Microsoft Font Viewer

[raltman17]

HELP!! I am using Windows ME (although I understand that this problem also occurs with Win 9.x) and all of a sudden, I cannot view TrueType fonts using the Microsoft Font Viewer (which is "installed" in the Windows directory).

Whenever I double-click on a "good" Truetype font (in any folder), the dialog box for Windows Font Viewer pops up and shows: "The requested file 'fontname.ttf' was not a valid font file." I know (at least most of the fonts) are valid, because I can view them with other font viewing programs.

How do I re-enable the default Microsoft Font Viewer program (FONTVIEW.EXE)???

Thanks for your assistance.

raltman17

 

[compgirlfhredi]

If a font is corrupted, the following message appears: "The requested file was not a valid font file."
Make sure a title has been given to this font:
Open your Windows\Fonts folder. Select a ttf font and right-click and choose Properties. Make sure a value exists in the Font Title field. If there is no value in the field your font has been corrupted.
In answering to 'restore' the fontview.exe, the following exists, but I don't believe this is the answer to your problem.
Have you installed a specific Font view/helper program such as Printers Apprentice or FontReview ? IF you have, you may also need to edit the "install" key If you neglected to change the Windows TTF association back to FONTVIEW.EXE when you uninstalled this program...In answer to your question,
'Restore' Fontview.exe:
You can do it manually by editing the Registry. EDIT YOUR REGISTRY AT YOUR OWN RISK and always remember to back-up first.
1. Start the Windows Registry Editor.
2. In the left pane of the Registy Editor window, expand the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key by clicking the small "Plus" button.
The contents of HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT will expand like and outline.
3. Scroll down and locate the "ttffile" key under HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT.
4. Expand "ttffile" key by clicking the "Plus" button to the left of the "ttffile" folder icon.
5. Now expand the "Shell" key that is under "ttffile"
6. Then expand the "open" key.
7. Under "open" is a single key, "command". Select the "command" key by clicking it.
8. In the right hand pane, double click the "(default)" item.
9. In the "Edit String" dialog, change the "Value Data" field to read
c:\windows\fontview.exe "%1".
Make sure you include the quotes around the %1. (Your path to fontview.exe may also be different.)
10. In the right hand pane, double click the "(default)" item.
11. Click "OK" to save your changes. This reassociates the FONTVIEW.EXE app with TrueType font files.
12. In the left hand pane, expand the "print" key under "shell" (we are still in the general "ttffile" key.
13. Under "print" is a single key, "command". Select the "command" key by clicking it.
14. In the right hand pane, double click the "(default)" item.
15. In the "Edit String" dialog, change the "Value Data" field to read
c:\windows\fontview.exe /p "%1".
Make sure you include the the quotes around the %1. (Remember,your path to fontview.exe may be different.)
16. Click "OK" to save your changes. This reassociates the FONTVIEW.EXE app with printing TrueType font files.
17. Right click the "Install" key under "shell" and select "Delete" from the popup menu.
18. Click "Yes" when Registry Editor asks if you really want to delete the key. This removes the "Install" menu item (put in place by FontReview/Printers Apprentice, etc.) on the context menu for TrueType files.
19. Close the Registry editor.

 

[raltman17]

Thanks for the try. As you figured, it was NOT the answer to my specific problem. I still get a popup box with "The requested file 'fontname.ttf' was not a valid font file."

By the way, when I went to the Registry to try your suggestions, the only things that I had to change were the 'missing' quotes around the "%1," but that didn't change anything as far as my problem with fontview.exe is concerned!!

Thanks again.

 

[compgirlfhredi]

A friend got this error on boot, but when he checked the startup from msconfig, he found Fontview related to PalTalk,(which he had uninstalled!), he simply unchecked the box next to Fontview, re-booted and the error went away...But as I stated "that was on boot"

 

[compgirlfhredi]

Try this
Open explorer, click the Tools tab, click on Folder Options, then click on the File Types...go all the way down to the FON (file type) highlight it and see what the 'Opens with' dialog says?
Let me know

 

[raltman17]

To: compgirlfhredi
1. Just for the heck of it, I checked msconfig and there was no listing for Fontview. (I didn't think there would be!)

2. Under "Details for 'FON' extension," it shows: "Opens with: Windows Font Viewer."
After clicking the "Advanced" button, I confirmed that the FON files
open with: C:\WINDOWS\fontview.exe "%1" and
print with: C:\WINDOWS\fontview.exe /p "%1"
Also, just for the heck of it, I double-clicked on several FON files in the C:\Windows\Fonts\ folder and I got the same error message that I did for the TTF files: "The requested file 'fontname.fon' was not a valid font file."

FYI, just to make sure there was nothing wrong with FONTVIEW.EXE itself, I replaced it with a copy from a Windowsxx.CAB file. (No change.)

QUESTION (for you, or someone else): Is there a .dll or other file that FONTVIEW.EXE uses that might also be corrupted? Or, is there some registry setting that is used (by FONTVIEW or by Windows) that somehow got messed up?

Thanks for your assistance. This is REALLY starting to bug me. (Anytime, something works one way for a long time and then, suddenly, doesn't work at all--or works differently-- it bugs me!!)

 

[compgirlfhredi]

UHHH...thats "opens with" C:\WINDOWS\System32\fontview.exe %1