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The August month for Microsoft Windows 8/8.1 users came with a surprise. The updates from the Microsoft arrived on schedule but this time there was an erratic behavior in one of the updates. The update MS14-045 can make using the fonts in Windows 8/8.1 a trying experience. This update may lock the fonts, render them incorrectly or in the worst case scenario throws the dreaded Blue Screen of Death (BSoD) on your screen. Listening to the outcry of the Windows users, Microsoft has issued a guideline for removing this update from your Windows.
Here is how you can remove this MS014-045 update from your Windows 8/8.1 PC in case you are experience blue screen of death issues:
- Since you are having a blue screen of death in Windows, you cannot just remove the MS14-045 update from within Windows. You have to reboot into the safe mode. In order to boot into the safe mode, restart your PC and when you see the log in screen, press the Shift key and click on the Power icon and select Restart. Upon restart, you have to choose the Safe mode from the list of options.
- Once inside the safe mode, open a command prompt (Win+X, select “Command Prompt (Admin)”) and give the following command: del %WINDOWS%\system32\fntcache.dat
- Reboot into Windows normally, you will not see any of the font related problems for some time. Open registry editor, and export this key (save it somewhere on your PC): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion\Fonts
- Go through all the fonts under this key in the registry that have path names like “C:\Windows\Fonts\Arial.ttf” and delete them. Similarly, delete all the OTF font references under this key.
- Once again, open a command prompt (Win+X, select “Command Prompt (Admin)”) and give the following command: del %WINDOWS%\system32\fntcache.dat
- Open Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> Installed Updates and uninstall the updates that are labeled KB2982791, KB2970228, KB2975719 and KB2975331.
- Right-click on the registry file that you saved in step 3 and select Merge.
- After a reboot, your PC will have no more blue death of screen problems. Now you can wait for Microsoft to release another update to take care of the situation.
About Sudesh
Sudesh has always been curious about computers and technology. Loves to play with both Windows and Linux. Likes to help people solve their computer problems. Has written technical articles and tutorials for some websites including MintyWhite.
windows 7 or not?
Thanks anyway.
Yes, it also works on Windows 7. But the steps to restart in safe mode and opening command prompt would be a little different.
There is no “C:WindowsFontsArial.ttf”
It was just an example. The fonts should be without any path name , so if you see a font with complete folder path, then you have to remove it as explained.
I couldn’t get into safe mode. Only the blue screen of death which was different from the one portrayed here. It wouldn’t accept my recovery disks so I spent $30 and bought some system recovery disks from HP. Those didn’t work either. As soon as I turn it on the blue screen is there with “Repairs… your PC/device needs to be repaired as it is missing critical data… contact the manufacturer” Pretty much I am left with a large doorstop instead of a laptop…