Disappearing Fonts in Xara Products

[zaphodeist]

Not one for creeping, but that guy Sledger - whoever he is - IS A GENIUS!

Can confirm, Works here. I was ok till I downloaded another solitary update, must have triggered the other downloaded ones to configure when I rebooted. Fonts gone in Xara but all there in LibreOffice

All good now!

[Gare]

John and all:

Some programs that don't read font outlines aren't affected. DRAW, Xara, Creature House Expression, and others were.

DTP and word processors don't parse font info the way many graphics programs do. Mike W, it was my experience that all versions of DRAw had the missing fonts, and not all OTF files went missing. Only the ones that were coded to Type 1 font outline information instead of TT went away. Opentype can be coded so they "degrade gracefully" for older systems to be parsed as TT or Type 1.

Here's how to get your fonts back in case you're new to Windows 7:

1. From Start, go to Control Panel, and then to Windows Updates.

2. Click Update History, and then go up to the top of the page and click Installed Updates, the underscored text after "To remove and update, see..."

3. Locate Security Update KB2753842. Make it easy on yourself and search by date, last column. Ominously, the update came on 12-12-'12, didn't it?

4. Click Uninstall, to the right of Organize on the bluish bar toward the top.

It'll take a while and you'll need to reboot so if yuou have a process going, finish it before you do anything.

Thanks to Steve Ledger for bothering to go out to Corel.com to find the path to a solution.

My Best,

Gary

[Barbara B]

Understand that if you do remove update KB2753842 you are removing a security update that MS has labeled as Critical. Please read http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...letin/ms12-078 before you decide what to do.

If you do remove the update you must be extremely vigilant and avoid clicking on links in email, even if they look like they are coming from a trusted person or source.

The more severe of these vulnerabilities could allow remote code execution if a user opens a specially crafted document or visits a malicious webpage that embeds TrueType or OpenType font files. An attacker would have to convince users to visit the website, typically by getting them to click a link in an email message that takes them to the attacker's website.

I'm sure we will be hearing from Xara soon on how to deal with this situation.

[Gare]

After understanding the dilemma we'll experience by using a "quick fix", I'd have to concur that we're actually between a rock and a boulder.

I'm going to what I can do, and where to go, to let Mother Microsoft know that the Update has an impact on not only Xara...seems like MOST of the graphics software out there that have a Text Tool aren't showing OpenType fonts that use Type 1 outline information.

I'd like to offer this: until stuff is sorted out and we have a decent Security patch that doesn't stop our workflow, consider installing TrueType versions of your affected OTF fonts. Truetype isn't affected as far as I can tell.

-g

[handrawn]

I stayed up late to update a mixed bag of win7 [x64] and office 2010 updates that included this particular update KB2753842

I do not appear to be missing any fonts in XDPX [but I don't have hundreds of the things like some do] - certainly no blank spaces - and yes I have rebooted

[I had a couple of other points, but Barbara has effectively covered them...]

[Gare]

You're probably not missing any fonts because all your installed typefaces are either TrueType or Opentype that is coded to the Truetype method of outline definition.

Opentype that you actually buy from vendors such as Linotype, retail fonts, most often use Type 1 outlines, even though the file extension is OTF.

And therein lies the problem. Which can be solved by either running only TrueType at this moment, or killing the security update, which is bad advice.

-g

[handrawn]

I think I bought a font once back in the '90s - whizbang if I recall correctly, in any event it's still there and not affected either..

but I have no idea about the technical side of fonts and bow to your expertness

[angelize]

I have been searching to see if I can find out if or when Microsoft may have any information about this so far I've found nothing. Just the standard update announcements.

For the time being I have decided not to install the update, and will be extra careful clicking on links in emails. Once we have our final issue of the year put to bed, then I'll have the time to do this

[handrawn]

here is the MS security bulletin which details what KB2753842 is for - basically a security issue with certain font types on malicious web sites as indicated by Barbara/Gare; [MS say no issues known as at 11 December]

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s...letin/ms12-078

Not installing the update fine for those who know what the issues actually are, but can't be 'recommended' as such generally - ie if in doubt let it install

There is commonality of course between Xara/Corel code in certain functions, so it may be a localised issue...

[glenngosack]

wasn't there an option in Xara to turn on/off the display of the actual font in the list? if there was, I can't seem to find it. was wondering if that were the case, it would allow all the fonts to be shown.