

You will need to remember the names of your font(s) that you want to delete.

Delete the file:

Will need to start Safe mode with command prompt

Restart your computer and tap F-8 continually, this will bring you to your Advanced Boot Options, select Safe mode with command prompt.

Once you have booted:

In command prompt navigate to fonts:

 - type cd c:\windows\fonts > press enter

 - type del "font name" > press enter *Do not use the quotes around the font name

This should bring you back to a clean prompt.

Once you are finished > Ctrl+Alt+Del > select restart from the arrow in the bottom right corner of your screen and start Windows normally.

Hope this helps

As the Windows Security box states; this could cause Windows to act differently. Make sure you know which fonts you are removing and that Windows does not need them before you remove any protected system fonts. This could cause many complications with your installation of Windows.

Chris.H

Microsoft Answers Support Engineer

Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-07-31T14:31:10+00:00

    Fine! But Windows users shouldn't be obliged to risk the sudden death of their system by having to edit the Registry. It should be abundantly clear to Microsoft that they committed a major blunder by not making these bloatware fonts optional and by not making it as easy to get rid of them as other unwanted fonts.

    But it looks like Microsoft has been backed into a corner and is refusing to admit that the firm got it wrong. And will a company in denial be in any hurry to solve the problem in Service Pack 2, Service Pack 3 or even Windows 8?

    Have mercy, you rotters.

    Regards ...

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-06-02T14:10:36+00:00

    I'm surprised no one mentioned the easy way: edit the registry.

    The usual disclaimer: back up your registry beforehand, yada yada yada.

    Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

    Delete what you don't want. Be careful.

    The fonts won't appear in font lists in InDesign, etc.

    Instead of deleting, we just replaced the key value (e.g. gulim.ttc) with junk (e.g., DELETED_dulim.ttc).  This makes it easy to roll back if you have undesired results.  And yes, you will need to restart your PC to see the effect.

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-05-03T19:26:04+00:00

    Chris:

    I don't want to sound unappreciative of any efforts on Microsoft's part to serve their international customers but your solution to making these fonts go away is anything but easy for the average Joe that is trying to keep life simple.

    Can't you make it so that when you click the box marked "hide" it actually works?

    I don't want to be a programmer!  I just want the western only fonts to appear when I am trying to design my PowerPoint presentations. Pretend that you work for Apple and I am sure it will resolve the problem.

    David Klepinger

    I think that it is not a coincidence that they do not work for Apple... Microsoft is a company with a long "tradition" of making simple things very complicated and doing nothing to fix them 

    for very long long years. Even in pre-ancient versions of any distro of Linux removing fonts was much easier. So just get to be used to be badly trated like that or buy yourself something different. This PC I am using one is the last one I posses in my life. That's all.

    And don't delude yourself that guys from Microsoft will do anything to fix that problem properly. They won't.

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