I’m going to show you how to add a feature I feel Windows should have had from the get go, easy font install, after all what’s more exciting then using a font you have just downloaded in a new presentation or document. I’ll start off by saying that there are probably easier ways of doing this, perhaps even shell extensions you can install, however this tutorial can be modified by the user to do almost anything from the right click using an age old technology known as the batch file, or “.bat” for short, and what’s better all in 10 easy steps!

There is a tutorial on trap17 already that shows you how to install fonts however it is the Microsoft preferred way, which surprisingly enough doesn’t use the right click menu, everything else Microsoft does!

The first step of the process is to open a folder so we can access the folder options, so once there we will execute Tools >> Folder Options…



No we need to open the file types tab and find the TTF, True Type Font, file (Step2). By choosing the advanced button we now have a whole list of options for this file. (Step3).



Now whole we still have these dialogs open (Although it could be done before) we will run notepad and type the following:

And then save it in a simple location, I have chosen to save it to C:\Documents and Settings, be sure to type a file name and then .bat, this will make it a batch file. (Step4)



Back in the folder options, and the advanced options choose New (Step5), as we want to make a new command, this will show up in the right click menu so call it something like “Install” (Step6) Now browse for the batch file we created earlier (Step7), and open it (Step8&9) and finaly press Ok (Step10), now close out of all the windows and right click any font file, and when you choose Install, it will copy the file to the Windows font Directory.




P.S I know this works under XP, as for other MS products, I can't be sure, although most NT based systems should (I stress, SHOULD) work



This post has been edited by cmatcmextra: Sep 1 2005, 08:30 AM

Nice tutorial (I don't see why it shouldn't be approved). You could also use it to install other things such as Firefox Search Plugins so it's useful in other ways

Edit: Fixed grammar

This post has been edited by cmatcmextra: Sep 1 2005, 08:44 AM

Very hot, and as mentioned, this can have unlimited uses, once I do some searching and find the string to hide the command window for the Install, this will be flawless .

Excellent work 9/10

Panda

so your saying when you do all this and when you download the font it automatically goes to the font folder?

What it does is gives you an "Install" menu item in the 'right click' menu when you right click on a font file, (with a TTF file extension). It uses a batch file to copy the font to your c:\windows\fonts\ folder, which will install the font.

A very simple and easy to use solution that could be used in other applications with a bit of thought. Well done!