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
    2013-01-17T02:04:39+00:00

    How can I get a list of all System Fonts, that should NOT be deleted?

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-01-17T01:35:11+00:00

    I also use MS Word 2000 and MS Publisher a lot in designing my own forms.  If you want to prevent fonts from showing up in the dropdown lists you can use the following method, but it involves modifying the registry and it could take 20 minutes or more.  Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsNT\CurrentVersion\Fonts.  Double left click the font you want to hide and in the

    "edit string" window type zz in front of the name.  Click OK.  Exit the registry and log off and back on to see the changes in Word and Publisher and perhaps in other programs.  I hid 135 fonts using this method and have not seen any negative effects from it.   

    If you want to put all the fonts that are changed this way into a group at the bottom of the registry list so you can find them quickly if needed, then right click each font and select "rename".  Put a zz in front of the name.

    This situation is worse in Windows 8 because some of the fonts are listed in another registry directory and this method doesn't work on those.

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-01-17T00:35:53+00:00

    Here is a great workaround solution to the problem that doesn't involve tedious ownership transferring:

    Go to the Fonts directory

    On the left panel select "Font Settings"

    Check "Allow Fonts to be installed using a shortcut (advanced)

    Copy all of the system fonts that you don't want into a different directory

    Select all of the moved fonts and right click

    Select "Install Font as Shortcut"

    Now go back to the Fonts directory

    Delete all of the unnecessary fonts which are now deletable because they are shortcuts!

    Voila!

     

     

     

    I used this approach and managed to delete all unnecessary W7 fonts.

    The only two that would not go areL: GungSuh and Iskoola Pota. Any idea why?

    Question: Does anybody know how to delete Word 2000 fonts without being prompted for the CD each time I open a Word document? This happens even if the fonts are not used by the documents. It looks like Word wants to load all its fonts, whether they are used or not.

    Short of that, is there away to at least hide them in the document dropdown list so that I don't need to scroll all the time to get the few fonts I do use?

    Thanks.

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-01-07T04:05:07+00:00

    buna as vrea sa fie trdusa in limba ROMANA multumesc

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