Deleting font issues

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MikeW
Posts: 625
Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 2:51 pm

Deleting font issues

Post by MikeW »

Often times I will receive an update to a font, whether it is a collaboration or from a commercial vendor. All but system fonts reside in a folder within my documents folder.

If the font is currently installed, most times I can uninstall, then delete, and I can then refresh the folder these fonts reside in, and load, install or leave alone the new version. Sometimes, like last night, I could not delete after uninstalling them. Further, a few that were just loaded could be unloaded but not deleted. Fonts that were neither installed nor loaded could be deleted.

I needed to unload and or uninstall, reboot the computer, then I could delete. As I was doing this replacement in stages a few replacements at a time, that meant multiple reboots. Just for fun, I used another FM and it could delete fonts that MT could not without issue.

Why does this happen? The installed fonts had not been in use since a project ended months ago. The loaded fonts had been used earlier in the day, but not for a few hours. The first reboot obviously cured the loaded font deletion problem. But not the installed font problem.

The whole event just reminded me there has to be a better, smoother experience with MT's database. Why does MT do this? I have fought this time and again.
Erwin Denissen
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Re: Deleting font issues

Post by Erwin Denissen »

MikeW wrote:Often times I will receive an update to a font, whether it is a collaboration or from a commercial vendor. All but system fonts reside in a folder within my documents folder.

If the font is currently installed, most times I can uninstall, then delete, and I can then refresh the folder these fonts reside in, and load, install or leave alone the new version. Sometimes, like last night, I could not delete after uninstalling them. Further, a few that were just loaded could be unloaded but not deleted. Fonts that were neither installed nor loaded could be deleted.

I needed to unload and or uninstall, reboot the computer, then I could delete. As I was doing this replacement in stages a few replacements at a time, that meant multiple reboots. Just for fun, I used another FM and it could delete fonts that MT could not without issue.

Why does this happen? The installed fonts had not been in use since a project ended months ago. The loaded fonts had been used earlier in the day, but not for a few hours. The first reboot obviously cured the loaded font deletion problem. But not the installed font problem.

The whole event just reminded me there has to be a better, smoother experience with MT's database. Why does MT do this? I have fought this time and again.
A rather technical answer, but I hope it clarifies things a bit:

When a font has been used by software (e.g. Microsoft Word) the system locks the font file. Most of the time you won't be able to delete the file; which is really annoying. It happens here as well :?

Maybe the other font manager moved the font files (e.g. to the recycle bin). As far as I know this is the only way to "delete" locked files. Unfortunately due to the fact we've made our font manager so advanced so users don't have to "elevate" in order to install or uninstall fonts, the software runs partly as a special user which prevents MainType from using the recycle bin.

Numerous companies are very pleased with our font manager, as with other font managers the system administrator has to manually install fonts each time a colleague wants to use fonts on a highly protected system.
Erwin Denissen
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MikeW
Posts: 625
Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 2:51 pm

Re: Deleting font issues

Post by MikeW »

Thank you, Erwin.

The response only partially answers the issues in that nothing had the fonts open, with the exception of MT. I hadn't used the installed fonts for a couple months. Many reboots in between the night I tried to delete them and when they had last been used.

The few that had been only loaded since my last reboot had not been used in the day since my previous reboot, nothing had been using the fonts for at least a couple hours.

FWIW, no, the other FM didn't use the recycle bin. Full and complete deletion.

I cannot spend this amount of time once in a while just to delete some fonts and replace them. It's frustrating and unproductive.

Since my post I have tried a couple other FMs (out of frustration). There's a lot to like about parts of them, a lot to dislike as well. In fact, I'll probably purchase a license for one of them not for the font management aspect, but for its other capabilities.

I do like MT, maybe in part that I have used it for X number of versions (3 I think). But there are improvements that need to be made as regards the font database management.

Best regards, Mike
Erwin Denissen
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Re: Deleting font issues

Post by Erwin Denissen »

I appreciate your feedback and understand your frustration, but we've spent weeks trying to find a way to successfully uninstall fonts, but somehow we just can't make it work. I find it hard to believe other font managers can do it with a 100% success rate, so do let us know which one(s) do work as expected.

I would also like to know what Windows version you use, as I'm mostly testing on Windows 7.
MikeW wrote:I do like MT, maybe in part that I have used it for X number of versions (3 I think). But there are improvements that need to be made as regards the font database management.
I'm not sure if I understand you here, as font file deletion has nothing to do with the way our database works.
Erwin Denissen
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Proven Font Technology
MikeW
Posts: 625
Joined: Mon May 20, 2013 2:51 pm

Re: Deleting font issues

Post by MikeW »

Erwin Denissen wrote:I appreciate your feedback and understand your frustration, but we've spent weeks trying to find a way to successfully uninstall fonts, but somehow we just can't make it work. I find it hard to believe other font managers can do it with a 100% success rate, so do let us know which one(s) do work as expected.

I would also like to know what Windows version you use, as I'm mostly testing on Windows 7.
I do apologize for adding to y'alls frustration.

I have used the below on both Windows XP Pro 32-bit, Windows 7 and 8.x 64-bit systems. I am currently only using Windows 8.1 64-bit.

Nexus, the freebie font manager pops up an elevated account message. Once that is OK'd, Nexus pops up a dialog about one's choices for installing the font (Move to the Windows font folder, Leave where it is--which then creates a shortcut, and some other choice I cannot remember). Never had it fail to delete a font, but then the elevated prompt should be a clue with it.

Extensis Suitcase uses shortcuts, no elevated prompt. Never had it fail. Slow pig of an application. Plug-ins install for the big three Adobe applications, including past to present CC2014 versions. These plugins work perfectly here. I've seen reports of Mac users having issues on CC2014, though. Mainly due to conflicts with Adobe's TypeKit crud.

Linotronic's application works fine. Same as Suitcase as regards to installing shortcuts and deleting those shortcuts. No issues there. But I pretty much hate FontExplorer. Lino is slow to update the thing, Windows updates lag behind the Mac updates. It's slow but not as bad as Suitecase on my computers. Adobe CC application support on Windows lags.

TypeDNA. This is the one I will likely purchase a license for. To build the catalog is initially slower than they mention. I have fonts MT refuses to display. To be fair, these are complex fonts. I hate trying to scroll past them in MT when it is first started. But TypeDNA handles these fine. It also installs shortcuts and deletes them without issue (immediately) and without an elevated prompt.

So for the last three FMs, my assumption is that they do not require and elevated prompt because they are installing with my admin rights.

I don't like discussing these things via the forum, much less discussing the other applications. If you would like to take this to email should there be anything else wanted from me, you know my email address.

Thank you, Mike
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