OFF97: Support for the New Euro Currency Symbol

ID: Q188081

The information in this article applies to:

SUMMARY

This article contains information about how you can enable support for the Euro currency symbol in the programs listed at the beginning of this article.


MORE INFORMATION

In Europe, a new currency called the Euro has been created. As of June 1998, the Euro does not exist as legal tender, but as a tradable commodity. In a few years, Euro notes and coins will be used as legal tender in several countries of Europe.

Like the United States dollar, the British pound sterling, and the Japanese yen, the Euro has a distinct symbol. The new Euro symbol resembles the capital letter "C" with two horizontal lines through the center of the "C".

None of the programs listed at the beginning of this article include native support for the Euro symbol. Also, none of the codepages and fonts included with Microsoft Windows 95 and Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 include support for the Euro symbol. However, it is possible to download codepages and fonts that will allow you to use the Euro symbol in these programs.

NOTE: Microsoft Windows 98 and Microsoft Windows NT 5.0 include native support for the Euro symbol. However, you should still download the new Tahoma font (see the "Euro-Compatible Tahoma Font" section, below) if you want to use the Euro symbol in any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article.

Microsoft Euro Currency Support for Windows 95

To download Euro-compatible codepages and fonts for Microsoft Windows 95, use your Web browser to go to the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/default.asp
Then, click the following link:
Microsoft Euro Currency Support for Windows 95 Download

Follow the instructions on the screen to download and install Euro support. This download includes the following Euro-compatible fonts: Arial, Courier New, and Times New Roman.

Microsoft Euro Currency Support for Windows NT 4.0

To download Euro-compatible codepages and fonts for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0, use your Web browser to go to the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/default.asp
Then, click the following link:
Microsoft Euro Currency Support for Windows NT 4.0
Follow the instructions on the screen to download and install Euro support. This download includes the following Euro-compatible fonts: Arial, Courier New, and Times New Roman.

Euro-Compatible Tahoma Font

If you want to use the Euro symbol in any of the programs listed at the beginning of this article, you should download and install an updated Tahoma font. To download this font, use your Web browser to go to the following address:
http://support.microsoft.com/download/support/mslfiles/tahoma32.exe
Save the program to your hard disk drive. When you run Tahoma32.exe, it will install new Tahoma and Tahoma Bold fonts, and it will prompt you to restart your computer.

You can also download the updated Tahoma font by reading the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
Q175015 OFF97: Updated Tahoma Font with Euro Currency Symbol

How to Enter a Euro Symbol

To enter a Euro symbol, make sure that you are using a font that supports the Euro symbol, and then follow these steps:
  1. Press and hold the ALT key.


  2. Using the numeric keypad, type "0128" (without quotation marks).


  3. Release the ALT key.


The Euro symbol should appear on the screen.


REFERENCES

For more information about the Euro, please use your Web browser to go to the following address:

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/euro.asp
This Web page contains information about Euro support and links to other relevant Web pages, including the official European Union Web site.

You can also download additional Euro-compatible fonts from the following address:
http://www.microsoft.com/typography/fontpack/

Additional query words: OFF97 XL97 WD97 AC97 PP97 OL97 OL98 


Keywords          : 
Version           : WINDOWS:97,98
Platform          : WINDOWS 
Issue type        : kbinfo

Last Reviewed: May 25, 1999