Missing fonts

[fh1805]

Having had to buy a new PC system (to replace my Vista-based desktop system following its sudden demise) I now find that Windows 7's font collection doesn't include all the fonts that Windows Vista's collection had. That, in turn, didn't have all the fonts that XP's collection had. By opening the PTE project file into Notepad and doing Edit...Find for the text font I have been able to establish the font names that I used in each sequence. I am now having to check every single sequence I have ever built (over 50 of them totalling in excess of 5 hours of running time) in order to identify all instances of "missing fonts" - and then make a decision as to the replacement font.

PTE uses some rule or other to select a font to replace the missing one - but that font often is of a size that is different to my originally selected one. I feel that it would be useful for PTE to draw our attention to missing fonts in the same way it draws our attention to missing image files and missing sound files. Further, I feel it would be helpful if PTE showed the font name from the project file in the O&A Properties tab, even when that font is missing on the system. This font name should be either highlighted or greyed out to indicate that the font was missing on this system.

I would also welcome some advice from Igor on the exact "rule" that PTE uses to select a font to replace one that it finds is missing?

N.B. I know that the original exe files don't have a problem. However, I always run off a menu sequence using "Run Slideshow with Return" to launch each sequence. Each menu is customised to suit that specific audience; and so I have to redo the Create of the EXE files using the latest PTE version. Following the PC system replacement I have had to re-build two forthcoming evening's entertainments. This has highlighted the problem of "missing fonts".

regards,

Peter

[xahu34]

Perhaps, you should use the PNG option

Regards,

Xaver

[davegee]

Peter,

All that you should have to do is replace the "missing font" from your old machine to the new one. (C/Windows/Fonts)

If you cannot access the old machine tell us what Font you are looking for - perhaps we could send you a copy?

DG

[fh1805]

Dave/Xaver,

Thanks for the suggestions for actions that will "shut the stable door after the horse has bolted". I've already bitten on the bullet and trawled through the PTE project files for all 50 of my sequences, in Notepad, and have identified all the fonts that I have used - all 23 of them. The vast majority of the text uses one of: Arial, Monotype Corsiva, Nyala or Times New Roman. However, I found that I tended to use a specially chosen font on the title slides.

What I am suggesting is, that PTE should have added to it, a way to help other people who find themselves in my recent position: an easy means of identifying which fonts they need to track down. After 2-3 hours work I am down to just three missing fonts: two I think I will find on my Vista laptop and the other on my old XP laptop. If I cannot find them there, or as free downloads on the web, I may well come back to this topic and seek further assistance.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

I use good ol' ARIAL almost exclusively - boring!

DG

[fh1805]

Dave,

Then you will probably never have any problems - except for bored audiences!

I found all three "missing" fonts on the Vista laptop and have now successfully copied them across to my new system. One point of interest: the Vista PC would not let me do a Copy from the Windows/Fonts folder and then Paste onto a USB memory device - but it would let me do a right-click drag-and-drop Copy here operation. Weird or what?

Anyhow, immediate problem solved - but the suggestion remains as I feel it would be a useful feature for anyone else who finds themselves in my position.

regards,

Peter

[davegee]

I would have thought, Peter, that the original Font which went missing found its way onto your original computer via a piece of software that you haven't yet installed on your new computer?

DG

P.S. Note to Community Forum Software - Your almost exclusive use of the ARIAL font is BORING!!

[fh1805]

The fonts will probably have come from Microsoft Office. The XP laptop had Office 2003, the Vista laptop had Office 2007 and the new Win7 PC has Office 2010. I will, from now on, be trying to remember to take a copy, onto an external hard drive, of any font that I use in a PTE project.

Peter

[Conflow]

Peter,

Firstly many thanks to you and Eric for the help in sorting out my 'Start-Window' problem.

The following Program ~ "AMP Font-Viewer" will help you sort out your Font problems in that

it can find all Fonts installed on any Windows-PC. It can also 'install & uninstall' Fonts

and identify 'True-Type Fonts' which are prefered above Non-True Fonts. Hope this helps.

Brian (Conflow)

Link:-

http://www.snapfiles.com/get/ampfont.html

Screenshot:-

[fh1805]

Brian,

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately, it was the hard drive that failed. So recovery of the font files from the old desktop system is a non-starter.

Thankfully, when its power stack failed about a year ago, I moved all my data off drive C: onto paired external hard drives. At least, I thought I'd moved everything! Some items have slipped the net. I operate these external disk pairs as a form of "RAID" set up, using Vice Versa software to synchronise the backup disk with the main data disk each night. I discovered an additional benefit of this approach. If I get asked to give a demonstration of PTE, Audacity, Photoshop, Lightroom, etc. I can unplug the backup data drive and take that with the laptop - and have all my data files with me, and in their usual folder structure.

regards,

Peter

[fh1805]

Perhaps, you should use the PNG option ...

The suggestion given by Xaver is very pertinent. However, when I go to do so I see the attached pop-up window. The advice which it gives is, in my opinion, too simplistic. The advice is true when working on just one PC. But if, for any reason, the project is transferred to a different PC, then the problem of "missing fonts" will remain and will need to be resolved (e.g. by locating a copy of the missing font and installing it).

I still maintain that it would be useful for PTE to highlight the "missing font" situation when the project file is opened. Perhaps a colour coded warning is required:

Amber - font is missing but has been rasterized

Red - font is missing and has not been rasterized

As I have indicated, this only a problem for me because I make extensive use of "Run Slideshow with Return" from menu sequences - and so have to do a fresh "Create Exe" every time I build a new menu (because I have to be certain that all the EXEs are created using the same version of PTE). This problem only came to light because my old PC failed and the new one has a different set of fonts installed.

regards,

Peter