Concerns and Issues with Revising Documents with Embedded Fonts on a New Computer

Question

I recently encountered a situation where I needed to revise a document (manuscript) that I had created with embedded fonts on my old computer. Unfortunately, my old computer crashed, and I had to reinstall everything on a new computer from a backup. However, not all the fonts that were on the previous computer were installed on the new one. This has raised a couple of questions and concerns:

1. Font Compatibility: Would the restored document retain the original fonts used, even if the new computer does not have the same fonts installed? In other words, can embedded fonts still be accessed and used without the exact fonts being present on the new computer?
2. Listing Embedded Fonts: Is there a way to display a list of the embedded fonts used in the document? This would help me identify which fonts were used in the manuscript and assess whether they are available on my new computer.

I'd appreciate any guidance or insights into these issues. Thank you!

Answer 1

Shollybee is only right about your first question. Embedded fonts should display correctly in all versions of Word that support the feature, whether the fonts are installed or not.

The Word interface doesn't include a way to get a list of fonts used. It's possible to do with a VBA macro, here's a page with a listing that will list all fonts used, then which ones are not installed: Check Fonts Used in a File

If VBA is too complicated, make a copy of your file in a separate subfolder, then edit the name to add .zip to the end. Unzip the file, then look in the word folder for fontTable.xml. This will list all fonts used in XML that looks like this: <w:font w:name="Symbol"> Then you can check which fonts names are not shown in your C:\Windows\Fonts folder. Tip: drag fontTable.xml to a browser window to make it human-readable.

Answer 2

I recently experienced a similar situation - old computer stopped working. Blue screen of death!

However, although it would not boot, the hard drive still was readable.

I purchased a disk caddy and pulled the drive from the old computer. Then I plugged it in to a USB port on the new one and I was able to read the data on the old computer.

The fonts are in the folder C:/Windows/Fonts and can be copied.

I was lucky with this one.

A good backup system is invaluable (and I had one, but this was even easier).

Answer 3

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It's possible to do with a VBA macro, here's a page with a listing that will list all fonts used, then which ones are not installed: Check Fonts Used in a File

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It may be just me, but on a longer document (200 pages) that has been highly edited over a long period of time and includes pasted material, that macro hangs my system.

Answer 4

The Font Properties Extension (which was a very helpful tool) hasn't been available for a long time now. I do wish MS would bring it back.

Answer 5

Hi Jerry,

Thanks for contacting us and sorry for the inconveniences,

I understand that you have some questions and concerns about revising a document with embedded fonts on your new computer. Here are some answers and suggestions that might help you:

1. Font Compatibility: Yes, the restored document should retain the original fonts used, even if the new computer does not have the same fonts installed. This is because embedding fonts in a Word document means that a copy of the font file is stored within the document itself, so that anyone who opens the document can see it with the intended font. However, there are some limitations and caveats to this feature. For example, not all fonts can be embedded due to licensing restrictions, and some embedded fonts may not allow editing or printing of the document. Also, embedding fonts can increase the file size of the document significantly. Therefore, you may want to check the font properties and permissions before embedding them in your document .
2. Listing Embedded Fonts: Yes, there is a way to display a list of the embedded fonts used in the document. You can do this by using a free tool called Font Properties Extension, which adds a new tab to the font file properties dialog box in Windows Explorer. This tab shows various information about the font, including its name, version, embedding status, and permissions. To use this tool, you need to first install it on your computer and then follow these steps:

• Open your Word document and save it as a PDF file.
  • Open the PDF file in Adobe Reader or another PDF viewer.
  • Go to File > Properties > Fonts and note down the names of the fonts used in the document.
  • Go to Windows Explorer and navigate to the folder where your Word document is stored.
  • Right-click on the Word document and select Properties.
  • Go to the Fonts tab and compare the names of the fonts listed there with the ones you noted down from the PDF file.
  • The fonts that are present in both lists are the ones that are embedded in your Word document.

I hope this helps!

Regards, Sola