Some characters showing up as blank boxes/boxes with numbers inside

Hello, I have had this issue for a long time. I am using Windows XP. I was browsing a forum yesterday and some girl posted "I love you" with some weird letters (ℒ♡ⓥℯ ㄚ♡ⓤ) but I just can't see it right. It is not another language like Chinese/Japanese/Korean, it is just some funny looking letters which my computer can't recognize. And it is the same with Firefox and Chrome, so it is not browser related. I have read a lot but can't really make it work. Does anyone know what this is about and can anyone help me ?

Thanks

 

She probably used a language and font combo not on your computer.


For example, I copied this from the character map in Windows 7, using Microsoft New tai Lue. It shows as this in Windows:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/rmqs18cnbenpyvr/Screenshot 2014-03-11 09.52.27.png

It shows like this on my mac:
ᦺ

 

Hey, yeah, pretty much the same for me. Do you know how this can be fixed ? It's a little annoying when someone says to me "look what they posted, isn't it nice", and all I see is white boxes and squares :s

 

Other than installing a ton of font packs and enabling multi-language support, sorry I do not know. Past asking, maybe?

It used to be that some websites would offer you the font for download if the site required it. I don't think that is possible on things like forum responses and such.

Can you post the URL (provided it isn't private)? I am curious if it shows the same for me.

 

I posted the funny characters in my original post, can you see them ? And how do I install the font packs ?

 

Font packs are executables, so you merely install them. Yes, I can see those, but they render differently for Windows 7 vs. OS X. That furthers my belief that it is a missing font you need.

Take a look.
Windows 7:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/z9i9s5rr7y9bxs5/Screenshot 2014-03-11 11.35.34.png

OS X:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sgyta4w1tcww8xk/Screenshot 2014-03-11 11.35.59.png

 

Yes, I think the characters you posted in the second link are the way they should look.

 

Which probably means it is an OS X specific font.

Edit: Nope. It looks fine in Windows 8.1 too.

Are you on XP by any chance?

 

Did some research:

These are the three fonts used:


Arial Unicode MS
Heiti SC
Hiragino Kaku Gothic ProN

 

I am on XP, yes. I will have a look at the fonts you posted. Thanks

 

I installed Arial Unicode MS and the symbols showed up correctly. I guess this was the missing font on my computer. Thanks a lot once again

 

Glad I could help