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How do I completely delete and replace the fonts folder in Windows 7?

I am having problems where some updates do not install, and I have finally tracked it down as a problem with my fonts. 

When I run sfc /scannow it fails after 18%, giving me error messages like below for about 20 or 30 fonts.  Note I quote Himalaya, but I get the same error with Times New Roman, Microsoft Sans Serif etc.,

2013-03-24 16:08:57, Info                  CSI    00000096 [SR] Cannot repair member file [l:24{12}]"himalaya.ttf" of Microsoft-Windows-Font-TrueType-MicrosoftHimalaya, Version = 6.1.7600.16385, pA = PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE_AMD64 (9), Culture neutral, VersionScope = 1 nonSxS, PublicKeyToken = {l:8 b:31bf3856ad364e35}, Type neutral, TypeName neutral, PublicKey neutral in the store, file cannot be checked

I selected the times font in Windows\fonts, and deleted it, hoping that sfc would not find the error.  However, I still get the error even when it has been deleted. The registry still has some keys referring to himalaya and I think that sfc is probably reading these keys and getting the 6.1.7600.16385. 

I then re-installed himalaya using a good version, hoping this would fix the registry keys, and stop sfc giving me an errors, but it did not fix the problem and sfc still reports the error. 

I think my easiest solution is to completely remove the fonts folder, and re-install the fonts from scratch, but I cannot find how to do this (other than a complete re-install of Windows onto a formatted disk).  

Question 1.  How can I completely delete my fonts folder and replace it with a completely new fonts folder.  Note that I seem to need a refresh of the Registry as well of the fonts folder. 

Question 2.  If I plug my C:\ disk into another PC, can I then just delete the fonts folder and replace it with a copy from he good computer?  Of course, this will not make any changes to my registry as the registry will not know that the folder has been replaced.

I have an OEM version of Windows so I cannot do a Repair install - only a complete "format the disk and install from scratch" which would mean I had to re-install all my 50 or so applications.  I have tried Restore Default Font Settings but it has no effect.   

Any help will be gratefully accepted.
Hello there, 

First. boot to safe mode.

then. 

I suggest you delete the file using this tool - <Removed> . 

Very Effective. Works like a charm

Just Download the utility here <Removed>

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Lennyjork

Thank you.  May I ask two further questions

Question 3  I need to remove all the registry keys relating to the fonts which get deleted. Does thuis method do the registry keys as well?  I don't think this tool will do the registry, so I will still get sfc errors

Question 4  How do I replace the fonts folder itself?  If I used your method, I think I ought just to delete the files inside the folder, and not the folder itself, because it is a special folder for fonts which has an " A " on its folder icon, and has various font-specific tools etc when I open the folder.  I know that when I install a font file, installation writes the appropriate registry key(s).  I therefore know how to write the key(s) for each individual font file, but not how to write the key(s), if any, which specify which folder is the font folder.

There are many ways of just deleting the fonts folder (your method, plugging the C:\ disk into another PC, or by booting the PC from a CD using Windows or Linux, etc) but none fix the registry.  I think I will probably be in a worse mess after just deleting the folder than I am now.

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I do not think that the LongPathTool will do you any good. That reply is basically an advertisement to drum up some sales. Your problem is much more serious than a few locked files or excessively long paths (which you do not have). I did a quick Google search for you, using the words

sfc Type neutral, TypeName neutral

and found that none of the posters appeared to have solved this file corruption problem. It could well be caused by a flaw on the disk which chkdsk would reveal. You are probably looking at a destructive Factory Restore.

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 It could well be caused by a flaw on the disk which chkdsk would reveal. You are probably looking at a destructive Factory Restore.
Oberwald

Thanks.  I tried chkdsk but it reported no problems. 

When I look through the registry I see HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-390555745-455166614-3433905712-1001\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\international\scripts\21 which has IEFixedFontName and IEPropFontName set to Microsoft Himalaya even after I have un-installed the Himalaya font.

My problem arises because Internet Explorer 10 for Windows 7 for x64-based Systems will not install - it repeatedly fails.  I also cannot install the recent Segoe font update.

I am sure my fonts folder is corrupted.  I just wish there was a simple way of deleting and re-installing all the fonts without having to do a full Windows 7 restore which formats the disk.  I will have to re-install loads of my applications and it will take days.  My data backup is 25 GB excluding media.

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Deleting or renaming the fonts folder is easy. You could do it while in Repair Mode or with your Linux boot disk, as you have already mentioned.

If it takes you several days to re-install & configure Windows then you should protect your investment by creating and maintaining an image of your system drive. Tools to create images have been around for many years and are extremely useful.

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Last updated January 12, 2024 Views 2,968 Applies to: