Windows 10 comes with more than 100 fonts, but you can always add to your font library by downloading new ones from one of countless online sources. However, there might come a time when you decide don’t need all the extra downloaded fonts. Maybe they clutter your font list or take up too much storage on your device. In which case, how can you go back to your Windows 10 default fonts?
There are two ways you can delete all fonts on your device except the default Windows 10 fonts. The first option would be to restore your Windows 10 fonts to their default setting, which will eliminate all non-default fonts simultaneously, or alternatively, you can delete fonts individually.
In this article, we will provide a step-by-step guide on how to delete all Windows 10 fonts except the defaults using both methods. We will also list additional management options that might be better alternatives for you than uninstalling fonts completely from Windows 10.
How to Restore Windows 10 Fonts to Default
If you have a fair number of downloaded fonts and don’t have the time or energy to delete them individually, your best option would be to delete them as a whole by resetting your Windows 10 font settings to their default setting.
The steps to perform this process are as follows:
- Go to the Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Fonts
- Select Font settings in the left panel
- Click the Restore default font settings button
This should delete all downloaded fonts from Windows 10 and only leave the program’s default fonts. You can also select other font settings within this page that can help you hide fonts, such as those in a certain language, or save on storage with shortcuts.
How to Delete Downloaded Fonts Individually
While deleting all non-default fonts is certainly the quickest way to go, it might not be your preferred approach. Maybe you only need to delete a handful of downloaded fonts for the sake of space or there are some downloaded fonts you want to keep.
In these instances, you’re better off deleting fonts individually than restoring Windows 10 to its default fonts setting.
The steps to perform this process are as follows:
- Open a File Explorer window, paste the path C:\Windows\Fonts into the address bar at the top of the window, and hit Enter.
- Select the font file you’d like to delete and click the “Delete” button in the toolbar.
The fonts menu here is different than the fonts setting menu mentioned in the previous guide.
The fonts setting menu accessed through the control panel holds the save files for each font and allows you to preview, delete, or hide each font. It also provides some organization options where you can find your font’s properties, alter folder options, and more.
If you want to delete fonts individually here, follow steps 1-3 of the previous guide and then select your preferred font, and press the “delete” button that appears on the menu bar.
In the fonts menu accessed through the personalization menu, you can visually see and preview all the fonts currently accessible through your Windows 10 applications and alter settings such as font size and boldness. You’ll also find a brief section containing each font’s metadata.
Another reason why you might want to keep this fonts menu in mind is if you decide in the future that you want more non-default fonts. If so, you can easily download new fonts in this menu by either dragging and dropping font save files or accessing the Microsoft store.
Other Ways to Manage Windows 10 Fonts
Deleting non-default Windows 10 fonts is an effective option if you want a fresh start and are sick of scrolling through hundreds of downloaded fonts you never use.
However, if you enjoy having these fonts, but don’t necessarily want to look at them all the time, there are other ways to manage and organize them instead of permanently deleting them.
There two best ways to alternatively manage your Windows 10 fonts would be to either hide the fonts you don’t want to see regularly, or to create a backup folder for the ones you intend to uninstall.
Hiding your fonts will mean they are still listed in your installed Windows 10 fonts, but you can prevent them from showing up in your regularly used Windows 10 programs, such as Microsoft Office and Adobe Creative Suite.
Creating a backup folder allows you to delete fonts from your Windows 10 list but save it elsewhere in case you decide you want to use it someday. This won’t necessarily help if you are deleting fonts for storage purposes, but it can be helpful if you are removing them to declutter your list but aren’t certain if you want to get rid of the font completely.
How to Hide Fonts
The process of hiding fonts is fairly similar to the process of resetting your Windows 10 default font settings. To do this:
- Open the “Start” menu on your device
- Enter “fonts” into your search bar
- Select the “Fonts Control Panel” when it appears
- Select the font you want to hide or open its folder and click the font file inside you want to hide
- Click the “Hide” button that appears on the menu bar next to “Organize”
- Click the “Restore default font settings” button
Some fonts can be easily hidden without opening their file, while others that contain numerous variations (ex. bold, regular, typewriter) will have a folder you’ll need to open. Inside, you can choose to either hide one or all of the font’s variations.
How to Create a Backup Folder
Creating a backup folder for your fonts will allow you to keep them in a separate space from your Windows 10 folder until you need them. Should you decide you want it amongst your Windows 10 fonts again, you can simply drag and drop the save file into the downloads box found in the fonts menu accessed through the personalization menu.
Follow these steps to create a backup fonts folder and transfer font save files:
- Open “File Explorer”
- Open “Desktop”
- Select the “New” drop down menu in the top, left-hand corner
- “Select the “Folder” option and name this “Backup Font Folder” (or whatever you prefer)
- Open the “Start” menu
- Enter “fonts” into your search bar
- Select the “Fonts Control Panel” when it appears
- Right click the font you want to backup and select the “Copy” option
- Paste the font file in your backup folder
After you’ve completed this process and the font has successfully been copied and pasted to the backup folder, you can delete the original font file from Windows 10.
Final Thoughts
Looking at a list of hundreds of unwanted Windows 10 fonts can be overwhelming. Thankfully, the methods listed here can help you uninstall, hide, and manage these fonts. This will help you feel more organized when searching for fonts and can significantly reduce the amount of space fonts are taking up on your device if you remove enough of them.