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.

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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.

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133 additional answers

Anonymous

2010-03-15T23:23:02+00:00
Hi again,

it took some time until I got the first feedback from a user testing my batch file. He confirmed what I had noticed when testing the first version of my batch file with an English version of Windows 7 in a virtual machine:

About half of the font files can be moved without any problems, but the other half of the font files is protected by Windows and you have to take ownership first and change the permissions for the administrator group to full rights before you can move them. Fortunately this can be done without clicking through dozens of properties dialog boxes, it can be done by the batch file, too.

I added the necessary commands to the batch file, you can now download the new version as a zipped file only, called _2mf-1.0.zip . I updated the download location and instructions below:
- First, create a new folder " 2manyfonts " on the same drive/partition where your Windows folder is located. In my case, I have C:\Windows, the fonts are in C:\Windows\Fonts, and I created C:\2manyfonts
- Download the zipped batch file(named _2mf-1.0.zip) and unzip the contained batch file (named _2mf.bat) into your 2manyfonts folder (you created that folder, right?)
- Click the Start Orb (aka Start button ;-) ) and type cmd in the search box
- In the list above right-click on cmd.exe and choose Run as administrator
- In the command window, type " cd \2manyfonts " without the quotes
- Type " _2mf.bat X " and replace the X by the letter of your Windows partition, in my case C, so I would type "_2mf.bat C". Type a space before the drive letter!
- Press Return/Enter
- When the batch is finished, which should just take a second, you should have 149 *.ttf files in your 2manyfiles folder.
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Anonymous

2010-03-20T21:56:18+00:00

About half of the font files can be moved without any problems, but the other half of the font files is protected by Windows and you have to take ownership first and change the permissions for the administrator group to full rights before you can move them. Fortunately this can be done without clicking through dozens of properties dialog boxes, it can be done by the batch file, too.

This is great news! But why didn't you explain how? How do I do this?
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Anonymous

2010-03-23T17:09:14+00:00

tI too tried all of the steps submitted by Chris H before coming here to look for an answer. This solution doesn't work. I've worked with (in depth), most MS operating systems, from DOS 2.1 through Win7, and have been building my own systems since the mid 1980's, so I'm not a newbie looking for a quick fix. This is a problem which is starting to give Win7 a distinct odor of Vista, or the Office ribbon. Sorry MS, but contrary to your beliefs, you apparently don't know what's best for us, even though we don't like it. I'm starting to get tired of MS program bugs which turn out to be new "features".

The motor industry calls them 'characteristics' but I agree with all the sentiments noted above, 400 megs for hundreds of fonts we clearly dont need is a big bug here and, if we could delete these totally pointless resources then we could take a huge chunk of memory off the 1gb you need to install win7!!! MS Office 7+ had a brilliant feature where you 'install on demand' so if you did visit a website written in some obscure dialect, windows would install the required files and away you'd go reading some meaningless blog in pawnee or summat!!!

typical of MS to make things worse in some areass and better in others - still getting to know win7 after putting up with all this crud in winxp!! so cant offer anything other than sympathy - you'd think MS would learn from its mistakes wouldnt you??

peace
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