Where to Find Installed Fonts in Windows Registry

In the Windows operating system, installed fonts are cataloged directly within the Windows Registry to help the system and applications locate specific typography files. This guide details the exact Registry Editor (Regedit) paths used to catalog both system-wide and per-user fonts, how to locate these entries, and what information they contain.

Primary Registry Path for System-Wide Fonts

For all system-wide fonts accessible to every user account on the computer, Windows stores font records under the following registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

In this key: * Value Name: Represents the display name of the font along with its type (for example, Arial (TrueType)). * Value Data: Contains the actual file name of the font (such as arial.ttf), which resides in the default system directory C:\Windows\Fonts.

Registry Path for User-Specific Fonts

Modern versions of Windows (Windows 10 and Windows 11) allow non-administrator users to install fonts strictly for their own profile. These fonts are cataloged under the current user hive:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts

In this location: * Value Name: Displays the font name. * Value Data: Contains the full file path pointing to the user’s local directory, typically located in C:\Users\<Username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts\.

Windows also maintains several related keys for font management, rendering, and substitution:

How to Access the Font Registry Keys

  1. Press Windows Key + R to open the Run dialog.
  2. Type regedit and press Enter to launch the Registry Editor.
  3. Copy one of the paths listed above and paste it into the address bar at the top of the Registry Editor window.
  4. Press Enter to jump directly to the catalog of installed fonts.