That Win2000 font problem

[Christina Thiele]

Andreas Antoniou writes:
>
> ...
> >(3) It should be possible to install the fonts properly without ATM
> >     using either the item on the pop-up menu from the CD --- or using
> >     "Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts" and then "File >
> >     Install Fonts" (It is best to just let it copy the files to the
> >     "fonts" folder under the "windows" folder).
> >
> >(4) You *cannot* "install" fonts by copying them to some random folder
> >     (such as c:\psfonts). Key to proper font installation is the
> >     creation of appropriate entries in the registry. This happens when
> >     you (i) use the installation procedure on the CD, or (ii) when you
> >     use the above mentioned "Start > Settings > Control Panel > Fonts"
> >     etc. method or (iii) if you use ATM 4.1
> >
> >(5) Be careful with the font folder. It is a so-called active folder.
> >     For example, when you look at it from say "My Computer" you do
> >     *not* see what files are in it --- instead you see information
> >     constructed from the registry.  Again: do not try and manipulate
> >     this folder -- or font files --- directly.  Always use proper
> >     installation procedures (of which three alternatives are outlined
> >     above).
>
> Christina,
>
> 1. Following your above email, I have changed the PATH entry for Type 1
> fonts in file dviwindo.ini to read as follows:
>
> PSFONTS=C:\WINNT\Fonts

OK. Good.


> 2.  I have dragged the fonts in E:\psfonts (the installation CD) to

`Dragged' the fonts? I'm leery of that, Andreas. Could you do it via
the install menu that pops up when you insert the Y&YTeX CD? There's a
menu item for installing the fonts. I'm not sure that dragging is
quite the right method ...

> ...
>
> The pfm files are installed (the icons of these font show a red "a",
> I  guess, for Adobe, as opposed to two superimposed  T's for
> TrueType).   When you click on a TrueType font icon, Windows 2000 will list
> the font, as you know.   However, if I click on the icon of a Type 1 pfm
> font, nothing happens.  Strangely, these fonts are accessible by other
> applications, e.g., Illustrator 10.  See sample file attached.
>
> NOTE:  The pfb fonts will NOT install when I dragged them from the
> installation CD into the fonts folder.  Windows considers them to be
> corrupt and I get a diagnostic to that effect.  I think pfb files are not
> acceptable in the fonts folder.

The pfb files aren't supposed to be dragged, from what I understand of
this fonts installation business. There's an install option that's
supposed to be used:

a. Via Explorer, highlight the CD and then right-click on it. The
   install menu will come up. On mine, the first font-related option
   reads:

      [1a]  Install fonts in Windows2000 Pro

b. Try installing the fonts via this route, rather than dragging files
   around.

In addition, on my CD, I find a folder t1install, and in there, a file
called t1install.txt.  a quick look to see if there's anything there
that you recognise as happening on your machine.

> 3.  This is my personal diagnosis of the situation which may, of course, be
> total speculation:  The DVIWindo previewer is looking for Type 1 fonts in
> pfb format but it cannot find them.  So it substitutes whatever it can get,
> possibly TrueType fonts with the wrong encoding.

Probably. Now, I've seen this happen when PCTeX has been on a machine
-- PCTeX uses TrueType fonts. And the only solution is to purge then
from the path that Y&YTeX and DVIWindo are using to process, display
and print TeX files. One option is to create a tfm folder within
c:\winnt, and stow them all safely there. Any programs that need to
access them should have their paths adjusted (I believe that just
doing c:\winnt\\ -- the \\ says `and search all subfolders as well').

That allows you to keep TT fonts around, but separate from the T1s.


> 4. I have not tried ATM 4.1 but I am not sure what ATM can do for Windows
> 2000.  After all Windows 2000, as far as I understand the situation, has a
> built in ATM-like program to deal with fonts.  Since I might be endangering
> a host of other software that is running perfectly on my computer, I'd
> better not tamper with ATM 4.1.

Well, the instructions say that ATM has to be out of the loop while
Y&YTeX is being installed. I haven't seen anything explicitly
describing what you do after an install, so I'm going to ask exactly
that question.

> 5.  If the computer guru at your side can think of something, I might try
> it but, otherwise, I'd better continue with MikTex.  Drop me a note, if you
> someone can think of something.  This is the biggest software mystery I
> have ever encountered in my long career.

Well, if it's a case of TT and T1 trying to co-exist, then we should
be able to sort things out.

> Thank you for trying anyway.

I'll keep plugging away at it. I won't move any of your mail into
`techsupport-done' until it's truly solved, so I'll have your messages
to remind me each time I go through and check what's left to work on
;-)

Now, something you may be interested in. We've finally made the change
in support procedures and you can find all the details on some updated
pages at the Y&Y website, www.yandy.com, under the News and Support
links.

> Andreas
>
> ...