.net - How to install a Font programmatically (C#)

Question

is there a way to permanently add a Font to a Windows 7/8 PC programmatically? I have read several posts about the AddFontResource DLL-Import, but it doesn't seem to work.

Besides of that, the MSDN Documentation says the font will be deleted after a restart of the computer, unless the font is added into the registry.

How can I install a font permanently? How can I add the font to the registry? Is it always the same name/entry?

I have to add the font dynamically on runtime, because I get the font as soon as the user selects it.

Remark: I know how to add a registry entry. My question is more about the compatibility between Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and the different font-types. Maybe there is a way to start an other exe which installs the font for me.

Answer 1

As you mentioned, you can launch other executables to install TrueType Fonts for you. I don't know your specific use cases but I'll run down the methods I know of and maybe one will be of use to you.

Windows has a built-in utility called fontview.exe, which you can invoke simply by calling Process.Start("Pathofile.ttf") on any valid TrueType Font... assuming default file associations. This is akin to launching it manually from Windows Explorer. The advantage here is it's really trivial, but it still requires user interaction per font to install. As far as I know there is no way to invoke the "Install" portion of this process as an argument, but even if there was you'd still have to elevate permissions and battle UAC.

The more intriguing option is a utility called FontReg that replaces the deprecated fontinst.exe that was included on older versions of Windows. FontReg enables you to programatically install an entire directory of Fonts by invoking the executable with the /copy switch:

    var info = new ProcessStartInfo()
        {
            FileName = "PathoFontReg.exe",
            Arguments = "/copy",
            UseShellExecute = false,
            WindowStyle = ProcessWindowStyle.Hidden

        };

   Process.Start(info);

Note that the Fonts have to be in the root of wherever FontReg.exe is located. You'll also have to have administrator privileges. If you need your Font installations to be completely transparent, I would suggest launching your application with elevated permissions and approve of the UAC up front, that way when you spawn your child processes you wont need user approval Permissions stuff