More computer questions

[Hawkmoon]

In the aftermath of my wife's death a couple of years ago, I am now one person with two desktop PCs, three notebook PCs, and one netbook PC. One desktop and one notebook run Windows XP professional. The newer desktop and two notebooks run Windows 7 Professional, and the netbook runs Windows 7 Starter Edition. They all have Microsoft Office 2003 Professional installed.

As I migrate more work documents to the newer computers, I'm discovering that they don't all have the same fonts installed. Is there an easy way to synchronize the fonts so that all the machines have all the fonts available?

Also, is there any way to print out a list of the fonts that are installed on each machine so I can get a better handle on what's missing from each?

[never_retreat]

I would copy the fonts from each computer and combine them to one folder on a thumb drive. Just let the computer keep the newest files and overwrite the rest.
Then dump the new mix back onto each box.

I just can't remember were windows normally keeps them for each os.

[Hawkmoon]

^^^ That's pretty much what I have decided to do, unless someone can suggest a better way.

But I would really like to be able to compile a list of what fonts are on each machine before I start, out of curiosity if for no other reason. Back in MS-DOS days there was a keyboard command to run a directory listing and have it output to the LPT1 printer post, but it's been so many years since I've used MS-DOS that I don't remember the syntax, and I don't know if it would work in a command window under Win 7 or Win XP if I could remember it. I'd really like to be able to output the directory listing to a Word (or at least text) file.

[Hawkmoon]

Hmmm ...

dir C:\windows\fonts > E:\fonts.txt

It works, but some of the font names are just numbers, so to make this useful I'll still have to go in and manually enter the font names. But it's a good start, and even in this form it will allow comparison between different computers.

[230RN]

On XP, to get a printable directory.

Go to command prompt.

To get a full screen, type alt-enter.

To get directory instructions, type dir/?

To clear the screen for your directory, type cls.

Get the directory desired up on the screen.

Hit print screen.

Type Exit to get out of command prompt. (You may have to return to the small command screen first, with alt-enter.)

Open Notepad.

Type control-V to paste the directory to Notepad.  (You sometimes have to turn off word-wrap [in the Format tab] to avoid word-wrap problem.)

Print from Notepad.

I have never got this to work with WIN 7, but IIRC, it works with Win 2000 and Win 98.

Terry

[Hawkmoon]

I forgot all about Print Screen. Thank you.

[230RN]

I forgot all about Print Screen. Thank you.

You're welcome.  In real old machines print screen actually dumped directly to the actual printer.

[Hawkmoon]

In real old machines print screen actually dumped directly to the actual printer.

I remember that, and that's what I was initially trying to replicate. Outputting to a text file is almost as good in some ways, and better in that it allows me to then edit the file to add the recognizable name for each font before printing it out. How else would you ever know that 51253___.TTF is actually Victorian LET?

[230RN]

Well, let me know how it works for you, so I can crow about knowing some of the dinosaur techniques that I miss so much on more modern software.  

"Who was that masked man, anyhow?"

"I don't know, but I wanted to thank him."

<off in the distance> "Hi-yo Silver, awayyyy."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcRWO-jvjDI&feature=player_embedded

[lee n. field]

On XP, to get a printable directory.

Go to command prompt.

To get a full screen, type alt-enter.

To get directory instructions, type dir/?

To clear the screen for your directory, type cls.

Get the directory desired up on the screen.

Hit print screen.

Type Exit to get out of command prompt. (You may have to return to the small command screen first, with alt-enter.)

Open Notepad.

Type control-V to paste the directory to Notepad.  (You sometimes have to turn off word-wrap [in the Format tab] to avoid word-wrap problem.)

Print from Notepad.

I have never got this to work with WIN 7, but IIRC, it works with Win 2000 and Win 98.

Terry

open command prompt, cd to the appropriate place.

"dir /b > directory.txt" for a bare file name list in a text file.

"notepad directory.txt", and print from there.

(Since "dir /b > lpt1" probably doesn't work anymore.)

[HeroHog]

ya forgot the -p in case it's a large list of files and ya don't want to have to keep hitting the "any" key and capturing the prompt.

[Hawkmoon]

ya forgot the -p in case it's a large list of files and ya don't want to have to keep hitting the "any" key and capturing the prompt.

And it IS a large list. The XP machine has 680 fonts in its fonts directory. I haven't checked the Win7 desktop or any of the notebooks yet. Once I get all the fonts in one place and properly identified, I'll probably dive in and delete/uninstall all the Arabic and Cyrillic fonts that I'll never use.

[230RN]

ya forgot the -p in case it's a large list of files and ya don't want to have to keep hitting the "any" key and capturing the prompt.

That's why I included the dir/? command.  

,,,and Cyrillic fonts that I'll never use.

But what if you wanted to type out "Toys Я Usâ„¢."


Correction in bold regarding â„¢ per following post by makattack, and thanks for keeping me out of trouble.

[makattak]

But what if you wanted to type out "Toys Я Us"?

You'll get a letter from a lawyer because you didn't include: "Toys Я Usâ„¢"

[230RN]

lee n. field noted,

(Since "dir /b > lpt1" probably doesn't work anymore.)

Yeah, good luck finding an LPTn on a modern machine.  Although there are serial-to-parallel converter boxes.  But then you'd somehow have to relate COMn to USBn.  Somehow.

That's why I like to keep my Dell Vostro with XP running and completely off the net.  And it has two serial and one parallel port, as well as something like 6 USB ports.  Oh, and a 3-1/2" floppy drive.

And I have an A-B switch so my keyboard, mouse, and printer can be switched back and forth between my beloved Dell and my behated HP 64-bit G72 laptop.  One push of a button and I'm back in dinosaur land.

Nirvana!

Terry