Frequently asked questions

TrueType FAQ

Other font management issues in Windows 95

Q When I open the Fonts folder in Windows Explorer, several commands are missing from the Fonts folder menus. I no longer see Open, or Install New Font on the File Menu, or List Fonts by Similarity on the View Menu. What am I doing wrong?
A This can occur for any of the following reasons:

The System attribute is no longer set for the Fonts folder. The Fonts folder must have its System attribute set to work correctly.
The Fontext.dll file may be missing or damaged, causing the menus to contain only the commands for a generic folder.
The Desktop.ini file may be missing or damaged. Note that you do not see the Desktop.ini file when you view the Fonts folder. To see the file, open an MS-DOS session and view the Windows\Fonts folder, or use the Find command on the Start menu.

To restore the correct commands for the Fonts folder, follow the steps outlined below.

At a command prompt, switch to the Windows folder by typing the following command: cd\windows
(If Windows 95 is installed in a folder other than the Windows folder, adjust these instructions accordingly)

Type the following command: attrib fonts +s
Shut down and restart Windows 95.
NOTE: You cannot set the System attribute for the Fonts folder within the graphical user interface.
If the commands for the Fonts folder are not restored, the Fontext.dll file may be missing or damaged. To replace the Fontext.dll file, follow these steps:

Restart Windows 95 in MS-DOS mode.
Change to the Windows\System folder.
If the Fontext.dll file exists, rename it Fontext.old.
Extract a new copy of the Fontext.dll file from the original Windows 95 disks or CD-ROM to the Windows\System folder.
Restart Windows 95 normally.

If this still hasn't solved the problem, the Desktop.ini file may be missing or damaged. To replace the Desktop.ini file, follow these steps:

Restart Windows 95 in MS-DOS mode.
Change to the Windows\Fonts folder.
If the Desktop.ini file exists, rename it Desktop.old.
Extract a new copy of the Desktop.ini file from the original Windows 95 disks or CD-ROM to the Windows\Fonts folder.
Restart Windows 95 normally.

Q The Find tool does not find .ttf files in the Fonts folder. Why?
A The Fonts folder is a system folder and is not included in searches.

Q I have a lot of TrueType fonts installed on my system. Is there anything I can do to make my Fonts folder more manageable?
A 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 hide multiple variations, follow the steps outlined below.

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

Q Why doesn't the TrueType Font Assistant from the Microsoft TrueType Font Pack II work in Windows 95? I can't see any fonts, or I see only a few of the fonts installed on the computer.
A The TrueType Font Assistant relies on font information recorded in the Win.ini file. The TrueType Font Assistant does not work because font information is not stored in the Win.ini file in Windows 95.
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 the font files to the C:\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.

Q I upgraded to Windows 95 and now my fonts are not listed in the Win.ini file, but I can still use them. What happened?
A As explained in the answer to the question above, 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 the Win.ini file to the registry each time it starts.

Q Is PostScript font information stored in the registry?
A No. PostScript fonts are installed by Setup programs as they are in earlier versions of Windows. PostScript font information remains in the Win.ini file.

Q Is Adobe Type Manager supported in Windows 95?
A 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.

Q What is the Marlett font? I can see it in some of my programs' font menus, but it doesn't appear in my Fonts folder. What's it for?
A 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. The Marlett TrueType font 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.

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