You will get this error if:

1.You have a Font Manager installed on your system. Disable it, then launch Cakewalk.
2.You have a large number of fonts on your system. Check the Fonts folder in the Windows directory. You'll need to get most of the fonts off your system (save
them on a floppy), then launch Cakewalk.
3.You've got a font in that folder named SYMBOL. Remove this font, then launch Cakewalk.