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I'm trying to install an OpenType font in WinXP (Inconsolata). When I select the file in the font installation dialog, it just says "Unable to install the ... font. The font file may be damaged. Check with your vendor about obtaining a new file." I'm getting the .otf file from http://www.levien.com/type/myfonts/inconsolata.html. I've also tried http://moorstation.org/typoasis/designers/steffmann/samples/a/albert.htm with the same result. I've tried downloading the file (from Firefox) several times.
David,
Check points 3 and 4 listed at http://www.thomasphinney.com/2008/12/no-font-instal/
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I just tried downloading and installing the font you refer to in Windows Vista (pretty much same font handling mechanism as XP) without any problem whatsoever.
Do you have problems with all OpenType OTF fonts as your post's title implies or just this font?
- Dov
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Have you ever tried to install ALL available fonts?
As I said in the note, I tried both Inconsolata and Albert, with the same result. They are both available from different sites, and I've successfully installed Inconsolata on both another Windows box and an Ubuntu box.
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Wise guy, we are trying to assist you!
The question was whether all OpenType OTF fonts have installation problems on this system, not whether you tried to install all fonts ... geez!
The question pertains to whether you have somehow broken your XP system's ability to deal with both Type 1 and OpenType CFF fonts. This can easily occur if you either (1) install a very old copy of Adobe Type Manager or (2) install the most recent version of the Adobe Type Manager and then uninstall it without applying a certain patch file to restore support for Type 1 and OpenType CFF files.
- Dov
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I haven't installed or uninstalled anything related to the type manager. This is a corporate-prepared laptop. I don't know what they might have done to this image, but it seems unlikely they would have intentionally or unintentionally blocked OpenType fonts.
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david.karr wrote:
This is a corporate-prepared laptop.
Do you have write permission to the Windows Fonts folder? Users don't I think, by default. Second, if you right-click on the downloaded file and select Properties, is it blocked (at the bottom of the General tab)?
I use OTF almost exclusively on my XPSP3 machine.
Noel
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"Have you ever tried to install ALL available fonts?"
When debugging font issues, yes.
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Let me ask another way: have you installed any other opentype fonts that worked? Is it just those 2 that fail, or does every opentype font you attempt to install fail the same way?
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It's a little hard to find a collection of free OpenType font downloads in a single place, but I found a couple more in various places, and they all fail with the same error.
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It's a little hard to find a collection of free OpenType font downloads in a single place, but I found a couple more in various places, and they all fail with the same error.
Heh. You'd be amazed at some of the type sites on the web. 🙂
But this means that all OpenType fonts you have attempted to install have failed. That points to something not with the fonts, but with the system.
Are you running with administrator privileges?
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Chris Cox wrote:
It's a little hard to find a collection of free OpenType font downloads in a single place, but I found a couple more in various places, and they all fail with the same error.
Heh. You'd be amazed at some of the type sites on the web. 🙂
Oh, I was able to find lots of font/type sites, I just had trouble finding a single place with just free OpenType fonts, and not lots of other stuff.
I do have admin privileges, yes. I verified that I can create a file in that directory.
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David,
Check points 3 and 4 listed at http://www.thomasphinney.com/2008/12/no-font-instal/
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I have the very same problem, with ATM installed or not in Windows XP machine since a long time ago.
In the very last days I cannot use my OTF fonts, none of them, well exactly not anyone from Adobe, neither PS fonts, only TTF and MS OTF ones, I cannot preview them with ATM and cannot even copy them to the fonts folder in the Windows folder.
I can only copy Adobe OTF to the font folders of Adobe applications, thus I suspect no font is corrupted. It is a problem with Windows XP or my installation.
What I have changed lately?
Oh, my new Geforce 9600GT!
I think I will have to touch the Registry, thus thank you very much for pointing to this likely culprit, I will try T. Phinney solutions and let you know. Thank you.
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Bingo. I added the registry entry and rebooted, and then I could install the OpenType font. Thanks.
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I had an entry in the registry for a lower (decimal) value and increased it up the recommended value, but no success, finally I have had to remove the /3GB switch in the boot ini file and I have got it.
I would like to find a different or better solution as I am back limited to only using 2GB of RAM in WinXP.