Windows 7 has wingdings as default font

Have you tried deleting the wingdings font?
Go to C:\Windows\Fonts
Cut all the wingdings fonts (wingdings regular, wingdings 2 regular, wingdins 3 regular and possibly also webdings regular).
Paste them into a new folder (eg c:\FontBackup).
Restart the PC.

Without the fonts, Windows should assign the default one.

Hi there
no wingdings in the fonts folder?
Cheers

It sounds as though your default font settings are corrupted. I would attempt a repair install. You don't have a font manager installed do you?

Hi
I am running windows 7 ? A repair install would wipe programs wouldn't it?
I have run chkdsk...sfc...registry fix's etc...spyware and virus scans?
I have also run various reg files with default fonts, but nothing has worked...
I suspect it is something to do with an update, but system restore has no effort...
Cheers
Dave

Running a repair install on windows keeps your applications and data safe, it simply repairs the windows files.
You may have to re-install some applications, though that is rare.

You can manually remove Windows updates.
Go to Add/remove programs (Start > Run > appwiz.cpl)
Click the View installed updates link.
Click on the Installed On column header to sort via the date.
You can select the update and uninstall (button above the name column) all updates from around the time the issue started.

I think if you've been doing system restores and it's had no effect then your font files have been overwritten by wingding fonts.  I suggest actually checking them by opening the common system fonts.  That's a very unusual problem.  If it turns out the font files have been overwritten you can restore the fonts by copying/extracting from your Windows 7 install media.

What happens if you change themes?  Do the fonts persist as wingdings?  What are your language settings and do you have any language packs installed?

you can also test if it happens as well in another user account - best create a new one

Hi guys,
thanks for the ideas, but, finding the update would be needle in the haystack stuff as no idea which or when...I am running as full admin different user is the same result, and changing themes has no affect?
A repair install on 7 always only keeps files and data doesn't it? Programs will be overwritten...windows backs up the data in windows.old. This is not an option.
Language settings are sweet...Australian, no packs installed...I have changed to basic theme, and changed the settings so I can read most stuff now. But programs and a lot of other stuff is still all wingdings???
Can't wait to find out the error, and stick it to MS
Cheers
Dave

what about my suggestion?

yes, have tried another account, no good...I need this to be happening in the admin account anyway...

here what MS says :  http://support.microsoft.com/kb/919752
maybe easier to read : http://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/windows_7-windows_update/windows-7-default-font-changed-unreadable/b8f8181b-711f-4c3d-9b69-21ce79529b7e

mate, you probably have default font files they have been overwritten with incorrect file names as stated above, eg Font is named Times Roman but is actually the font file for WingDings, just named Times New Roman.

maybe to fix requires cleaning out the registry for all references to this font and loading fonts from install media (or copied from another 'perfectly normal' computer).

Also, if you have existing documents/files that show Wingdings, does it show the same if opened on another computer? If so, those files were created in Wingding and of course on re-opening them, it will still be Wingdings. Only way to change those files would be using script/code (eg in case of MS Office docs, it would be VBA).

A repair install on 7 always only keeps files and data doesn't it? Programs will be overwritten...windows backs up the data in windows.old. This is not an option.

The above is not true for a repair in Windows 7. Microsoft has put tools in place to check operating system files for integrity and to repair them. It doesn't touch installed application, nor does it create a windows.old folder.

You can also try running this command:
sfc /scannow

This will check protected system files and repairs any errors.

The stuff legends are made of ! Thankyou for this spot on fix, you went to a lot of trouble and I really appreciate it...thanks to everyone who commented, but have to give the gong to The man...

I'm so glad this fixed your problem.  Your comment makes all the effort I put into your solution worth while :o)  Thank you.