Soopie
asked on
Changing system fonts to cyrillic
How can I change my system fonts in Win95 to cyrillic? I have a couple of
Russian programs which need the system fonts to be cyrillic.
I have tried changing the fonts in Display Properties - appearance, for
each item but to no avail.
I do not want to buy a Russian version of Windows or one of those keyboard
switchers.
I have the fonts I just need to know how to install them.
Any help is gratefully received
Russian programs which need the system fonts to be cyrillic.
I have tried changing the fonts in Display Properties - appearance, for
each item but to no avail.
I do not want to buy a Russian version of Windows or one of those keyboard
switchers.
I have the fonts I just need to know how to install them.
Any help is gratefully received
Are these programs for DOS ? Or they Windows-based ?
ASKER
They are Windows based programs.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
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ASKER
I tried this but still I get mostly underscores in the actual program. At the moment I can switch to a Russian keyboard and print cyrillic in all text entry programs.
It is just the menu bar and various other text within the program which I cannot see. The help part of the program is fine.
Could it be something to do with codepages and character sets?
It is just the menu bar and various other text within the program which I cannot see. The help part of the program is fine.
Could it be something to do with codepages and character sets?
Hm, it looks like this program actually wants you to have Cyrilic Windows System Fonts (*.FON files) it is possible to use alternative FON files, but it will affect all your windows (they'll all be displayed with the new cyrlic fonts. This might be confusing.
No I don't think you should use Russian Codepage settings because this is a Windows program.
Do you have FON files for cyrlic support?
If you do, I can help you how to set them as your default system fonts, BUT I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU NOT TO DO THAT!
It would be best if you could use some international version of Windows (such as Windows 95 Central European) which has support for displaying cyrilic fonts.
By using lang.exe you can display and use all Cyrilic TTF fonts, but it's difficult with system fonts. Is it worth screwing all the windows settings? (you'll have cyrilic fonts for all windows used in W95!)
I'm waiting for your answer..
Damir
BTW Which exact version of Windows do you have? Can you tell me what kind of program this is? It might help me think of something..
No I don't think you should use Russian Codepage settings because this is a Windows program.
Do you have FON files for cyrlic support?
If you do, I can help you how to set them as your default system fonts, BUT I STRONGLY SUGGEST YOU NOT TO DO THAT!
It would be best if you could use some international version of Windows (such as Windows 95 Central European) which has support for displaying cyrilic fonts.
By using lang.exe you can display and use all Cyrilic TTF fonts, but it's difficult with system fonts. Is it worth screwing all the windows settings? (you'll have cyrilic fonts for all windows used in W95!)
I'm waiting for your answer..
Damir
BTW Which exact version of Windows do you have? Can you tell me what kind of program this is? It might help me think of something..
ASKER
The program I have is a Russian/English Translator.
But surely if I install the cyrillic system fonts it still has the roman characters? If not then obviously I don't want to do it.
However I would like to know how to change them, as I may use another machine just for these programs.
But surely if I install the cyrillic system fonts it still has the roman characters? If not then obviously I don't want to do it.
However I would like to know how to change them, as I may use another machine just for these programs.
Please specify which FON files are you using now! (
I'm not sure what kind of cyrilic font files you have, but there are fonts with roman characters and without them (it's pretty messy..) I think it would be hard specifying US Windows to use cyrilic fon files with roman characters because US WIN95 doesn't have support for multilingual fonts. (Can you specify Russian for your Regional Settings? If you can than we'll be able to do something about it..)
It would be best to try Windows 95 CE because they have normal roman characters as well as support for cyrilic characters. (ex. You install normal US english instalation of Windows and then specify regional settings to Russian, you keep the roman characters and english language for use with Windows but you have cyrilic characters for use with apps that requests them, just have to switch keyboard selection in system tab)
BUT, there's another problem, there are at least two cyrilic fonts definitions. One of them has both roman & cyrilic character sets, another uses cyrilic characters instead roman. If your program uses second character definition than it would be madness to set Windows to use them. Than you have to use those keyboard switchers because this is not ISO character definition, and it's very confusing. Hope you have the first case..
Damir
One crazy idea just fell on my mind. Do you have MS Plus! It might be possible to specify windows to use ttf font as system font, this might solve your problems in an easy manner. You would create desktop theme which has cyrilic ttf fonts specified as system fonts and apply it each time you have to use this app.
Anyway, if you just want to use you cyrilic fon file instead one you have now, you can do that simply by copying it to windows/fonts directory. You'll have to overwrite your default fon file (probably smallf.fon) with the cyrilic smallf.fon (backup the original one first!!!). It would be best to do that from DOS prompt (not DOS window, exit from windows to simple DOS prompt).
That should be it! You should have messed up windows and correctly displayed Translator (menus, all...) Hope you won't try this.. I know I wouldn't..
I'm not sure what kind of cyrilic font files you have, but there are fonts with roman characters and without them (it's pretty messy..) I think it would be hard specifying US Windows to use cyrilic fon files with roman characters because US WIN95 doesn't have support for multilingual fonts. (Can you specify Russian for your Regional Settings? If you can than we'll be able to do something about it..)
It would be best to try Windows 95 CE because they have normal roman characters as well as support for cyrilic characters. (ex. You install normal US english instalation of Windows and then specify regional settings to Russian, you keep the roman characters and english language for use with Windows but you have cyrilic characters for use with apps that requests them, just have to switch keyboard selection in system tab)
BUT, there's another problem, there are at least two cyrilic fonts definitions. One of them has both roman & cyrilic character sets, another uses cyrilic characters instead roman. If your program uses second character definition than it would be madness to set Windows to use them. Than you have to use those keyboard switchers because this is not ISO character definition, and it's very confusing. Hope you have the first case..
Damir
One crazy idea just fell on my mind. Do you have MS Plus! It might be possible to specify windows to use ttf font as system font, this might solve your problems in an easy manner. You would create desktop theme which has cyrilic ttf fonts specified as system fonts and apply it each time you have to use this app.
Anyway, if you just want to use you cyrilic fon file instead one you have now, you can do that simply by copying it to windows/fonts directory. You'll have to overwrite your default fon file (probably smallf.fon) with the cyrilic smallf.fon (backup the original one first!!!). It would be best to do that from DOS prompt (not DOS window, exit from windows to simple DOS prompt).
That should be it! You should have messed up windows and correctly displayed Translator (menus, all...) Hope you won't try this.. I know I wouldn't..
Soopie, what happened? Have you tried changing the system font? Please feel free to ask if you need any help.
Damir
Damir
ASKER
I've got all the information I need to try it. I just need another machine to try it on. As you suggest it is not advisable, so I'm not going to do it on my main machine but I have another one which is currently on loan at the moment which wouldn't matter if things go wrong!
So thanks for all the help.
So thanks for all the help.
Soopie, I have one machine to loan to you, unfortunately we're probably few thousand miles away so this loan would be a bit problematic, but you won't be able to say you didn't have full service at Experts-Exchange (even a loan proposition?!).
Well this was ment as a joke, hope you'll menage to use your program. If you need any help or suggestions in future please just ask.
Regards,
Damir
Well this was ment as a joke, hope you'll menage to use your program. If you need any help or suggestions in future please just ask.
Regards,
Damir