Checking Fonts for corruption

[craigontour@adobeforums.com]

I want to know how to check for problematic fonts - quickly and simply.

We use Suitcase Server 10.2 and 10.2.2 clients across 30 Macs in different parts of a building.

There are continuous problems with jobs, previously these have been mostly in Quark 4.11 (dont ask!), but the recently-installed Illustrator CS has begun to wildy crash.
Some posts point to a dodgy font.

Well, I would like to know how you would diagnose and determine such a thing when the Suitcase Server needs to be up and running all day and there are many 1,000s of fonts.

I welcome efficient and pratical solutions.
Many regards......

[Don_Picard@adobeforums.com]

At this point, I don't know if you have an efficient solution. There are apps that will "check" fonts, but I don't that any of them checks for ALL possible problems.

Is there any pattern to the problems? Does it always happen when certain fonts are in a document? Does it never happen when certain fonts are in a document?

Other than doing an analysis like this, the only "general solution" I can suggest is spending a good portion of a day replacing all the fonts from original disks. And then, once that's done, make a copy of the folder(s) with all the newly installed fonts on a DVD or tape or anotehr HD (depending on what you have available for backup) so that if you ever have doubts about fonts again, you can replace all of them in one fell swoop at the cost in a realtively short time.

What I'm sure you're looking for is some utility that you can run that will examine all your fonts and decree each to be "ok" or "flawed." And do it in a reliable way, so you can depend on its judgment and replace only those it says are corrupt.

I think we'd all like that, given InDesign's hypersensitivity to font problems, but I'm pretty sure no such utility exists. (As I said previously, there are utilities that check fonts, and I've used them, but have found that some fonts the utilities said were okay actually weren't -- and vice versa.)

Other's mileage may vary, but that's been my experience, FWIW.

Don

[Wade_Zimmerman@adobeforums.com]

If you upgrade to Suitcase X1 it will scan your fonts and repair them if any are corrupt and if any need repair. I just upgraded to Suitcase X1 myself and am very happy even though it was working fine before it seems that it works better now, I believe you will like this solution, I know someone else posted that suitcase found like twenty or so corrupt fonts which it repaired which fixed his crashing problems.

BTW Scan and Repair is under the Tools Menu in Suitcase X1 you will like this upgrade. And Font doctor comes with it and that works better as well.

[RICHARD_Krawiec@adobeforums.com]

Suitcase X1 has built-in scan and repair.

Have you any fonts predating 1990?
If so remove and replace with up to date versions.

There is also a stand alone application called Font Doctor which perfoms the same thing.

[britt_artmeier@adobeforums.com]

just bought suitcase X1 and font doctor came with it for free. using the repair tool from both, i realized that suitcase found fonts ok, whereas font doctor found the same fonts corrupt, so i guess font doctor i a better performing utility to repair fonts. very corrupted fonts cannot even be repaired by font doctor. they have to be replaced.