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
    2015-07-02T20:53:26+00:00

    This was the magic trick that worked - and the simplest! Turning off the preview pane (i.e. which was the reason the font was "in use") allowed me to easily delete the font, when none of the other 'solutions' posted here did.

    Thank you much.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-07-01T10:47:52+00:00

    I praise you, thank you so much!!!!!!!!!

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-06-13T19:20:00+00:00

    I still can't delete fonts and the issue is making my browser show webpages with altered font that makes it difficult to read, or else icons on certain websites do not appear. The fix is to delete the affected fonts on the system but alas...I cannot delete the fonts. 

    Guys! Still dont find out the solution? It's so painfull, but here is the painkiller, sure it's works 100%

    • Win 7,8 /32 bit:

    Open regedit ( ask google or bing).

    Go here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE--> SOFTWARE--> Microsoft--> Windows NT--> CurrentVersion--> Fonts.

    Then delete any font you want. Go to font folder and refresh. Tada.... it's gone! Simple!

    • Win 7,8 /64 bit:

    Open regedit ( ask google or bing).

    Go here: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE--> SOFTWARE--> Wow6432Node--> Microsoft--> Windows NT--> CurrentVersion--> Fonts.

    Do the same things above.

    Hope this trick will rock you! Cheerr..

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