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
    2013-06-22T19:11:19+00:00

    Hi :)

    Unlike the snarky and clearly tasteless "Regretting I Didn't Get A Mac" diva, I truly do love Microsoft, and have always found it very user-friendly.  I apologise for this customer's appalling display of shamefully immature behaviour, and hope your evident bad luck with customers isn't a persistent problem. 

    That said, I am experiencing a similar problem.  I have several fonts that I would really love to take off my computer, but I am always told that they are "in use".  None of my fonts require special uninstalling procedures, I've ensured everything is closed, I've tried the Layout option trick someone mentioned, I've tried deleting multiple fonts at a time -- none of it works.  

    Now, I would like to try restarting my computer in Safe Mode to see if that helps, but the issue is, I can't. 

    Although this may be something of a separate issue, on the past two PCs I've owned -- one Dell, one HP, both relatively new models with the latest available versions of Windows when I purchased them -- the f1 through f12 keys haven't worked.  That is, the keys' other functions have worked -- altering brightness using f2 and f3 and volume using f9, f10, and f11, turning on or off my Internet connection with f12, et cetera, but they never work as f# keys, in any context or program.  So pressing the f8 key at startup doesn't do anything for me.  What's more, I tried pressing my 'esc' key to see if the startup menu would enable me to enter Safe Mode, but that, too, did nothing.  I've never had problems with my 'esc' key not working before.

    Is there any other way to uninstall fonts?  The fonts I want to remove aren't the pre-loaded ones; it seems odd that uninstalling them would be any more difficult than uninstalling any other downloaded program or file.

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-06-14T12:28:06+00:00

    STILL DOES NOT WORK!!!!!! I REMOVED THE DETAILS PANE AND STILL SAME ERROR MESSAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-06-14T12:26:35+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.

    DID NOT WORK FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! STILL SAME ERROR MESSAGE IN USE!!!!!! THIS DOES NOT WORK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

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    2 people found this answer helpful.
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