If you look in the Windows System32 folder on 64 bit XP or Vista or the
System folder on 32 bit versions, you will see atmfd.dll and atmlib.dll.
There are part of the system for rendering PostScript fonts. These files are
supplied by Adobe to Microsoft. If you right click on the file name and
check properties, you will see the Product Name given as Adobe Type Manager.
So, you don't have to install ATM on the system, it is installed by default.
However, the ATM control panel is not installed.

If and when you install ATM, the control panel is installed in addition to
overwriting those components that were installed when Windows, itself was
installed. The ATM installer also writes uninstall information to the
Windows registry. If and when ATM is uninstalled, all ATM components are
removed This includes the files that Windows was using to render Postscript
fonts. Again, they are the same files.

The main purpose of the "Updater"/fixer, available from the Adobe http and
FTP sites, is to modify the uninstall information in the registry so that
uninstalling ATM does not remove Windows-required files.

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007

fine: it isn't a simple .cpl file; When started, it doesn't appear in
task windows.

panel ?

Yes, that's exactly what it does.

you open c:\windows\fonts\ in Windows Explorer? In the FILE menu, do
you get the option to "Install New Fonts"?  If not, then the Font
folder needs to be fixed. Get and install the Microsoft free utility
'TWEAKUI', select "Repair", and then "Repair Fonts folder".

tweakUI, "repaired the font folder", even reboot, but nothing knew.

That is the root of the problem.  The Fonts folder is "special";
either this particular system doesn't know where the fonts folder is
or thinks it's somewhere other than the default location of
C:\Windows\Fonts

Problem could be in the registry, environment variables, or even in
some other concealed part of the operating system.

Here's the one place I found where and how it should be in the
registry. It may or may not be either necessary or sufficient:

Registry
HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders
     ValueName:  Fonts          ValueData: C:\WINDOWS\Fonts

Beyond that, a possible solution - to be avoided if possible - is to
reinstall Windows, and failing that, a complete system re-install.

 - Character

Using a script to place the fonts in the folder might differ in both event
command and sequence from using Windows shell commands, say copy/paste, to
put the fonts in the folder. For example, depending on how the script was
written, it might be necessary to close all applications before running the
script or to shut down and restart the application using the fonts or
indeed, the entire system. At the very least, you would need to put the font
files in the folder and issue a system command to notify the applications
that the fonts were available.

However, in the case of direct user intervention, you should be able, for
example, to place a CD of font files in the drive; open Windows Explorer;
select the font files you want; and copy/paste them in the font folder. You
should see a window open with a progress bar. The fonts will be installed
and available to applications. I do not believe there are any applications
in common use that now require either application or OS shut down and
restart to use the fonts. There used to be some, that maintained their own
fonts list, that did. E.g.. early versions of PageMaker.

In any case, the OP made no mention of installing fonts using a script.
Nonetheless, I agree that it is wise to try to be as complete as is
reasonably practical.

All the best.
Tom

Windows does not require the afm file, just the pfm and pfb.

Glad it worked out. Now, if we could just work out why the font control
applet is not showing in this user's Control Panel.

Tom
MSMVP 1998-2007