System claims all fonts are "In Use" when I try to delete them

Anonymous
2010-05-09T17:21:03+00:00

I am attempting to delete some non-system fonts that I installed.  Every time I try, no matter what the font, I am told that the font cannot be deleted because it is "in use".  It does not matter if I close every single program running and double-check that no word processors (I use Open Office) are running through Task Manager, the system will not allow me to delete any fonts.

Please help.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2012-05-07T11:35:25+00:00

Could it be this simple?  It worked for me!

http://forums.techarena.in/vista-help/1189255.htm

The Windows Font folder itself is using the font, hence why you can't delete the font - i.e. the very tool you're using to delete the font is using said font and thus locking the file!

When in the Fonts folder click:

Organize > Layout > Untick 'Details pane' > Now try deleting the font.

Worked a treat for me.

Seriously needs addressing in the next service pack.

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Anonymous
2013-10-27T19:11:27+00:00

All, 

I MIGHT JUST HAVE THE FIX FOR THIS!!

I've been struggling for 1 hour to delete a font and I've finally done it.

I renamed the font and I could delete it immediately!

Before deleting it I set all the permissions to allow. I don't know if that helped but ultimately it worked.

I was in safe mode and that didn't work until the renaming trick.

Good luck.

G

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  1. Anonymous
    2017-12-12T12:37:48+00:00

    I did it!

    Howto:

    • Open regedit as admin.
    • Goto: "Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts"-folder.
    • Delete the font(s) in question from the registry.
    • Then delete the font from Control Panel\Fonts.

    Easy peasy!

    Like many of you, I tried safe boot, closing all apps etc, looked online (here and on other posts), nothing helped. You are welcome.

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  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-12T11:59:20+00:00

    Still have this issue on windows 10, build 15063.

    I find it annoying, that the "more details" does not display what kind of process or application that is locking the font. Bad design.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-09-03T20:09:56+00:00

    Another solution is to

    1. Open Task Manager
    2. Processestab
    3. Delete a process with the name description Preview Surrogate Host

    (something along those lines, can't remember it's full name)

    which basically stops the preview pane on the right in the window explorer

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