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How to Install Fonts on Windows 10 and 11 (4 Easy Ways)

Installing a font on Windows takes less than a minute. Once it’s installed, the font appears in Word, PowerPoint, Photoshop, Canva’s desktop app and most other programs. Here are four easy ways to do it on Windows 10 and Windows 11, plus fixes for the most common problems.

Before you start: unzip the font

Fonts usually download as a ZIP file. Windows can’t install a font while it’s inside the ZIP.

  1. Find the ZIP file in your Downloads folder.
  2. Right-click it and choose Extract All, then click Extract.
  3. Open the new folder. Font files end in .ttf or .otf.

Need a font? Browse more than 2,000 free fonts on Originalfonts.

Method 1: Right-click and Install (fastest)

  1. Right-click the .ttf or .otf file.
  2. Click Install to install it for your account, or Install for all users to make it available to everyone on the computer (this needs administrator permission).

On Windows 11, if you don’t see Install, click Show more options first.

Tip: to install a whole family at once, select all the font files (Ctrl + A), right-click one of them and choose Install.

Method 2: Double-click to preview, then Install

  1. Double-click the font file. A preview window opens showing the font at different sizes.
  2. Click the Install button at the top of the window.

This is handy when you want to check what a font looks like before installing it.

Method 3: Drag and drop into Settings

  1. Open Settings > Personalization > Fonts.
  2. Drag the font files into the Add fonts box at the top of the page.

The same page lists every font installed on your computer. Click a font to see a preview, check its details or uninstall it.

Method 4: Copy into the Fonts folder

  1. Open Control Panel and click Fonts (or open C:\Windows\Fonts in File Explorer).
  2. Drag or paste the font files into the window.

This installs the font for all users and may ask for administrator permission.

Where does Windows keep installed fonts?

  • Fonts installed for all users go in C:\Windows\Fonts.
  • Fonts installed just for you go in a folder inside your user account (AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Fonts).

You don’t need to open these folders. The Settings > Personalization > Fonts page shows both.

Font not showing up? Try these fixes

  • Restart the app. Word, Photoshop and most programs only load the font list when they start. Close the program completely and open it again.
  • Install the right file. Make sure you installed the .ttf or .otf file itself, not the ZIP.
  • “Not a valid font file” error. The download may be damaged, or it’s a web font (.woff or .woff2) that Windows can’t install. Download the font again, or see our font converter guide.
  • The font installed for one user only. If another person on the same computer can’t see it, reinstall with Install for all users.
  • The font looks different in your app. Some apps only show a font’s main styles. Look for the bold or italic style in the app’s style menu instead of the font list.

How to uninstall a font

  1. Open Settings > Personalization > Fonts.
  2. Click the font you want to remove.
  3. Click Uninstall.

Don’t remove fonts that came with Windows, like Segoe UI or Arial. Windows and other programs rely on them.

Frequently asked questions

Do fonts slow down Windows?

A few hundred fonts won’t make a noticeable difference. Thousands of fonts can make font menus slower to open, so uninstall ones you don’t use.

Can I install variable fonts on Windows?

Yes. Windows 10 and 11 support variable fonts, which pack many weights into one file. After installing, the extra weights appear in apps that support them.

Can I use downloaded fonts in Microsoft Word?

Yes. Install the font, then restart Word and pick it from the font list. See How to change font for setting a default font.

How do I install fonts on Mac, iPhone or Android?

See our install guide for other devices, and How to add fonts to CapCut for video editing.