TTF Font Installation in Vista

I have recently upgraded to vista and i am dual booting. I wanted to move ttf fonts from my old xp to vista, by moving the file into the windows/font directory, but when I do this I get an error message up saying "the font < a load pof chinese writing> is not a valid font file and cannot be installed" Then i click ok and the same message pops up with a different string of chinese letters, to which I click ok again and then it stops installing. I have taken this font directly from my xp fonts directory. Is this problem normal

Tobyb

Not sure if this is related to this post or not, I was attempting to drag and drop ttf fonts from a mapped network drive and receiving the error "The File (path name) is not a valid font file and cannot be installed." for all the fonts. Vista asked me for permission via UAC which I assumed was providing the elevated permissions, but still no luck.

My workaround was to copy the fonts to the C:\ Drive First, then drag them to the C:\Windows\Fonts Directory. Everything worked fine then.

If you go into your windows font folder, and then right click, at the bottom of the drop-down list is "install a new font" selct this and at the bottom navigate to the folder that has the new font(s) in it, and then select the font and press install. To copy all of your fonts press selct all, and then install, though this takes a while because you have to decide wether or not to replace the fonts that already exist but you can obviously just press and hold "n" so that it automatically doesn't replace them. You will need administrator privilages to do this.

Toby b

When I follow the procedure in tobyb121's post for installation on a Vista machine, I get the following error message: "The file xxxxxx is not a valid font file & cannot be installed."

I have successfully installed the same font file on an XP machine. The file is True Type Lucida Casual, if that makes any difference.

Thanks for any ideas.

TJ

I tried the suggestion from Defining Websites, without success. I tried drag/drop from the C: drive, and from within the Windows folder. Same error message as earlier. But, thanks.

I am thinking that there is a copyright issue with the TT fonts that has required MS to block their use with Vista. The font file I am trying to install is a legacy file from older HP Deskjet printer software (on floppies), but I think I recall that the font was included in the versions of Windows (or Office) from the mid 90s. I have been using it since about 1996-7. Anyway, it is a puzzle that Vista rejects the font while XP accepts it.

TJ

To EVERYONE reading this thread:

Defining Websites' message above was the MOST helpful advise from this entire thread. I was having this annoying TTF-font-not-installing-problem for the last week! I could not figure why some of my TTF and PFM (or was it PFB) fonts in the transfer to Vista... Every time I'd go to open my files, I'd be getting messages about my missing fonts. I finally went to the web for help. This guys' suggestion was what finally worked for me.

So. You have to move the fonts to a folder on the C Drive: Drive first, then install the fonts from there.

Yay! My fonts are baack.... :)

Good luck, Everyone.

Please see my earlier posts on this thread.

I have not been able to install TTF fonts by the Defining Websites' method. The same font files that install with Windows XP will not install with Vista. I must be missing something.

TJ

TJ Ham wrote:

When I follow the procedure in tobyb121's post for installation on a Vista machine, I get the following error message: "The file xxxxxx is not a valid font file & cannot be installed." I have successfully installed the same font file on an XP machine. The file is True Type Lucida Casual, if that makes any difference. Thanks for any ideas. TJ

I was having a similar problem as you were. I had a selection of TTF fonts that would not install in Vista, though I was using them in XP presiously. What finally worked was going to the fonts folder, and going to File (you may need to hit alt first to make the bar apear) then "Install New Font...". The wizard is clearly old, as the menu for selecting location looks like it came out of windows 3.1. Find your fonts in there, and select them all and add them (the Select All button may be very useful). Note: you cannot choose No to All or Yes to All for replace, so you may want to try to avoid duplicate files. It let me install the fonts that way that it otherwise rejected.

I hope that helps.