We have recently become aware of an anomaly that was introduced with the Windows 10 Creators Update affecting fonts that are installed via “shortcut.”

Most fonts are either installed by the operating system or applications directly into the C:\Windows\Fonts directory and users can install fonts into that directory by right-clicking on a font and selecting “Install.” However, Windows also offers the option to install a font but keeping the font file itself in some other location in the file system. This option is invoked by right-clicking on the font file and selecting the “Install as Shortcut” option. (Many of us use such “Shortcut” installation of fonts as a means of disciplined housekeeping for large numbers of fonts and font families!)

The anomaly is that after powering up / rebooting your system, fonts installed via “Shortcut” won't appear either in the Fonts Control Panel or in applications' font lists.

By simply rebooting your system, those installed by “Shortcut” fonts will reappear in the Fonts Control Panel and the applications' font lists. Thus, if you have any such installed by “Shortcut" fonts, you will always need to do a second boot of your computer system until Microsoft fixes this nasty bug. Alternatively, you can uninstall those particular fonts and reinstall them via the normal “Install” which places the font files themselves in the C:\Windows\Fonts directory.

Important Note — This anomaly does NOT appear to affect Typekit font synchronization in any way!

Microsoft is aware of the problem, but we have no ETA for a fix. (The July 11 Windows 10 update does not fix the problem!)

        - Dov Isaacs, Principal Scientist, Adobe Systems Incorporated