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I've run into this huge issue with a graphic designer. They want to be able to install fonts they have downloaded. This user is a non-admin user on the local machine and a non-admin user on our network. I believe that User Access Control on the local machine blocks regular users from installing fonts; this particular user has been given read and write privileges for C:\Windows\Fonts.

The only solution I see is disabling UAC when fontview.exe is running, which I have no idea how to accomplish. Fontview.exe isn't an application you can simply run by itself; it is prompted by opening a font file within the Fonts folder. Therefore, you can't use task scheduler to run the application with the highest permissions. Is there any way to have UAC disabled whenever an application is running, rather than creating a shortcut that allows a user to run the application with the highest permissions?

Keep in mind that this user cannot be promoted to an administrator, at any level, and no third party applications can be installed. Is there any way to accomplish this?

Most simple answers I've found apply to Windows XP or Vista. In Windows 7, installing fonts is handled by an application that needs to be run with administrative privileges, however the application cannot simply be run by itself; it only runs when a font file is opened. To reiterate, I'm looking for a Windows 7 solution, not an XP or Vista solution.

HopelessN00b
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Cooperace27
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  • http://serverfault.com/questions/86598/allowing-users-to-install-fonts-in-windows-7-through-gpo?rq=1 – MJT Nov 07 '14 at 21:28
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    try this: http://it.peikkoluola.net/2013/05/20/allow-limited-users-to-install-fonts-in-windows-7-with-uac-turned-on-bat/ – magicandre1981 Nov 08 '14 at 06:46

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I found this info hope it helps - from this link = https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windowsserver/en-US/e3c0303a-c922-4b2f-912c-4e7d42b32f86/give-users-permission-to-install-fonts-under-windows-7

Log on as administrator. Open command prompt as admin.

attrib -r -s %systemroot%\fonts

takeown /f "%systemroot%\fonts" /r /d n

(optional - gives administrators full rights on the fonts folder): icacls "%systemroot%\fonts" /grant administrators:F /t

You can now add or change permissions on the Fonts folder like any regular folder.

Give user(s) modify access to %systemroot%\Fonts

icacls "%systemroot%\fonts" /grant USERNAMEorGROUP:M /t

Give user(s) modify access to %systemroot%\system32\FNTCACHE.dat

icacls "%systemroot%\system32\FNTCACHE.dat" /grant USERNAMEorGROUP:M /t

Give user(s) modify access to HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows NT\Current Version\Fonts

MJT
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