Copyright: Copyright 1993 TARDIS DP Consultants


Introduction

The Font Off program helps you maintain your Windows TrueType fonts.  If you are like a lot of people you have accumulated several hundred true type fonts.  "I never know when I am going to need them".  They are taking up a lot of valuable hard drive space and slowing down Windows.  You may be using one of the common font manager programs to remove the font from Windows (so Windows is not so slow).  Although these programs remove the font from Windows they leave the font's file(s) in the hard drive - still taking up space but not being useful.

Font Off works differently.  In addition to removing the font from Windows, Font Off removes the font from your Windows System directory and stores it in another directory.  Since this directory can be on any DOS drive media, you can move the fonts to another hard drive (or network drive), floppies or other removable media.  When you  need the font you simply reverse the process and reinstall it to Windows.

Font Off will not install new fonts to windows, it only maintains your existing fonts.  You must therefore use the font installer that often comes with new fonts, or use the Windows font manager to install new fonts.  Once the font is installed in Windows you can use Font Off to move it off line until it is needed.

Using Font Off

Additional Information

Upgrading from Previous Versions

Update History

Registration

License Agreement

Warranty

Contacting TARDIS DP Consultants


Using Font Off

If this is the first time using Font Off you should create a directory somewhere to store your off-line fonts.  It is best to use a removable media (such as floppies, removable hard drive, rewritable CD, etc.)  You can not store fonts in the root directory. You will tell Font Off where the directory is in the next step.

Just double click on Font Off's icon in Program Manager.  You are first prompted for a directory where you want to store (or have stored) off line fonts.  Use the drive and directory boxes to select the directory you want to use.  You can not store fonts in the root directory.

If you are creating a new storage location for off line fonts click on the "New" button.  If you wish to examine or retrieve fonts from an existing off line storage directory click the "Open" button.  If you click on "New", 27 subdirectories are automatically created under the directory you specify.  These subdirectories are used to store your off line fonts.  We create the directories so that we will not slow down DOS when storing large numbers of off line fonts in the same directory.

The main Font Off window appears.  On the left is a list of all fonts currently stored off line.  Windows does not have direct access to these fonts.  On the right is a list all fonts currently defined in the WIN.INI file.  These are the fonts Windows currently has access to.

Simply select one or more fonts from the off line column that you want to install in windows.  You can also select one or more fonts from the right column that you want to remove from windows and store in the current off line directory.

Font Off saves time by not copying font files if the file already exist in the target directory.  For example, if you are removing a font from Windows which you had previously removed there is no need to spend the time copying the font file off-line again.  You may click the "Force Copy" button which forces the Font Off program to copy font files even if the file already exist in the target directory.  This allows you to more easilly update existing fonts.  Normally you would NOT check this box.

When you have selected at least one font (in either list) click the "Process" button.  The program will automatically install any selected off line fonts AND remove any selected Windows fonts.  This process may take a while depending on the number and size of the fonts selected.

When complete you may return to windows.  Any newly installed fonts are immediately available.  Any un-installed fonts are not longer present in the Windows environment.


Additional Info
Additional Information

If a program was running while you were installing fonts, the program may not know about the new fonts.  Exit the program and restart it.

If a program was running while you were removing fonts, the program may not know you have removed a font.  If you try to use the fonts unpredictable results may occur.

In addition to the newly loaded fonts being immediately available to Windows, the WIN.INI file is automatically updated by Font Off.  The next time you start windows you will also have access to the new  fonts.

The True Type font must have a matching .FOT file in order for Font Off to work properly.  Some font managers do not properly maintain the FOT file (Font Off does).  If you receive errors when removing a font it is probably because the FOT file is not present.

Use Font Off to restore the font to Windows and then use the Windows Font Manager to reinstall the font again.  You can then safely remove it with Font Off.

Font Off does checks for available disk space when removing or installing fonts.  If you run out of space Font Off will notify you and stop moving fonts.

Font Off will not copy a font file (FOT or TTF) if the same file already exist in the target directory.  This saves time as the system will not bother copying over an existing off line font if you are removing a font you have previously saved.  If you need to update an existing font's file you should check the "Force Copy" box.  This forces a file to be copied even if it already exist in the target directory.

We recommend that you back up the Windows system and off line font storage directories regularly.

The Font Off program uses the Windows INI file conventions for storing information about off line files (and when updating WIN.INI).  These INI files are limited to 64K.  You therefore have a limit on the number of fonts you can store in the same off line storage location (or have installed in Windows at any one time).  This limit is based only on the INI information which must be maintained, not the size of the font files themselves.

The Font Off program will only store fonts in a subdirectory.  You can not store fonts to an off line root directory.

If you are storing off-line fonts to a shared media (such as a network drive) fontoff will only allow one user at a time to access the offline fonts.  It does this by creating a file "INUSE.DAT" in the off-line storage directory while Font Off is accessing the directory.  This file is automatically removed when you exit Font Off or change to another directory.  If you should exit Font Off improperly (power failure etc.) or remove the media before exiting Font Off this file remains in the directory.  The next time you start Font Off and try to access the directory you will receive a message that another user is currently accessing the same fonts.  You will need to manually delete the "INUSE.DAT" file from the off-line storage directory to regain access to these off-line fonts.

The format of the [Fonts] section on WIN.INI is important.  Some font managers will store the full path to the font file (when it is never needed as Windows always finds fonts in it's system directory.)  Font Off will not process fonts which have this path information.  Save space in WIN.INI and FONTOFF.INI by removing this path information.  A sample [Fonts] section on WIN.INI might look like this:

[Fonts]
V5 Lucida Sans 10,12,14,18,24=V5SP.FON
V6 Lucida Sans 10,12,14,18,24=V6SP.FON
Arial (TrueType)=ARIAL.FOT
Arial Bold (TrueType)=ARIALBD.FOT
Arial Bold Italic (TrueType)=ARIALBI.FOT
Arial Italic (TrueType)=ARIALI.FOT

Notice that no drive or directory information is incuded after the equal sign.


Upgrading

Upgrading from Version 1.0

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: If you are upgrading from version 1.0 of Font Off you MUST follow the following procedure in order to use the new version.  Extensive changes to the storage location of off-line fonts have been made.

In version 1.0 we stored all off line fonts in one directory.  This works perfectly, but get 100 or so fonts in the same directory (that's 200 files) and DOS chokes.  The speed to select the directory and move fonts can be significant.  To reduce this problem considerably we have changed the location of font storage.  Instead of storing all fonts in the same directory as the FONTOFF.INI file we now store all fonts in subdirectories of this directory.  The subdirectories are named "A" - "Z" and "OTHER".  A font file's storage directory is automatically determined by Font Off based on the first letter of the font FILE name (not font name).  Fonts which do not begin with letters between "A" and "Z" are stored in the "OTHER" directory.

Font Off maintains the proper storage location of your fonts automatically.  If this is the first time you are using Font Off you need do nothing more.  If, however, you are upgrading from version 1.0 you MUST copy the fonts into the appropriate directories.  You may do this manually or use the .BAT file listed below to do it automatically.  If you choose to do it automatically you must insure that you have enough hard drive space available to store double the current space for font groups (all A's are one group, B's are another).  You need to copy the following text to a batch file and execute the batch file from the directory that contains your fonts AND FONTOFF.INI.

Another option is to use version 1.0 of Font Off to restore all off-line fonts to Windows, and the use the new version to remove them and store them off-line again.  Since the off-line location of the font files has changed you will need to delete the off-line fonts just before you re-remove them from Windows.

We STRONGLY suggest that you backup your off line fonts before running the update batch file.

Batch file to convert from 1.0 automatically:

@echo off
cls
echo This batch file MUST be run from the directory
echo that contains your offline fonts and the file
echo FONTOFF.INI.  This process will require extra
echo disk space and can be time consuming.
echo.
echo Press CTRL-C to abort or
pause
cls
echo Creating directories
md a
md b
md c
md d
md e
md f
md g
md h
md i
md j
md k
md l
md m
md n
md o
md p
md q
md r
md s
md t
md u
md v
md w
md x
md y
md z
md other
cls
copy a*.* a
del a*.*
copy b*.* b
del b*.*
copy c*.* c
del c*.*
copy d*.* d
del d*.*
copy e*.* e
del e*.*
copy f*.* f
del f*.*
copy g*.* g
del g*.*
copy h*.* h
del h*.*
copy i*.* i
del i*.*
copy j*.* j
del j*.*
copy k*.* k
del k*.*
copy l*.* l
del l*.*
copy m*.* m
del m*.*
copy n*.* n
del n*.*
copy o*.* o
del o*.*
copy p*.* p
del p*.*
copy q*.* q
del q*.*
copy r*.* r
del r*.*
copy s*.* s
del s*.*
copy t*.* t
del t*.*
copy u*.* u
del u*.*
copy v*.* v
del v*.*
copy w*.* w
del w*.*
copy z*.* z
del x*.*
copy y*.* y
del y*.*
copy z*.* z
del z*.*
copy *.* other
echo.
echo.
echo.
echo Respond "Y" to the next question.
echo.
echo.
del *.*
echo.
echo.
copy f\fontoff.ini
del f\fontoff.ini
echo.
echo.
echo Update from version 1.0 Complete!
echo.
echo.

Once you run this batch file you can resume using the new version of Font Off.  If you have alot of off line fonts you should notice a nice speed increase.


Update History

Version 1.0 Released 6/27/93

Version 1.5 Released 8/2/93

Program is now safer - if anything goes wrong a font should not be lost

More (and better) help text

System now checks for available drive space when loading and removing fonts

System now stores fonts in any one of 27 subdirectories.  This makes the system faster as it is no longer fighting the DOS directory system bottleneck

Version 1.7 Released 8/29/93

Optimized the code to provide better performance.

System is now safer - it checks for more potential problems and will stop processing if needed.

Optimized the window layout to make better use of screen real estate.

System now indicates how many fonts are stored off-line.

System now indicates how many fonts windows has access to.

System now provides for a "Force Copy" checkbox.  If checked the font files are copied even if they already exist in the target directory.  This provides an easier method to update older fonts.

Show the available off-line storage space so you can better judge how many more fonts you can store off-line or in Windows.


Register
Registeration

License/Registration Fee: $15.00

Registration

If informational reminder screens appear when you start or exit the program you are using an unregistered version of the product.

You have a 15 day evaluation period in which to try out the package.  If you use it longer than 15 days you must license/register it.  The reminder screens will not appear once you have registered the software. The un-registered version is also limited to storing only 50 off-line fonts in a single directory.  This limitation is removed when you register.

To register simply follow the instructions below:

Install the software per the instructions that follow.
Run the software.  You are prompted for some information (company name, your name, day phone number, and CIS ID (optional).

When the opening window displays, click once on the "About TARDIS" icon.  This displays the about window.

Write down on your check or money order your registration number as is appears on the About window.  Make sure it is accurate.  Your Activation Key is based on this number.

If you are a member of CompuServe also write your CompuServe ID (NOT password) on the payment.  The activation key will be sent to you via CompuServe eMail.  If you are not a member of CompuServe your activation key will be mailed to you.

Mail your check for the license fee listed above to the address below.  Make the check payable to Charles Cranford.

When you receive your activation key, start the software and again click on the "About TARDIS" icon.  The about window displays.

Click on the Register button.  A window appears with your registration information and you are prompted for your activation key.

Enter the key in the box, double check it, and click on OK.  If the key is correct the system will be registered.  The program will exit.  Simply restart the program to continue using it.  The reminder screens will never appear again.

The registration information is stored in a file with the .REG extention.  Do not delete this file (as you must again register the software).  Future updates will not affect this file so you may install them without worrying about your registration.

Contacting TARDIS DP Consultants


TARDIS
Contacting TARDIS DP Consultants

Questions or comments about our software or services?  Need to Register?  Contact:

CompuServe ID:	73337,2472

Mail:

TARDIS DP Consultants
Department 45
6 Sedley Ct.
Greensboro, NC 27455
                      USA


License
License Agreement

Font Off is not and never has been public domain software, nor is it free software.  You are, however, granted 15 day evaluation period to try out the system.

The software product and user's manual are copyrighted and all rights are reserved by TARDIS DP Consultants and Charles L. Cranford IV.

Evaluation users are granted a limited license to use Font Off for no more than 15 days for the purpose of determining whether Font Off is suitable for their needs. The use of Font Off for more than 15 days  requires licensing and the payment of a license fee. The use of the product for more than 15 days by any person, business, corporation, government agency, or any other entity without licensing it from TARDIS DP Consultants is strictly prohibited.

A license permits a user to use Font Off on any single computer, or, in a LAN environment, on one workstation.  The software may not be installed on more than one workstation or single user computer without additional licenses.

No one may modify or patch the Font Off files in any way, including but not limited to decompiling, disassembling, or otherwise reverse engineering the program.

A limited license is granted to copy and distribute Font Off for the trial use of others, subject to the above limitations, and to those below:

(1) Font Off must be copied in unmodified form, complete with the file containing this license information and all documentation.

(2) Font Off may not be distributed in licensed form to any person.  It MUST be distributed as an unlicensed copy.

(3) No fee, charge, or other compensation may be requested or accepted for distributing Font Off, except as follows:

(a) operators of electronic bulletin board systems may make Font Off available for downloading. A time-dependent charge for the use of the bulletin board is permitted so long as there is no specific charge for the download of any Font Off files.

(b) vendors of Shareware may distribute Font Off, subject to the above conditions, and may charge a disk duplication and handling fee, not to exceed ten dollars.


Warranty

TARDIS DP Consultants guarantees your satisfaction with this product for a period of thirty days from the date of original license. If you are dissatisfied with Font Off within that time period, return the package in salable condition to TARDIS DP Consultants for a full refund.

TARDIS DP Consultants warrants that all disks provided are free from defects in material and workmanship, assuming normal use, for a period of thirty days from the date of purchase.

TARDIS DP Consultants warrants that Font Off will perform in substantial compliance with the documentation supplied with the software product. If a significant defect in the product is found, the Purchaser may return the product for a refund. In no event will such a refund exceed the license price of the product.

The product and all updates are provided on an "as is" basis without warranty of any kind, express or implied, except as stated above including, but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose. The entire risk as to the selection, quality, results, and performance of the product is with the Licensee. Should the product prove defective, then the Licensee (and not TARDIS DP Consultants or its dealers) assumes all liability and expense incurred as a result thereof. Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion of certain implied warranties so in such jurisdictions, the above exclusion of implied warranties may not apply to you. The limited warranty gives you specific legal rights. You may also have other rights which vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

TARDIS DP Consultants shall have no liability or responsibility to you or to any other person or entity with respect to any liability, loss or damage caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly by the product or your use, misuse or inability to use the product, including but not limited to, any interruption of service, loss of business, anticipatory or actual profits or consequential damages resulting from the use, misuse or inability to use the product.

TARDIS DP Consultants does not warrant that the functions contained in the product or updates will meet your requirements.

Use of this product for any period of time constitutes your acceptance of this agreement and subjects you to its contents.