Install fonts with a PowerShell script

Robert Pearman Fri, Sep 21 2018 deployment, powershell 16

The PowerShell script discussed in this post allows you to deploy fonts within your Windows network.

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Robert Pearman

Robert is a small business specialist from the UK and currently works as a system administrator for IT Authority. He has been a Microsoft MVP for seven years and has worked as a technical reviewer for Microsoft Press. You can follow Robert in his blog.

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Many of my clients work in creative industries, so a regular task for us is to install fonts. These fonts might be licensed on a per-machine basis or simply used for only one project and never seen again. This makes it difficult or essentially impractical to build a machine with all the required fonts already installed.

So when a new project starts, or more likely the last minute before several machines head out to give important presentations, you may need to install 50 fonts on 10 machines! But the users have no time for you to log on to their PCs and install the fonts.

Over the years, I have put together what we will generously call some "solutions" to this problem. The most recent was so labor intensive, it was probably more effort than that saved by walking to each individual computer with a pen drive containing the font files.

I speak of course of the Group Policy Preference (GPP) settings. Installing a font with a GPP is quite easy. You can set the font file to copy from a source folder to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder, and in the same GPP, set up the relevant registry key. After a reboot, the font is available for use.

GPP font example

GPP font example registry details

However, as you can see from the two example images, managing multiple font installs using this method (having to create each registry item) is time consuming.

Then when asked to install several more fonts on several more computers, I thought again about using PowerShell. I had investigated font installs with PowerShell before, but I had never found a method that worked for me. I don't remember every example of what I tried, but I do recall one that tried to force the User Account Control (UAC) elevation prompt via PowerShell. The whole thing just seemed a bit lacking, so I put it on the back burner. However, soon I was back again, needing a quick way to install fonts without messing around.

I realized the answer was in front of me. I could use PowerShell to populate the registry section of the GPP for me! Genius.

No—wait. Why use GPP at all if PowerShell can do the registry entries for me? Goal!

So I present to you Font-Install.ps1. The script has two parameters: $pcNames and $fontFolder.

The $pcNames array will accept a list of PC Names, and $fontFolder (as the name suggests) is a string that should contain a Uniform Naming Convention (UNC) path to where the script can find the font files themselves.

The script will test a connection to each PC in turn. It will copy each font file it finds available on the network from the $fontFolder to the C:\Windows\Fonts folder on the PC using the admin $ share. It does this from the machine where the script executes to mitigate the issue of credential hopping through remote PowerShell sessions.

It then processes each font file for the font name (which is not always the same as the file name) and creates a registry entry for that font using Invoke-Command.

Font Install.ps1

This is the full script:

param(
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,Position=0)]
[ValidateNotNull()]
[array]$pcNames,
[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,Position=1)]
[ValidateNotNull()]
[string]$fontFolder
)
$padVal = 20
$pcLabel = "Connecting To".PadRight($padVal," ")
$installLabel = "Installing Font".PadRight($padVal," ")
$errorLabel = "Computer Unavailable".PadRight($padVal," ")
$openType = "(Open Type)"
$regPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts"
$objShell = New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application
if(!(Test-Path $fontFolder))
{
    Write-Warning "$fontFolder - Not Found"
}
else
{
    $objFolder = $objShell.namespace($fontFolder)
    foreach ($pcName in $pcNames)
    {
        Try{
            Write-Output "$pcLabel : $pcName"
            $null = Test-Connection $pcName -Count 1 -ErrorAction Stop
            $destination = "\\",$pcname,"\c$\Windows\Fonts" -join ""
            foreach ($file in $objFolder.items())
            {
                $fileType = $($objFolder.getDetailsOf($file, 2))
                if(($fileType -eq "OpenType font file") -or ($fileType -eq "TrueType font file"))
                {
                    $fontName = $($objFolder.getDetailsOf($File, 21))
                    $regKeyName = $fontName,$openType -join " "
                    $regKeyValue = $file.Name
                    Write-Output "$installLabel : $regKeyValue"
                    Copy-Item $file.Path  $destination
                    Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pcName -ScriptBlock { $null = New-ItemProperty -Path $args[0] -Name $args[1] -Value $args[2] -PropertyType String -Force } -ArgumentList $regPath,$regKeyname,$regKeyValue
                }
            }
        }
        catch{
            Write-Warning "$errorLabel : $pcName"
        }
    }
}

param(

[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,Position=0)]

[ValidateNotNull()]

[array]$pcNames,

[Parameter(Mandatory=$true,Position=1)]

[ValidateNotNull()]

[string]$fontFolder

)

$padVal = 20

$pcLabel = "Connecting To".PadRight($padVal," ")

$installLabel = "Installing Font".PadRight($padVal," ")

$errorLabel = "Computer Unavailable".PadRight($padVal," ")

$openType = "(Open Type)"

$regPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts"

$objShell = New-Object -ComObject Shell.Application

if(!(Test-Path $fontFolder))

{

Write-Warning "$fontFolder - Not Found"

}

else

{

$objFolder = $objShell.namespace($fontFolder)

foreach ($pcName in $pcNames)

{

Try{

Write-Output "$pcLabel : $pcName"

$null = Test-Connection $pcName -Count 1 -ErrorAction Stop

$destination = "\\",$pcname,"\c$\Windows\Fonts" -join ""

foreach ($file in $objFolder.items())

{

$fileType = $($objFolder.getDetailsOf($file, 2))

if(($fileType -eq "OpenType font file") -or ($fileType -eq "TrueType font file"))

{

$fontName = $($objFolder.getDetailsOf($File, 21))

$regKeyName = $fontName,$openType -join " "

$regKeyValue = $file.Name

Write-Output "$installLabel : $regKeyValue"

Copy-Item $file.Path $destination

Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pcName -ScriptBlock { $null = New-ItemProperty -Path $args[0] -Name $args[1] -Value $args[2] -PropertyType String -Force } -ArgumentList $regPath,$regKeyname,$regKeyValue

}

catch{

Write-Warning "$errorLabel : $pcName"

}

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16 Comments

DeployGuy 1 year ago
This is something I have been looking for, I had a similar experience when searching for solution. What I will do with this is first test this in my environment, but then once I know my environment doesn't break it, I will modify it to be used with SCCM. this will overcome the inherent limitation` of targeting workstations with Invoke-command, because the user has shutdown their workstation. With SCCM the job will just wait for the user to come on line and optionally require a reboot. Great work!
0
Reply
Doug L Fullerton 1 year ago
Will it do postscript fonts as well?
0
Reply
- Author
  Robert Pearman 1 year ago
  Only tested True Type and Open Type, both of which appeared as True Type. If you manually install one, go into the fonts folder and open it up what does it show as the title in the menu bar?
  0
  Reply
Doug L Fullerton 1 year ago
It just shows the font name. i.e. Akzidenz Grotesk BE Cn
File properties shows:
GFBC___.PFM
Type 1 Font file (.PFM)
Not sure if that helps or not. ;P
0
Reply
Patrick 1 year ago
We currently use the following solution
set MyDir=\\YourShare\YourFonts
set MyFonts=*.otf [or *.ttf]
set LocalFontDir=%SystemRoot%\Fonts
for /f %%i in ('dir /b %MyDir%\%MyFonts%') do (
if not exist %LocalFontDir%\%%i cscript.exe %~dp0CopyFont.vbs %MyDir%\%%i
)
We are looking for a PowerShell-replacement.
0
Reply
Patrick 1 year ago
Sorry, obviously the vbs part was missing in my first post:
Dim MyFont
If WScript.Arguments.Count > 0 Then MyFont = WScript.Arguments(0) Else WScript.Quit
'Debugging MsgBox "Now Copying " & MyFont & " to " & FONTS
Const FONTS = &H14&
Set objShell = CreateObject("Shell.Application")
Set objFolder = objShell.Namespace(FONTS)
objFolder.CopyHere MyFont
Set objFolder = nothing
Set objShell = nothing
0
Reply

Adam 12 months ago

Broken in W10 1809; Will only install for the Admin user that performs the install, not for all users.

11+

Nathan 1 month ago
Did you logoff or restart after the font install? That seems to be necessary in my Windows 10 testing, before the font will show itself to all users.
0
Reply

Alon Or 2 weeks ago

I use the following code to install Fonts on remote PCs, no need to logoff or reboot. Tested on 1909.

#Computers to install fonts to
$ComputerArray = @("Pc1","Pc2","Pc3")
#A Share containing only the fonts you want to install
$FontDir="\\FileServer\Shares\Helpdesk\SpecialFonts"
#Wil be created on remote Pc if not exists, fonts will be copied here and deleted after install.
$PcStagingDir="c:\tools"

foreach ($pc in $ComputerArray) {
If((Test-Connection -ComputerName  $pc -Count  1 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -and ($Winrmstatus=Test-WSMan -ComputerName $pc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {
$RemotePcStagingDir = "\\$pc\$($PcStagingDir.replace(':','$'))"
$DisabledSvcs=@()
$ServiceName = @("WinRM")
foreach ($svc in $ServiceName) {
        $i=0
        while(((Get-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $svc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).status -ne "Running")-and($i -lt 10)){
            if((Get-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $svc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).StartType -eq "Disabled"){
            Write-Host "Try $i , Setting service $svc StartType to Manual on $pc ..."
            $DisabledSvcs+=$svc
            Set-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $svc -StartupType Manual -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue}
        Write-Host "Try $i / 10 , Starting $svc Service on $pc ..."
        $commandz="sc \\"+$pc +" Start "+$svc
        & cmd.exe /c $commandz | Out-Null
        $i++
        sleep 3}
        if($i -ge 10){break}
    }
if($i -ge 10){Write-Host "Could NOT start service $svc, Skipping Computer $pc" -ForegroundColor Red}else{
if ( -not (Test-Path -Path $RemotePcStagingDir)){New-Item -Path $RemotePcStagingDir -ItemType Directory -Force}
$RemoteWinDir=Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {return $env:windir}
foreach($FontFile in (Get-ChildItem -file -path $FontDir)){
    if(-not(Test-Path "\\$pc\$($RemoteWinDir.replace(':','$'))\Fonts\$FontFile")){
        Copy-Item "$FontDir\$FontFile" -Destination $RemotePcStagingDir -Force
        Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {
       $filePath="$using:PcStagingDir\$using:FontFile"
       $fontRegistryPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts"
       $fontsFolderPath = "$($env:windir)\fonts"
    # Create hashtable containing valid font file extensions and text to append to Registry entry name.
    $hashFontFileTypes = @{}
    $hashFontFileTypes.Add(".fon", "")
    $hashFontFileTypes.Add(".fnt", "")
    $hashFontFileTypes.Add(".ttf", " (TrueType)")
    $hashFontFileTypes.Add(".ttc", " (TrueType)")
    $hashFontFileTypes.Add(".otf", " (OpenType)")
    try
    {
        [string]$filePath = (Get-Item $filePath).FullName
        [string]$fileDir  = split-path $filePath
        [string]$fileName = split-path $filePath -leaf
        [string]$fileExt = (Get-Item $filePath).extension
        [string]$fileBaseName = $fileName -replace($fileExt ,"")

        $shell = new-object -com shell.application
        $myFolder = $shell.Namespace($fileDir)
        $fileobj = $myFolder.Items().Item($fileName)
        $fontName = $myFolder.GetDetailsOf($fileobj,21)
        
        if ($fontName -eq "") { $fontName = $fileBaseName }

        copy-item $filePath -destination $fontsFolderPath

        $fontFinalPath = Join-Path $fontsFolderPath $fileName
        if (-not($hashFontFileTypes.ContainsKey($fileExt))){Write-Host "File Extension Unsupported";$retVal = 0}
        if ($retVal -eq 0) {
            Write-Host "Font `'$($filePath)`'`' installation failed on $env:computername" -ForegroundColor Red
            Write-Host ""
            1
        }
        
        else
        {
            Set-ItemProperty -path "$($fontRegistryPath)" -name "$($fontName)$($hashFontFileTypes.$fileExt)" -value "$($fileName)" -type STRING
            Write-Host "Font `'$($filePath)`' $fontName $($hashFontFileTypes.$fileExt) installed successfully on $env:computername" -ForegroundColor Green
        }

    }
    catch
    {
        Write-Host "An error occured installing `'$($filePath)`' on $env:computername" -ForegroundColor Red
        Write-Host "$($error[0].ToString())" -ForegroundColor Red
        $error.clear()
    }
    }
     }
     Remove-Item "$RemotePcStagingDir\$FontFile" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
}
}
foreach($DisabledSvc in $DisabledSvcs){
    Write-Host "Setting service $DisabledSvc StartType to Disabled on $pc ..."
    Set-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $DisabledSvc -StartupType Disabled -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    $commandz="sc \\"+$pc +" Stop "+$DisabledSvc
    & cmd.exe /c $commandz | Out-Null
}
}else{if($Winrmstatus){Write-Host "No Connection to Remote Pc $pc" -ForegroundColor Red}Else{Write-Host "No Connection to WinRM service on Remote Pc $pc" -ForegroundColor Red}}
}

#Computers to install fonts to

$ComputerArray = @("Pc1","Pc2","Pc3")

#A Share containing only the fonts you want to install

$FontDir="\\FileServer\Shares\Helpdesk\SpecialFonts"

#Wil be created on remote Pc if not exists, fonts will be copied here and deleted after install.

$PcStagingDir="c:\tools"

foreach ($pc in $ComputerArray) {

If((Test-Connection -ComputerName $pc -Count 1 -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) -and ($Winrmstatus=Test-WSMan -ComputerName $pc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) {

$RemotePcStagingDir = "\\$pc\$($PcStagingDir.replace(':','$'))"

$DisabledSvcs=@()

$ServiceName = @("WinRM")

foreach ($svc in $ServiceName) {

$i=0

while(((Get-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $svc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).status -ne "Running")-and($i -lt 10)){

if((Get-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $svc -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).StartType -eq "Disabled"){

Write-Host "Try $i , Setting service $svc StartType to Manual on $pc ..."

$DisabledSvcs+=$svc

Set-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $svc -StartupType Manual -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue}

Write-Host "Try $i / 10 , Starting $svc Service on $pc ..."

$commandz="sc \\"+$pc +" Start "+$svc

& cmd.exe /c $commandz | Out-Null

$i++

sleep 3}

if($i -ge 10){break}

}

if($i -ge 10){Write-Host "Could NOT start service $svc, Skipping Computer $pc" -ForegroundColor Red}else{

if ( -not (Test-Path -Path $RemotePcStagingDir)){New-Item -Path $RemotePcStagingDir -ItemType Directory -Force}

$RemoteWinDir=Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {return $env:windir}

foreach($FontFile in (Get-ChildItem -file -path $FontDir)){

if(-not(Test-Path "\\$pc\$($RemoteWinDir.replace(':','$'))\Fonts\$FontFile")){

Copy-Item "$FontDir\$FontFile" -Destination $RemotePcStagingDir -Force

Invoke-Command -ComputerName $pc -ScriptBlock {

$filePath="$using:PcStagingDir\$using:FontFile"

$fontRegistryPath = "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts"

$fontsFolderPath = "$($env:windir)\fonts"

# Create hashtable containing valid font file extensions and text to append to Registry entry name.

$hashFontFileTypes = @{}

$hashFontFileTypes.Add(".fon", "")

$hashFontFileTypes.Add(".fnt", "")

$hashFontFileTypes.Add(".ttf", " (TrueType)")

$hashFontFileTypes.Add(".ttc", " (TrueType)")

$hashFontFileTypes.Add(".otf", " (OpenType)")

try

{

[string]$filePath = (Get-Item $filePath).FullName

[string]$fileDir = split-path $filePath

[string]$fileName = split-path $filePath -leaf

[string]$fileExt = (Get-Item $filePath).extension

[string]$fileBaseName = $fileName -replace($fileExt ,"")

$shell = new-object -com shell.application

$myFolder = $shell.Namespace($fileDir)

$fileobj = $myFolder.Items().Item($fileName)

$fontName = $myFolder.GetDetailsOf($fileobj,21)

if ($fontName -eq "") { $fontName = $fileBaseName }

copy-item $filePath -destination $fontsFolderPath

$fontFinalPath = Join-Path $fontsFolderPath $fileName

if (-not($hashFontFileTypes.ContainsKey($fileExt))){Write-Host "File Extension Unsupported";$retVal = 0}

if ($retVal -eq 0) {

Write-Host "Font `'$($filePath)`'`' installation failed on $env:computername" -ForegroundColor Red

Write-Host ""

}

else

{

Set-ItemProperty -path "$($fontRegistryPath)" -name "$($fontName)$($hashFontFileTypes.$fileExt)" -value "$($fileName)" -type STRING

Write-Host "Font `'$($filePath)`' $fontName $($hashFontFileTypes.$fileExt) installed successfully on $env:computername" -ForegroundColor Green

}

catch

{

Write-Host "An error occured installing `'$($filePath)`' on $env:computername" -ForegroundColor Red

Write-Host "$($error[0].ToString())" -ForegroundColor Red

$error.clear()

}

Remove-Item "$RemotePcStagingDir\$FontFile" -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

}

foreach($DisabledSvc in $DisabledSvcs){

Write-Host "Setting service $DisabledSvc StartType to Disabled on $pc ..."

Set-Service -ComputerName $pc -Name $DisabledSvc -StartupType Disabled -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue

$commandz="sc \\"+$pc +" Stop "+$DisabledSvc

& cmd.exe /c $commandz | Out-Null

}

}else{if($Winrmstatus){Write-Host "No Connection to Remote Pc $pc" -ForegroundColor Red}Else{Write-Host "No Connection to WinRM service on Remote Pc $pc" -ForegroundColor Red}}

}

Ian Manning 11 months ago
Incredible help as part of a larger install script I wrote today, thanks so much!
0
Reply
- Roy Hill 4 months ago
  Ian Manning, would you be willing to share your script with us?
  0
  Reply
Mickael 8 months ago
Thx a lot for your help with this script. I just have one question.
Why he stop processing at the "conneting to" and don't go to "Installing Font"
0
Reply
Prabhas 5 months ago
Hi Rob, any solution for Windows 10 1809 ? Not sure if you have any working script for install fonts on Windows 10 1809.
Thanks in advance.
2+
Reply
Christian Barnes 5 months ago
Has anyone managed to make this work through Powershell since 1809 was released? The copyhere method I used to use is not working through Intune.
0
Reply
- Christian 4 months ago
  Just to mention, in the end I wrote a basic script that used 'copy-item' for each font straight into the system fonts folder and added a registry key into the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts. I put this in a for loop to install any .ttf fonts found in a certain folder and it worked when deployed through Intune in a cloud only environment.
  1+
  Reply
chungb 4 months ago
Hi, when running the script I keep receive the error " Computer unavailable" but I able to ping the computer
1+
Reply

Robert Pearman

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Install fonts with a PowerShell script

Robert Pearman

Latest posts by Robert Pearman (see all)

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