Unwanted type fonts

[viking33]

I know I asked about this in the dim past regarding XP or maybe even 98 but now talking about Windows 7. The Fonts folder in particular.
There are 152 type fonts listed in that folder, some of which are considered system files? A few can be deleted as non system but WHY, OH WHY do I need all those Chinese, Korean, Greek, Cyrillic and who knows what other languages, when all I want is English?

Googling around has come up with a few ways to delete some of them, including Regedit to delete them from the HKLM\Fonts listings.
Some will say leave them be, they only take up a few hundred bits of space but I figure a little bit here, a little bit there, all taking up room that seems totally unnecessary! Any ideas or ways to readily dump these things?
Neatnik speaking.

[HansV]

I'm not sure it's useful in Windows 7, but you can simply delete fonts from the Fonts control panel - see How to Delete Fonts in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

[StuartR]

I know this is a silly question, but what problem are you trying to solve. Surely these files don't take up enough resources to matter

[John Gray]

I rewrote the BATch file originally proposed to deal with this matter, if you're interested.
These international fonts are a pain because they clutter up the drop-down lists.

[PaulB]

Don't know if it's available in Win 7, but Win 8 allows you to hide fonts based on language settings.

Capture.JPG

[HansV]

Yes, WIndows 7 has exactly the same dialog in Font Settings.

[viking33]

I know this is a silly question, but what problem are you trying to solve. Surely these files don't take up enough resources to matter

As I said in my OP, I'm not trying to solve a problem, just annoying to have all those unwanted, unused files in there.

Also see John Gray's post

[viking33]

Don't know if it's available in Win 7, but Win 8 allows you to hide fonts based on language settings.

Capture.JPG

paul,
Yes, that available in Win 7 but I don't want to hide them, I want to delete them.

[viking33]

I'm not sure it's useful in Windows 7, but you can simply delete fonts from the Fonts control panel - see How to Delete Fonts in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

I did see that tutorial and I did get rid of a few in a similar fashion but that will only allow deleting a few that MS considers non-system files.
What earthly reason would I want to use Korean language fonts, for example?
There are some programs that load you up with MANY language versions. If I notice them, I'll delete them all. Windows should be no different.
Browse around Windows Explorer sometime. You'll be amazed!

[John Gray]

Bob - here's my BATch file, for your amusement.

Code: Select all

@echo off
title %~n0
echo +----------+
echo I Win7Fnts I  Move out of the Fonts directory the non-Latin fonts
echo +----------+    to a backup directory C:\Windows\FontsNonLatin
echo.

:: WARNING - this BATch file MUST be run as Administrator!

:: Function
::   for each non-Latin font name in the table
::     check that it is present in the Windows Font directory
::     if it needs Take Ownership and Permissions set with ICACLS
::        do these
::     move the font to the C:\Windows\FontsNonLatin
::   end-for 

:: Table of non-Latin Fonts in C:\Windows\Fonts
::   action: just move, or previously take ownership and adjust permissions
::   Font Filename   Action
::## ahronbd.ttf     just-move
::## andlso.ttf      just-move
::## angsa.ttf       just-move
::## angsab.ttf      just-move
::## angsai.ttf      just-move
::## angsau.ttf      just-move
::## angsaub.ttf     just-move
::## angsaui.ttf     just-move
::## angsauz.ttf     just-move
::## angsaz.ttf      just-move
::## aparaj.ttf      own-perms
::## aparajb.ttf     own-perms
::## aparajbi.ttf    own-perms
::## aparaji.ttf     own-perms
::## arabtype.ttf    just-move
::## batang.ttc      own-perms
::## browa.ttf       just-move
::## browab.ttf      just-move
::## browai.ttf      just-move
::## browau.ttf      just-move
::## browaub.ttf     just-move
::## browaui.ttf     just-move
::## browauz.ttf     just-move
::## browaz.ttf      just-move
::## cordia.ttf      just-move
::## cordiab.ttf     just-move
::## cordiai.ttf     just-move
::## cordiau.ttf     just-move
::## cordiaub.ttf    just-move
::## cordiaui.ttf    just-move
::## cordiauz.ttf    just-move
::## cordiaz.ttf     just-move
::## daunpenh.ttf    own-perms
::## david.ttf       just-move
::## davidbd.ttf     just-move
::## dokchamp.ttf    own-perms
::## ebrima.ttf      own-perms
::## ebrimabd.ttf    own-perms
::## estre.ttf       own-perms
::## euphemia.ttf    own-perms
::## frank.ttf       just-move
::## gautami.ttf     own-perms
::## gautamib.ttf    own-perms
::## gisha.ttf       just-move
::## gishabd.ttf     just-move
::## gulim.ttc       own-perms
::## himalaya.ttf    own-perms
::## iskpota.ttf     own-perms
::## iskpotab.ttf    own-perms
::## kaiu.ttf        just-move
::## kalinga.ttf     own-perms
::## kalingab.ttf    own-perms
::## kartika.ttf     own-perms
::## kartikab.ttf    own-perms
::## khmerui.ttf     own-perms
::## khmeruib.ttf    own-perms
::## kokila.ttf      own-perms
::## kokilab.ttf     own-perms
::## kokilabi.ttf    own-perms
::## kokilai.ttf     own-perms
::## laoui.ttf       own-perms
::## laouib.ttf      own-perms
::## latha.ttf       own-perms
::## lathab.ttf      own-perms
::## leelawad.ttf    just-move
::## leelawdb.ttf    just-move
::## lvnm.ttf        just-move
::## lvnmbd.ttf      just-move
::## majalla.ttf     just-move
::## majallab.ttf    just-move
::## malgun.ttf      own-perms
::## malgunbd.ttf    own-perms
::## mangal.ttf      own-perms
::## mangalb.ttf     own-perms
::## meiryo.ttc      own-perms
::## meiryob.ttc     own-perms
::## mingliu.ttc     own-perms
::## mingliub.ttc    own-perms
::## monbaiti.ttf    own-perms
::## moolbor.ttf     just-move
::## mriam.ttf       just-move
::## mriamc.ttf      just-move
::## msgothic.ttc    own-perms
::## msjh.ttf        own-perms
::## msjhbd.ttf      own-perms
::## msmincho.ttc    own-perms
::## msmincho.ttf    own-perms
::## msyh.ttf        own-perms
::## msyhbd.ttf      own-perms
::## msyi.ttf        own-perms
::## mvboli.ttf      own-perms
::## nrkis.ttf       just-move
::## ntailu.ttf      own-perms
::## ntailub.ttf     own-perms
::## nyala.ttf       own-perms
::## phagspa.ttf     own-perms
::## phagspab.ttf    own-perms
::## plantc.ttf      own-perms
::## raavi.ttf       own-perms
::## raavib.ttf      own-perms
::## rod.ttf         just-move
::## shonar.ttf      own-perms
::## shonarb.ttf     own-perms
::## shruti.ttf      own-perms
::## shrutib.ttf     own-perms
::## simfang.ttf     just-move
::## simkai.ttf      just-move
::## simsun.ttc      own-perms
::## simsunb.ttf     own-perms
::## sylfaen.ttf     own-perms
::## taile.ttf       own-perms
::## taileb.ttf      own-perms
::## tunga.ttf       own-perms
::## tungab.ttf      own-perms
::## upcdb.ttf       just-move
::## upcdbi.ttf      just-move
::## upcdi.ttf       just-move
::## upcdl.ttf       just-move
::## upceb.ttf       just-move
::## upcebi.ttf      just-move
::## upcei.ttf       just-move
::## upcel.ttf       just-move
::## upcfb.ttf       just-move
::## upcfbi.ttf      just-move
::## upcfi.ttf       just-move
::## upcfl.ttf       just-move
::## upcib.ttf       just-move
::## upcibi.ttf      just-move
::## upcii.ttf       just-move
::## upcil.ttf       just-move
::## upcjb.ttf       just-move
::## upcjbi.ttf      just-move
::## upcji.ttf       just-move
::## upcjl.ttf       just-move
::## upckb.ttf       just-move
::## upckbi.ttf      just-move
::## upcki.ttf       just-move
::## upckl.ttf       just-move
::## upclb.ttf       just-move
::## upclbi.ttf      just-move
::## upcli.ttf       just-move
::## upcll.ttf       just-move
::## utsaah.ttf      own-perms
::## utsaahb.ttf     own-perms
::## utsaahbi.ttf    own-perms
::## utsaahi.ttf     own-perms
::## vani.ttf        own-perms
::## vanib.ttf       own-perms
::## vijaya.ttf      own-perms
::## vijayab.ttf     own-perms
::## vrinda.ttf      own-perms
::## vrindab.ttf     own-perms

setlocal
:: set up a log file so we can see what happened
set log=%~dpn0.log
if exist %log% del %log%

:: Test whether this BATch file / Command Prompt
::   in running in Elevated mode or Normal mode
:: method (applicable to Windows 7, and maybe Vista)
::  try to write a zero-byte file to a system directory
::    if successful, we are in Elevated mode and delete the file
::    if unsuccessful, avoid the "Access is denied" message

:: arbitrary choice of system directory and filename
set tst="%windir%\$del_me$"

:: the first brackets are required to avoid getting the message,
::   even though 2 is redirected to nul.  no, I don't know why.
(type nul>%tst%) 2>nul && (del %tst% & set elev=t) || (set elev=)

if defined elev (echo Elevated mode >> %log%) else (echo Normal mode >> %log%)

:: set up the target diretory for the non-latin fonts
set target=%windir%\FontsNonLatin
md "%target%"
:: don't mind if we get an error message because it's already set up!

:: process each file, taking the required action(s)
for /f "tokens=2-3" %%a in ('findstr /b "::##" "%~f0"') do call :process %%a %%b
call notepad %log%
endlocal
goto :eof
::----------------------------------------------------------------------------

:process  fontname  action
set fontname=%1
set action=%2
echo. >> %log% & echo %fontname% %action% >> %log%

:: verify that all the fonts in the above table can be found in the directory
if exist %windir%\Fonts\%fontname% (
  >> %log% echo Found %fontname%
  ) else (
  >> %log% echo *not* %fontname%
  )
 
:: if the font needs Take Ownership and ICACLS to set permissions
::   do this
if /i "%action%"=="own-perms" (
  rem take ownership
  takeown /f %windir%\Fonts\%fontname% >>%log%
  echo TakeOwn errorlevel was %errorlevel% >> %log%
  rem assign security permissions
  icacls %windir%\Fonts\%fontname% /grant administrators:F /t  >> %log%
  echo ICACLS  errorlevel was %errorlevel% >> %log%
  )
  
:: now move the font file to the backup subdirectory
move "%windir%\Fonts\%fontname%" "%target%\%fontname%" >> %log%
echo Move     errorlevel was %errorlevel% >> %log%
 
goto :eof

[viking33]

John,
You are the greatest BAT file coder in the world!!!
I ran your BAT file and it cleared 98 fonts out of 156 and put them in another directory, where I summarily sent them to Font heaven.

With your permission, I will save that file for future use?
Again.....

[Rudi]

...put them in another directory, where I summarily sent them to Font heaven...

I hope all those fonts were "saved"...else they'd be going the "other way"...

[viking33]

...put them in another directory, where I summarily sent them to Font heaven...

I hope all those fonts were "saved"...else they'd be going the "other way"...

Sure. Saved them first, then sent them on their way.

[HansV]

Except of course for the Devil Fonts and the Hell Fonts...

[Rudi]

Yep...except for those...no hope for them!
Hey, did you see that hello kitty font inthe hell fonts link....Mishmish would kill for that font

[viking33]

Yep...except for those...no hope for them!
Hey, did you see that hello kitty font inthe hell fonts link....Mishmish would kill for that font

Too cute...you mean this one?

Kitty.JPG

[Rudi]

Yep...designed for Mishmish...LOL

[John Gray]

With your permission, I will save that file for future use?

You can do anything you like with it, but you probably only need it once per PC!