Can't add fonts to Font Book

Question

Level 1

37 points

Can't add fonts to Font Book

Running the latest version of Sierra (10.12.5), Font Book 7.0. Just got a new MacBook Pro with Sierra pre-installed.

Font Book won't allow me to add new fonts either by pressing the + key or drag-and-dropping them into the app window. I can turn off unneeded fonts (like the non-English ones), so the app isn't completely frozen.

Has anyone seen anything like this? Can I reinstall the Font Book app? Is there a preference or security feature I'm overlooking that's new to Sierra? Very frustrated.

MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, 4 TBT3), macOS Sierra (10.12.5)

Posted on Jul 16, 2017 7:23 AM

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Answer 1

isayhoomhom Author

Level 1

37 points

Jul 16, 2017 11:08 AM in response to tygb

So...I've solved the issue. Maybe I'm just thick, or maybe the following page didn't explain something well enough. You be the judge.

I had changed the name of my Home folder per this page's instructions: Change the name of your macOS user account and home folder - Apple Support

What it doesn't explain is that in step 7, you can type in the new name of the folder, but that doesn't change the actual name of the folder. You also have to go to the folder in the Finder and change its name. If you don't, you'll still be able to login, save files to those folders, etc., but certain small things won't work...like this Font Book issue. I had also noticed that the icons in my Finder sidebars had reverted to plain folder icons, not the custom icons they should have had. A simple fix to manually rename the Home folder, but essential.

Anyway, everything's working now. Thanks for your advice.

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Answer 2

isayhoomhom Author

Level 1

37 points

Jul 16, 2017 7:29 AM in response to dialabrain

I tried restarting Font Book and they're still not there.

An update: in Preferences, I changed the location to which fonts are saved to "Computer" instead of "User" and now they're installing. So there's something about it not wanting to install the fonts to my user name.

Thoughts?

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Answer 3

tygb

Level 9

65,010 points

Jul 16, 2017 9:00 AM in response to isayhoomhom

Read some articles : Mac Basics: Font Book - Apple Support

: Font Book for Mac: Install and view fonts

: Font Book for Mac: Font Book preferences

Also make sure have not changed any read and write permissions in home folder , the correct settings is shown in the screen shot .

And if font book preferences is opened .

If , font book is opened and if we click on plus sign an untitled folder ( unnamed collection ) will always be created .

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Answer 4

tygb

Level 9

65,010 points

Jul 16, 2017 12:11 PM in response to isayhoomhom

If you open users and groups , open the pad lock by entering admin name and password , right click on the user name and click on advanced options , possibilities of damaging the account , just avoid this .

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Answer 5

dialabrain

Level 10

136,127 points

Jul 16, 2017 7:27 AM in response to isayhoomhom

Are you sure they aren't being added? Font Book has a "quirk" where newly added fonts don't show until Font Book is restarted.

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Answer 6

dialabrain

Level 10

136,127 points

Jul 16, 2017 7:38 AM in response to isayhoomhom

isayhoomhom wrote:

Thoughts?

None, unless there is a permission problem with your user account. My preferences were always set to "Computer" by default on all my Macs. Perhaps someone else knows.

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