Fonts in Windows 9x FAQ

We've put together a page explaining the font installation procedure for Windows 9x.

The Windows 95 Resource Kit incorrectly states there is no limit to the number of TrueType fonts you can install in Windows 95. You can install a maximum of approximately 1000 TrueType fonts in Windows 95. The exact number you can install varies, depending on the length of the TrueType font names and filenames. Installed TrueType fonts are listed in the registry and in the Graphics Device Interface (GDI).

All font files are registered under a single key in the registry, and a registry key cannot exceed 64K. If font names average 20 characters in length and font filenames average 10 characters in length, the maximum number of TrueType fonts you can install falls between 1000 and 1500. If a TrueType font file is located in a folder other than the Fonts or the System folder, the full path to the font is included in the registry, using up more space in the key and reducing the number of fonts you can install.

The GDI contains an internal list of fonts, with 10K reserved for font filenames. If font filenames average 10 characters in length, then the maximum number you can install is approximately 1000.

Yes. You can use all installed TrueType fonts simultaneously, for example, print them in the same document.

Yes, but in order to remove TrueType fonts without deleting the font files, you must maintain two copies of each font file on the hard disk. The fonts in the \Fonts folder are the installed fonts, while the fonts in other folders are available for installation, but may not be active.

Follow these steps to remove a font without deleting the font file:

1.	Use Windows Explorer to create a folder to store a copy of the TrueType font files
2.	Copy the fonts you want to remove from the 'Windows\Fonts' folder to the folder you created in step 1
3.	Use the Fonts tool in Control Panel to remove the TrueType fonts

If you decide to re-install a font that you have removed, you can install the font from the folder containing the font file copies. Make sure to select the 'Copy fonts to the Fonts folder' option so the font file is copied. If you do not select this option, the font file is located in only one folder and is deleted the next time you remove the font.

No. Windows 95 Setup does not delete the .fon files in the 'Windows\System' folder because they are in use during the upgrade process. After Windows 95 is installed, these files are no longer needed. Setup copies the necessary font files into the 'Windows\Fonts' folder.

Since the .fon files in the 'Windows\System' folder are no longer necessary, you can delete them. To do so, follow the steps detailed below:

1.	Restart your computer
2.	When you see the 'Starting Windows 95' message, press the F8 key, and then choose 'Safe Mode Command Prompt Only' from the Startup menu
3.	Change to the 'Windows\System' folder by typing the following: cd windows\system
4.	Delete the .fon files by typing the following: del *.fon
5.	Restart your computer normally

Microsoft Support's Knowledge Base article Q133725 reveals all.

The Fonts folder is a system folder and is not included in searches.

Yes. Having many separate font files can cause the Fonts folder to appear cluttered on computers with a large number of fonts installed. Many TrueType fonts include several variations of the same typeface stored in separate font files. These variations are attributes that define font appearance, such as bold, italic, bold italic, and so on. Each variation of the typeface is defined as a font. A collection of fonts of the same typeface is considered a family. For example, Arial Bold Italic is a font, and Arial Bold, Arial Italic, and Arial Bold Italic are all in the Arial family.

Hiding variants of the same typeface can make the Fonts folder more manageable. To do this, follow these steps:

1.	In Control Panel, double-click the Fonts icon
2.	On the View menu, select 'Hide Variations'

The TrueType Font Assistant relies on font information recorded in the 'Win.ini' file. Windows 95 does not store font information in the 'Win.ini' file.

Windows 95 moves the installed font list from the [fonts] section of the 'Win.ini' file to the registry 'HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Fonts', and moves font files to the 'Windows\Fonts' folder.

You can use the Fonts folder in Windows 95 to manage your fonts, or contact your third-party Font Manager vendor for a version compatible with Windows 95.

As explained in the previous FAQ, Windows 95 moves many of the items in .ini files, such as the font listing, to the registry during Setup. In addition, Windows 95 moves any fonts added to 'WIN.INI' to the registry each time it starts up.

No. PostScript fonts are installed by Setup programs, as in pervious versions of Windows. PostScript font information remains in the 'WIN.INI' file.

Adobe Type Manager version 3.02 or later is supported in Windows 95. However, this product is manufactured by a vendor independent of Microsoft. We make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding this product's performance or reliability.

This is a known problem with Courier, MS Sans Serif, MS Serif, Small Fonts and Symbol fonts. It can occur if the Monotype Sorts TrueType font has been installed and is damaged. This font is not included with Windows 95, and is not necessary for the fonts listed above to work correctly. However, if this font is installed and is damaged, the fonts listed above may be affected.

To resolve this problem, remove the Monotype Sorts font from the Fonts folder, and then restart your computer. To remove the Monotype Sorts font, double-click the Fonts icon in Control Panel, use the right mouse button to click the Monotype Sorts icon, and then click 'Delete' on the menu that appears.

The 'Marlett.ttf' file is a TrueType font file installed in the Fonts folder. The file's Hidden attribute is set and the file is not visible in Windows Explorer or the Fonts folder. It is used for displaying scroll bar arrows, Maximize and Minimize buttons, option buttons, check boxes, and other controls in Windows 95. The font is explicitly loaded by the GDI at startup. Windows 95 performance is enhanced by using a TrueType font instead of bitmaps for controls.

If the 'Marlett.ttf' file is damaged or missing, numbers or garbled characters appear in place of controls.