MSSIPOTF_E_FAILED_HINTS_CHECK (0x80097011) — Hints Check Failure

What the error actually means

You're seeing 0x80097011 — or MSSIPOTF_E_FAILED_HINTS_CHECK — when Windows tries to install or open a font file. What's actually happening here is that Windows checks the digital signature of OpenType fonts using a subsystem called Trusted Installer. The "hints" in the error refer to the OpenType hinting bytecode — instructions that tell a renderer how to display glyphs at small sizes. Windows decided that the hinting instructions in this font don't match what the digital signature claims they should be.

The immediate result: Windows refuses to install or load the font. This usually shows up during font installation, rendering in an app, or when Windows Update tries to replace a system font. I've seen it most often with third-party font packs downloaded from sites like DaFont or FontSquirrel, rarely with genuine Adobe or Google fonts.

Most common cause: Corrupted or tampered font file

Nine times out of ten, the font file itself is the problem. The signature and hinting data don't agree. This happens when:

• The font was edited with tools like FontForge or FontLab without re-signing it
• The font was downloaded from a sketchy source that stripped or altered the signature
• The file got corrupted during download or copy (common with large font packs over unreliable connections)

Fix: Replace the font file with a clean copy

1. Delete the problem font file — don't just move it, actually delete it.
2. Get a fresh copy from the original source. If it's a paid font, re-download from the license portal.
3. Right-click the .ttf or .otf file, select Install. If it works, you're done.
4. If it still errors, the source itself is serving a bad file. Contact the foundry.

Quick test: Open the font in Character Map (charmap.exe). If it shows garbled or blank previews, the file is damaged. Don't bother with repair tools — they rarely fix the signature issue.

Second cause: Windows font cache is stale or corrupted

Sometimes the font file is fine, but Windows has cached an old version of it. The cache stores parsed font data to speed up rendering. If that cached data's signature check fails, you get the same error even with a valid file.

Fix: Clear the font cache

# Stop the font cache service
net stop FontCache

# Delete the cache files
del %windir%\ServiceProfiles\LocalService\AppData\Local\FontCache\*.dat
del %windir%\System32\FNTCACHE.DAT

# Restart the service
net start FontCache

What's happening here: FontCache is a Windows service that runs under the LocalService account. The .dat files hold serialized font data — including signature hashes. If any of those hashes are stale or corrupt, they cause the hints check to fail. Deleting them forces a rebuild from the actual font files.

After clearing the cache, try installing the font again. If it still fails, the font file itself is bad (see above).

Third cause: System file corruption affecting trusted installer

Less common, but I've seen it on machines where someone ran a sketchy activator or had a failed Windows update. The Trusted Installer subsystem — which handles digital signature verification for fonts — can get corrupted. The hints check depends on that subsystem being intact.

Fix: Repair system files with SFC and DISM

# Run System File Checker
sfc /scannow

# If SFC reports corruption, run DISM first to fix the component store
DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

# Then run SFC again
sfc /scannow

The reason this works: SFC checks protected system files — including those that Trusted Installer uses. DISM fixes the source that SFC pulls clean files from. You need both in that order. Don't skip DISM; SFC alone can't fix corruption in the component store.

If DISM fails, you'll need Windows installation media. Mount the ISO, then:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth /Source:D:\sources\install.wim /LimitAccess

Replace D: with your mounted ISO drive letter.

When to give up and use an alternative

Some font files are just never going to pass the hints check. This is especially true for:

• Fonts converted from older PostScript Type 1 formats
• Fonts with custom hinting that misaligns with the signature
• Freeware fonts where the author didn't understand signature requirements

Your options:

• Find a different version of the same font (different foundry, different weight)
• Use a similar font from a reputable source (Google Fonts has hundreds of open-source alternatives)
• If you absolutely must use that specific font, run Windows in Test Mode — but this disables all digital signature enforcement, not just for fonts. Not recommended for daily use.

If you're a developer distributing fonts, use CFF Explorer (part of Resource Hacker) to inspect font signatures. A valid font has a DigitalSignature table in the DSIG table. If that's missing, no signature check will pass.

Quick-reference summary