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Windows 7 Understanding Windows 7 System Fonts: What Can Be Safely Removed?
- Thread starter LorettaW
- Start date
- 4 min read
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Elmer
Extraordinary Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
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- 3,864
Hi LoretteW and Welcome to the Forums,
All the system fonts MS install in their wisdom, approx 2/3 of which I would never use as they were "hidden" non-Latin fonts, really got on my nerves when using Photoshop as they all showed up.
I found a way to clear these out, and others, and wrote a few scripts.
See if Link Removed is of interest to you.
All the system fonts MS install in their wisdom, approx 2/3 of which I would never use as they were "hidden" non-Latin fonts, really got on my nerves when using Photoshop as they all showed up.
I found a way to clear these out, and others, and wrote a few scripts.
See if Link Removed is of interest to you.
- Thread Author
- #3
Elmer,
Thank you very much. I have bookmarked that as I'm sure it will come in handy for me later.
But for right now, which folder are the system fonts stored in? Are any of them stored in C://windows/fonts or am I free to delete or move anything in that particular folder?
Thank you!
LorettaW
Thank you very much. I have bookmarked that as I'm sure it will come in handy for me later.
But for right now, which folder are the system fonts stored in? Are any of them stored in C://windows/fonts or am I free to delete or move anything in that particular folder?
Thank you!
LorettaW
- Thread Author
- #4
Oh, I see...when I go to C://windows/fonts, the ones that are ghosted are probably the system fonts. No, but I read that Segoe is a system font and it's not ghosted. Confused. I see what you mean though, all kinds of fonts with characters that could not even be used on my machine. One size fits all, I guess.
Elmer
Extraordinary Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2010
- Messages
- 3,864
Yeah, by removing those "hidden fonts" reduced the font folder size by 250mb. Probably insignificant these days.
But as I say, when scrolling through fonts in Photoshop for Wingdings, my poor 'ickle finger begins to ache!!
Segoe is system, as is micross.ttf or Microsoft Sans Serif.
That's why the script removes them non-latin fonts to the root of C:\. Any problems they are still at hand to be restored. First time I ran t I waited a couple of weeks before deleting, but now I know it's OK (for my En-UK PC) I delete straight away.
There's also one to remove all the unused (by me) language folders (I'm always in the system32 folder!!). Plus others.
But as I say, when scrolling through fonts in Photoshop for Wingdings, my poor 'ickle finger begins to ache!!
Segoe is system, as is micross.ttf or Microsoft Sans Serif.
That's why the script removes them non-latin fonts to the root of C:\. Any problems they are still at hand to be restored. First time I ran t I waited a couple of weeks before deleting, but now I know it's OK (for my En-UK PC) I delete straight away.
There's also one to remove all the unused (by me) language folders (I'm always in the system32 folder!!). Plus others.
- Joined
- May 25, 2009
- Messages
- 6,659
What ever fonts you decide to remove, cut and paste them to a different folder.
It makes it a lot easier to get them back if you remove something that you shouldn't or better yet just copy the entire Fonts Folder to a back up location before you start cutting it down.
I've gotten my fonts folder down to a mere 549 fonts from the 1500 + I had before I retired from the graphic design business.
But before I did it I backed them all up so that if someone comes back with an old job they want me to update I know where to go to find the font.
I'm not sure how many fonts Windows has by default now, but if you are removing them to improve performance I don't think that there are enough to have a noticeable effect.
Many other programs when installed also add fonts of their own so removing any of those could cause problems too.
Mike
It makes it a lot easier to get them back if you remove something that you shouldn't or better yet just copy the entire Fonts Folder to a back up location before you start cutting it down.
I've gotten my fonts folder down to a mere 549 fonts from the 1500 + I had before I retired from the graphic design business.
But before I did it I backed them all up so that if someone comes back with an old job they want me to update I know where to go to find the font.
I'm not sure how many fonts Windows has by default now, but if you are removing them to improve performance I don't think that there are enough to have a noticeable effect.
Many other programs when installed also add fonts of their own so removing any of those could cause problems too.
Mike
- Thread Author
- #7
Thanks Mike,
I just want to take out the "this is ugly, why did they ever put this in here" ones and replace them with a few or possibly quite a few I like better.
Making a whole duplicate fonts folder is a good idea. Thanks!
Loretta
I just want to take out the "this is ugly, why did they ever put this in here" ones and replace them with a few or possibly quite a few I like better.
Making a whole duplicate fonts folder is a good idea. Thanks!
Loretta
carsten888
Senior Member
- Joined
- Dec 25, 2009
- Messages
- 83
I got sort of the same question. I want to reduce the fonts to make my pc work faster, but I need to keep at least one font for different languages (like thai, chinese etc).
I have made a backup of the folder and deleted some fonts. When deleting some fonts, windows shows a warning that it is a system font and will not remove it.
I have opened the folder in explorer and tried to get an extra column 'system fonts' but there is just all sort of column info, but not that.
I have made a backup of the folder and deleted some fonts. When deleting some fonts, windows shows a warning that it is a system font and will not remove it.
I have opened the folder in explorer and tried to get an extra column 'system fonts' but there is just all sort of column info, but not that.
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