A Guide to Removing TrueType and OpenType Fonts in Windows

For those times when you've downloaded too many fonts from the internet

What to Know

  • In Windows 10, search for fonts and go to Fonts - System Settings > font name > Uninstall.
  • In Windows 8 or 7, go to Fonts - Control Panel > font name > File > Delete.

This article explains how to find and delete fonts in Windows 10, 8, or 7.

How to Delete TrueType and OpenType Fonts

If you like to try out different typefaces, chances are you'll find that your Windows 10 font control panel fills up fast. To make it easier to find the fonts you really want, you may want to delete some fonts. Windows uses three kinds of fonts: TrueType, OpenType, and PostScript. Deleting TrueType and OpenType fonts is a simple process. It hasn't changed much from previous versions of Windows.

  1. Click on the Search field on the right side of the Start button.

  2. Type fonts in the search field.

    Screenshot of Fonts in the search menu
  3. Click the search result that reads Fonts - System Settings or Fonts - Control Panel. The Fonts window will open.

    A screenshot of Windows with the "Font Preview and Related Settings" search result highlighted
  4. Click the icon or name for the font you want to delete to select it.

    Screenshot of Fonts window

    If the font is part of a font family and you don't want to delete the other family members, you may have to open the family before you can select the font you want to delete. If your view shows icons rather than names, the icons with multiple stacked icons represent font families.

  5. In Windows 10, select the font you want to remove and then choose Uninstall. Confirm that you want to uninstall the font from your computer.

    A screenshot of a font in Windows 10 with the Uninstall button highlighted
  6. In Windows 8 or 7, select the checkbox next to the font. Choose the File menu and select Delete. Confirm the deletion when prompted to do so.

Deleting a shortcut versus an actual font. If you checked the "Install as shortcut" box when you installed the font, you are only removing the shortcut. The font file remains in the directory where you stored it.

Be careful what you delete. Certain fonts should not be deleted. Don't delete any system fonts such as Calibre, Microsoft Sans Serif, or Tahoma.

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