Windows7 font problem with Vb6 app

[tedsmith]

I got a report from a customer that the Arial Narrow font I use in my app doesn't work when he converted over to Windows 7 (even though he claimed he installed it)

Anybody had any problems with other Windows 7 fonts?

 

[Bluejay07]

What version of windows was the program created with?
The reason why I ask is that perhaps it is not a font issue but rather a form issue. If the program was created on XP, the form size might differ on Windows 7 (bigger title bars) thus not allowing the text to display properly.

If at first you don't succeed, then sky diving wasn't meant for you!

 

[HughLerwill]

Windows 7

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fonts/product.aspx?pid=161

Office 2010

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2121313

Arail Narrow supplied with Office but not the OS as per versions of both since Win 2k. I would not hard code for it, however in some tabular reports I make the font user configurable and recommend Arial Narrow in a help message if it is available.

Anybody had any problems with other Windows 7 fonts?
Bitmapped fonts in a UI can be problematic.

http://blogs.msdn.com/b/developingf...-windows-7-bitmap-fonts-and-dpi-settings.aspx

 

[HughLerwill]

> I make the font user configurable
and selecting/ using Arial Narrow is not giving any problems. Ref W7 Ult 64b with Office 2010 32b.

 

[tedsmith]

All is OK. Arial Narrow works in WINDOWS 7
The user only copied the fonts to the font folder without installing them properly

The fonts were created in 1996!

 

[strongm]

I'll just point out to you, as I have before, that it is illegal for you (or your client) to distribute or copy most of Microsoft's fonts. Arial Narrow is one of the fonts that you cannot distribute/copy without paying money for a licence (or by having been included with a package such as Office)

 

[dilettante]

For the rare requirement for condensed characters you might consider using and deploying a freeware font. One example:

http://www.fontspace.com/apostrophic-lab/asenine

 

[tedsmith]

The 'customer' I refer to has a legal copy of Office but he had not yet installed it in the new HD of this particular computer.

I would think that it is legal for him to use Arial Narrow in another application if he is licensed for Office otherwise he would be paying two license fees for the same product.

 

[dilettante]

Probably legal if he is selecting the font from a list of installed fonts. Perhaps questionable if your application hard-codes this font though. In general if you aren't copying or redistributing the font you should be ok.

http://www.microsoft.com/typography/RedistributionFAQ.mspx

 

[tedsmith]

<selecting the font from a list of installed fonts?
If that were the case it would follow that nobody could ever sell a (vb6) product with any sort of title or labels that used any normal font because they all came with a microsoft product (the OS) unless they pay a fee to Microsoft.

 

[strongm]

No, of course you are alloed to use fonts legally installed on the system. Noone is saying any different.

The link provided by dilletante should make it clear even for the deliberately obtuse.