Where Is the Windows Font Cache Stored?
Windows caches fonts in per-service FontCache files plus a system FNTCACHE.DAT, rebuilt automatically on boot.
Last updated
Windows does not read every installed font from scratch on each boot. The font cache service prebuilds lookup files so text renders fast, one set for the LocalService account and a system copy in System32.
Those files are why a font problem can survive reinstalling the font itself. The cache keeps serving the old broken data until it rebuilds. Restarting the Windows Font Cache Service or rebooting regenerates the files, which fixes a whole class of mystery glyph glitches at once.
Where Windows stores this, by platform
C:\Windows\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\FontCache*.dat
Per-service cache plus the system copy. Do not delete these by hand while Windows runs. Restart the Windows Font Cache Service or reboot to rebuild them cleanly after font trouble.
Frequently asked questions
Can I delete FontCache files to fix garbled text?
Leave them alone and reboot. The cache service rebuilds the files, and manual deletion while the service runs just recreates the problem.
How do I know the font cache is the problem?
Yes. A corrupt cache shows wrong glyphs or blank characters in menus across many apps at once, while a single broken font affects only that typeface.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.