Removing foreign language fonts

Anonymous

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.

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments

Answer accepted by question author

Anonymous

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.

0 comments

133 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-01-25T20:16:44+00:00

I believe by 'Orb' they mean the Windows Start button.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-01-22T05:35:15+00:00

I'm in over my head.

What is Orb?

Is there a way to allow the Administrator to have total privileges to add and remove any files, included said "Protected" files without using Orb? I am the only user of my computer, and am listed as Administrator.
Was this answer helpful?

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-01-22T04:54:04+00:00

Chris, even if I go into the (for me) uncharted waters of ownership and permissions, I want to remove ALL fonts that are not English, or are NOT required for Microsoft and other after-market programs.

Can I (we) get a list of such required fonts?
Was this answer helpful?

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments
Anonymous

2010-01-13T06:53:55+00:00

Peter (and to those of MSFT who have responded) - thank you for your thoughtful and detailed replies. Obviously there is and will continue to be a vast difference of opinion between our viewpoints as users and what has evidently been the house view, as it were; folks like myself see this as a misdirected example of MS's attempts to please everybody and in this case appears to have placated very few. Google this topic. Those of us posting here aren't by any means the only folks a bit miffed by IskoolaPoota or Kokila :)

It appears then, in summary:

Microsoft stuffed a bunch of fonts that will be of use to a narrow range of users in the United States into Windows 7 and then proceeded to lock many of them under the heading of "needed for the operation of the OS so don't touch these". Some foreign fonts have been protected that should not have been. Only one of those has been named in this thread specifically (Aparajita) though there may be others. Some foreign fonts CAN be deleted - but as yet, it appears that the best way to do so is trial and error (Whoops. This one won't let me delete it. Must be one of those "system" fonts) as there is still no list stating specifics as to which really, truly ARE system fonts and which ones can be stripped by the safe mode/ownership procedures and which are incorrectly tagged and which ones, when removed, really will hose your system (hope you've got that restore DVD handy).

Seriously: were there THAT MANY user requests for this language interoptability during beta testing? For Chinese, Urdu, Cambodian, Khmer and other nationality Asian/Arabic types to be embedded into the OS? Windows XP had it right - foreign fonts shipped with it and keyboard mapping was available but deletion was always a given.

The point has been made that other programs may dump more fonts into Windows than what has been shipped currently in this new OS. Very true. And yep, you betcha I can/will delete those too if some of them prove unsuitable for my purposes :)

As it is evident that there will be no resolution on this topic until possibly Windows 7 SP1 (if then), and as I have the Home Premium Family Pack with only one system currently updated, I will use up the second license on my laptop and then proceed to go font by font to see which one's removal will turn it into toast. This should be interesting :)
Was this answer helpful?

1 person found this answer helpful.

0 comments No comments