Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, 2008 - WinFax compatibility

[Moderator]

All Microsoft Windows 8, 7, Windows 2008 and VISTA editions are not compatible with Symantec WinFax PRO (all versions).

There is no update available for WinFax PRO for use with Windows 8, 7, Windows Vista, or Windows 2008.

WinFax PRO is for use with Windows XP/2003/2000/NT/9x/Me only)
Also x64 (64 bit) versions of operating systems are also incompatible.

We receive e-mails all the time asking about an update, or solution to use WinFax PRO and Windows 7/Vista. Unfortunately, there is no update available and no planned update in the future as the product is discontinued. We are not the developers of WinFax. WinFax was developed by Delrina and later aquired and developed by Symantec and has been discontinued by them.

If you are planning to (or have) moved to Windows 7, or another operating system that is incompatible with WinFax PRO, we recommend an alternative product called FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro. It is very similar to WinFax PRO and is fully compatible with your existing Class 1.x or Class 2.x fax modem. It is fully compatible with Windows 7, Vista and Windows 2008, and also 64 bit versions of these operating systems. It will also work on older operating systems such as Windows 2000 and Windows XP.

You can upgrade your WinFax PRO to FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro
FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro is available now available directly from us, and it supports Windows 7 and Vista. For More details see http://store.getfaxing.com

Why doesn't WinFax PRO work with Vista or Windows 7?

The main (and one of the most important) components of WinFax (the WinFax fax printer driver) does not install in Windows 7, Vista, Windows 2008 or any x64 operating systems. The reason for this is because Microsoft discontinued allowing older types of printer drivers (called Type 2, or Kernel mode printer drivers) from being used in the newer operating systems (this started with the introduction of Windows Vista.) If you attempt to install an older Type 2/Kernel mode driver in these newer Microsoft operating systems, it will be ignored or you'll see an error message reported from the operating system.

Microsoft provided developers ample time and warning to convert older Type 2/Kernel mode printer drivers to the newer style Type 3 type drivers. Symantec never updated the WinFax PRO printer drivers to the newer Type 3 format that was required for the new operating systems. The reason for this may have been due to Symantec's plans to discontinue the software, and not support the newer operating systems. In addition, during this time frame Symantec had shifted their focus on acquiring security software related firms and developing security products rather than consumer software/business related products such as WinFax PRO. They had in prior years sold off product lines to other companies (ACT!, Perform/Formflow, Netsatisfaxion to name a few). WinFax, along with pcAnywhere were two remaining software packages which really didn't quite fit into the security software business model. In 2006, Symantec announced they would cease production of WinFax PRO and halt sales & support of the product. This didn't come to a surprise as they had ceased development on the product for quite a number of years (previously, Symantec would release a new major product version at least every 12-18 months).

What options do you have?

You can continue using WinFax PRO with your Windows XP operating system (or older operating system if you still use Windows 2000, 9x, NT) and with the support of WinFax Tools, the WinFax forums and GetFaxing.com you can continue using this software for many more years.

Windows 7 XP Mode. Yes, you can use WinFax PRO in Windows 7 XP Mode, but the Type 2/Kernel mode WinFax PRO fax printer driver is only available within the XP virtual machine, so you can't fax from Windows 7 applications.

If you need to upgrade your operating system to Windows 7, then you might be interested in upgrading your WinFax PRO to FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro. This fax software can import your existing phonebooks and fax pages (logs) directly. The only catch here is you need WinFax PRO to be installed in conjunction with FaxTalk FaxCenter to be able to perform this import directly. More details on FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro is available at http://store.getfaxing.com

GetFaxing continues to provide professional third-party support for WinFax PRO software. For more details, see http://www.getfaxing.com/services.htm