# Major Font Problems

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 16, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360 "2004-07-16T01:44:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360/1 "2004-07-16T01:44:30Z")

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Every time my computer reboots , it empties my main font file and resets my font to WingDings. I have to try to find another file that has fonts in it, transfer what I hope are fonts to the main font file, then reset the font to something readable. This happens every damn time the computer reboots.

HELP!

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**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360/2 "2004-07-16T01:58:46Z")

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Mischievous virus?  
By ‘file’ do you mean directory? (or ‘folder’)?

What OS?

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**Author:** ![HanoNymus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee59a6/32.png) [@HanoNymus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HanoNymus)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360/3 "2004-07-16T02:04:20Z")

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Just a shot in the dark… (more info would be useful)

- a virus scan, if it wasn’t done already

- try to reacquire the fonts you need through the “fonts” section in the control panel (Install new font)

- Norton utilities (and perhaps other programs, too) have a feature that attempts to fix the registry settings (short of a virus, this is what it looks like to me). A cleaning / fixing of the registry settings can’t hurt, anyway.

- a “restore system files” from the Windows disk? (it might interfere with your personal settings and maybe even with some installed programs)

- last resort: format, clean re-install ☹

My 2¢.

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**Author:** ![Daizy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/46a35a/32.png) [@Daizy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Daizy)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360/4 "2004-07-16T02:24:23Z")

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What O/S are you running?

You can try to copy the contents of the Fonts folder to a new folder created on your desktop named Fonts then delete the Fonts folder in the System Folder then move your new Fonts Folder to the System Folder.

[Or, reinstall the standard fonts included with windows.](http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=314960#2)

Or, if you’re running XP, with your XP CD, go to Start\>Run (or Windows Key + R) and type “sfc /scannow” without the quotes.

If you’re running: Windows 95/98/NT/Me/2000, [TweakUI](http://www.download.com/3000-2341-2830963.html?tag=lst-0-1) has a font repair feature.

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**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2004, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/major-font-problems/255360/5 "2004-07-16T03:08:49Z")

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I did a system restore from July 11th, and still got wingdinged on reboot, so I totally deleted the wingding and webding fonts from Windows XP, rebooted, and everything is hunky and/or dory.