Internet Explorer and showing password text: an explanation

Last time, we mentioned that some (but not all) Explorer users have found that Internet Explorer printed their passwords as normal text, rather than as "hidden" bulleted text. We now have at least a partial explanation for this:

Part 1:Internet Explorer uses a font called "Bullets" to create the bullet symbols in password fields. It is built in to the Explorer application. You can see its FOND resource via ResEdit. If some other software interferes with Explorer's access to this font, then the password will appear as plain text. The problem has been reported in all 4.x versions of Explorer. (Thanks, Dave Brown, Stephen Buchanan and others.)

Part 2: As to what software conflict may be causing this interference, there is less agreement. The number one candidate is Adobe Type Reunion, followed by Adobe Type Manager. [Victor Gonzalez attributed the problem to ATM, but only if the "Smooth font edges on screen" option was enabled.]

However, Don Morris still had the problem even after he disabled ATR. I have not had the problem ever, even though I use ATM (although I do not use ATR). So there is still some uncertainty here. Maybe it also depends upon what you select as your browser font (just a guess).

Meanwhile, Danny Fahs attributed a related form of this problem to SmoothType: "If 'Smooth Other Fonts' is checked, you will see pale gray text instead of bullets in Explorer's password fields."

Update: Jerry Kindall adds: "I have noticed that the page's HTML may have something to do with this, as well. If the field in which you enter the password is inside a <FONT> tag, the font specified there will be used instead of the bullets font."