Cannot save/test/install fonts with evaluation version

[Chris Hutchinson]

I have just installed Font Creator (on Windows XP SP2) to evaluate it.

I find that despite the statement "The Font Creator Program is fully functional during the trial period.", I am unable to save or test any font that I create or modify.

Attempts to do so result in a message dialogue stating:

These features are disabled, because this version is not registered:
- Save a Font
- Test a Font
- Install a Font
- Extract TrueType Collections

After using Font Creator for a 30-day trial period, you must register and pay for it, or remove it from your system.

etc., etc., etc

[Chris Hutchinson]

I've half-answered my own question.

I normally run under a Limited user account; if I run under an adminstrative account, I can use the Test/Save/Install features OK.

The half of the question I can't answer is this: if I purchase and register my copy, will all features (including Test/Save/etc.) successfully work when running under a Limited user account?

[Erwin Denissen]

Fonts are essential for your system, that's why a Limited user account won't be able to save and install fonts. Your system administrator must give Font Creator read and write access to several parts of your system (most important are the font related part of the registry and windows fonts folder). I'm sure he/ she knows how to help you.

[Chris Hutchinson]

I don't want to install fonts under the Limited user, but I don't want to run as an administrative user unless absolutely necessary.
[Suppose I were in a domain, where I had no access to the domain administrator account].

i.e. I wish to run FontCreator under a Limited user whilst DESIGNING the font(s), and expect to be able to save (via SaveAs ...) any creations in font file(s) in a test folder (i.e. not the Windows/Fonts folder).
Once happy with such fonts, they can then be INSTALLED properly under the administrative user.

But this doesn't appear to be possible with the evaluation version; will it be possible with a registered version?

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

I'm surprised that you're unable to save a font, unless you're opening an installed font to edit it. If that is the case, the solution would be to copy the font from the font folder to your own folder, and open it from there.

You will be unable to use the font test window because Font Creator installs a temporary font called FCPxxx to display the font in the test window. You could use the Preview toolbar instead. Select the characters in the overview that you wish to preview, press "P", and show the Preview toolbar. Or just use the comparison toolbar.

As far as I know, the only difference between the registered version and the unregistered version is about $99 (and the time-limit of course).

[Erwin Denissen]

When the trial version starts, it checks to see if the trial period is exceeded. When it can't find that information (because the system is write protected), all save options are disabled. This prevents one of using the software for an unlimited time.

[Chris Hutchinson]

Erwin: you state
"When the trial version starts, it checks to see if the trial period is exceeded. When it can't find that information (because the system is write protected), all save options are disabled. This prevents one of using the software for an unlimited time."

I hope that I'm interpreting the above to mean that, with the registered version, I won't have any problems saving font files (to a non-prvileged folder) when logged in as a Limited User.

Apart from this problem of running under a Limited User, so far I've been most impressed with the capabilities of the package.

[Erwin Denissen]

I'm not a system administrator, but I do know you must have some privileges to add the registration code to Windows registry.

[Chris Hutchinson]

My company has now purchased a license for the Professional edition.

I registered the product under the (local) administrative user (under which I could already perform SaveAs, etc.) on my Windows XP Pro SP2 machine.

I then logged out of that user, and logged in to my usual Limited (local) user account.
On starting FontCreator, it announced that it was unregistered, and still would not allow SaveAs actions).
So I just used the same registration key, under this user account, to re-register the product; then the SaveAs action became available.

I presume that this is OK under the terms of the license, since both users are on the same PC, and only one can be used at any one time.

It seems that the registration information is held under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER branch of the registry (and is hence user-sensitive), rather than under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch (which would apply to all user accounts on the machine).

[Erwin Denissen]

Thanks for your feedback. It's good to know you've been able to register Font Creator while logged in under the limited user account.

I presume that this is OK under the terms of the license, since both users are on the same PC, and only one can be used at any one time.

Yes, it is perfectly legal to register the software under both user names, as long as those accounts are used by one person.