WinFax PRO Support

Frequently Asked Questions About WinFax PRO.

What happened to WinFax PRO?

The first and original version of WinFax was developed in 1990 by the Canadian company, Delrina. The company was eventually purchased by Symantec in 1996. The last version of WinFax PRO to be developed was version 10 in 2001. Symantec continued to sell WinFax PRO 10 for the next 5 years until it was eventually discontinued in 2006.

Where can I buy WinFax PRO?

WinFax PRO is no longer sold as at the retail level or directly from Symantec. There are some dealers that may have new old stock (NOS) of WinFax PRO. Beware if you purchase any CD-ROM without a manual or original box. There are many counterfeit CD-ROMs being produced, especially for popular discontinued software such as WinFax PRO. We have an article on our site which shows the differences between a real CD-ROM and a fake.

Is there a WinFax PRO upgrade available for Microsoft Windows 8, 7 or Vista?

No upgrade exists for WinFax PRO. WinFax PRO was discontinued by Symantec in 2006, just prior to the official release of Microsoft Vista.

Does WinFax PRO work with Microsoft Windows 7 or 8?

No, any Microsoft Windows operating system developed after Windows XP is not compatible with WinFax PRO. Microsoft Windows 7, Vista, Windows 8 is not compatible with WinFax PRO due to some of the changes made to the operating system.

Can I install WinFax PRO in Windows 7, 8, Vista to have access to my phone books and fax data for later retrieval, printing and viewing?

Yes, it is possible but there are several options in WinFax that can generate errors when operating under these operating systems. We can assist you in moving your existing faxes and phone books from your old PC to your new PC and install WinFax PRO so it can be easily used in Your new operating system. Contact us for rates.

Does WinFax PRO with with Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows XP Mode?

Our initial testing confirms that you can run WinFax PRO in Windows XP mode, but you cannot “share” the WinFax PRO printer driver with Windows 7 applications. We successfully shared the fax modem, (and it was a software based modem) but not the fax printer. This prevents any access from Windows 7 programs to the WinFax printer. Only the applications that are installed within the Windows XP Virtual machine can be used with WinFax to send faxes, you cannot create faxes from within Windows 7 applications. This limits the usability of WinFax in Windows 7. if you require to fax from a Windows 7 application, it will not work. Although, having Windows XP within your Windows 7 operating system saves you the expensive of having another separate computer just to run legacy Windows XP applications such as WinFax. Using WinFax in a virtual machine is not recommended.

Windows XP Mode is a feature that is optional on Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise versions of Windows 7. Windows XP Mode is not available in the Home Premium or Starter Editions of Windows 7. Windows XP Mode option can be downloaded at no additional charge with a qualified version of Windows 7 directly from Microsoft’s Web site here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

Does WinFax PRO work in a virtual machine, such as Oracle’s VM Virtual Box?

Yes, just as Windows XP Mode in Windows 7, WinFax PRO will run properly with a properly configured virtual machine. However, the same restrictions apply as in Windows XP Mode. Only applications within the virtual box are accessible by WinFax PRO. WinFax PRO also requires some processing power to send and receive faxes, so if you are using a Virtual Machine you want to ensure your PC has the available memory and processing power to accomplish this task.

What can I use to replace WinFax PRO now that I am using Windows 7 or Windows 8?

If you’ve replaced an older machine that already had an existing fax modem its likely you’ll also need to purchase and install a fax modem on the new computer. Most newer machines no longer include fax modems as an option and they must be purchased separately. Some older fax modems may not work with the newer operating system such as Windows 7. If you’re using a 64 bit operating system, you’ll need a fax modem that includes 64 bit drivers. If you have only one fax line and require an inexpensive fax modem, we provide a USB Fax Modem that is compatible with both 32 and 64 bit Operating systems for use with FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro, more details here.

Since the introduction of the 64 bit operating system, Microsoft released two different versions of Office 2010.  A 32 bit version (which is used my most, and is compatible with many of the existing Office add-ons) and the 64 bit version of Office 2010 for use with the newer 64 bit operating systems. 

You may have a 64 bit version of Windows (Windows 7 x64) but this does not always indicate that you have a 64 bit version of Office 2010 installed. If you are not sure which version you installed, the following article will describe how you can determine the version you are using.

 Why use the 32 bit version of Office 2010 if I have a 64 bit operating system like Windows 7 x64?

The advantage of using the 32 bit version (the default installation, and recommended installation from Microsoft) is that your existing add-ons and templates that are designed specifically for 32 bit operating systems will (or should) continue to work with Office 2010. 

The advantage of using the 64 bit version of Office 2010 is that you can utilize more memory and handle larger documents within Office 2010.  So, unless you’re normally dealing and working with large files of 2GB or more, Office 2010 64 bit isn’t going to give you any advantage over the 32 bit version.

The following Microsoft Engineering Blog has some good information on this, http://blogs.technet.com/b/office2010/archive/2010/02/23/understanding-64-bit-office.aspx

NOTE: You can’t run mixed 32 bit Office and 64 bit Office 2010 components (side by side).  If you install Office 2010 64 bit, all your Office 2010 software will be 64 bit (Outlook 2010, Excel 2010, Word 2010 …)  The same is true for the 32 bit version.  If you have the 64 bit of Outlook 2010 installed, you must uninstall Outlook 2010 64 bit and install the 32 bit version to install any other Microsoft Office 2010 32 bit applications

If you’re using any of the following software products,  you’ll require the 32 bit version of Office 2010. 

• Sending fax merges with the FaxTalk Fax Merge requires a 32 bit version of Microsoft Word 2010. 
• WinFax PRO with a compatible operating system (Windows XP, 2003) will function with 32 bit Microsoft Office 2010.
• WinFax is not compatible with Outlook 2010 contacts.
• FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro 8, FaxTalk Multiline Server 8 and FaxTalk Messenger Pro 8 require the 32 bit version of Outlook 2010 to use contacts**

** FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro, FaxTalk Multiline Server and FaxTalk Messenger Pro can fax using 64 bit or 32 bit Office 2010 products.

How to determine the version of Microsoft Office 2010 installed

If you are not sure what version you have installed, you can check by clicking FILE from the Word ribbon, and then click HELP.

A 64 bit or 32 bit version will be indicated in the dialog box as shown. (32 bit or 64 bit will appear after the version information)

We have noticed an increased number of links to fake (pirated/illegal) WinFax software. These links contain malware and viruses. We also noticed fake links to file torrents. There is no such product as WinFax for Windows 7 (x64). These are fake torrents and contain virus/malware. There is no version of WinFax software that will support any x64 operating system or Windows 7/Vista. Stay away from these links!

A Fake WinFax PRO 10.03 CD ROM in a paper sleeve

If you purchased WinFax software and have a questions regarding if it is fake or not, let us know and we can check it out for you. If you purchased a download of Symantec WinFax PRO, it is an illegal copy and could contain malware.

WinFax PRO is no longer being sold & distributed by Symantec and the only way to purchase a legitimate version is 2nd hand (used) or New Old Stock (NOS) from a retailer.

There are also counterfeit CDs in existance, and they are poor quality copies of the original. Don’t get ripped off by purchasing a WinFax PRO CD! The picture above is an image of an actual FAKE / COUNTERFEIT WinFax PRO CD. If in doubt, ask the seller to send you a picture of the actual CD they are selling. Compare it with the picture here. It is difficult to determine the fake from a real CD if you have never seen an authentic CD, but once you compare the two, the differences are easy to spot.

The first clue is if your CD contains the version of WinFax PRO. All official CDs will only list version 10.0 on the CD. Authentic CDs do not include version identifiers 10.02 or 10.03. This is not listed on the CD anywhere. Official CDs are on silver “shiney” surface where “WinFax PRO” is printed. A dull matte-finish is a fake CD.

This is a question we get quite often, there are many manufacturers (HP, Dell, Brother, Canon & Lexmark) that are combining a printer with a fax machine and scanner, these are called MFPs (Multi-function printers) or All-in-One Devices.  These are common in small business and home office environments.  These printers usually do come with some sort of “fax” software that is bundled when you install the drivers for the printer device. You can use these devices to send and receive faxes through your computer  or directly as a stand-alone office fax machine (some even include a telephone handset).  Unfortunately, the software that is bundled with these devices are basic and are limited in features. At the least, they usually have the ability to send and receive a fax, keep a records of faxes you’ve sent & received, and have the ability to print your faxes.  We’re often asked if you can you use WinFax PRO or other software instead of the primative bundled software?  The answer is usually and often No. The hardware & software designed for these multi-function printers are proprietary to the manufactuer, and the drivers included with the printer as specific to that model of printer. These multi-function printers are not considered “Fax Modems” and do not interface with the computer as a standard Class 1 or 2.x fax modem would. This is the reason that WinFax PRO and other fax software do not detect these devices.

You can still use these multi-function printers in conjunction with a fax modem and WinFax PRO. You can use the scanner feature to scan documents, and, of course, to print your faxes.

Notice to WinFax PRO users that are using WinFax PRO clients with NET SatisFAXtion server software and are considering upgrading to version 8.5 or 8.6.

FaxBack has recently released version 8.6 of NET SatisFAXtion server software.  WinFax PRO client support has been completely omitted in the documentation of versions 8.5 and 8.6. The last version that mentioned the ability to connect WinFax as a client was version 8.1. 

We couldn’t find any upgrade warnings in the 8.5 or 8.6 upgrade or administration documentation for users that could possibily upgrade only to find they now have a bunch of  client software that won’t connect to NET SatisFAXtion anymore.

It’s obvious that the WinFax client feature has been depreciated since version 8.1, but it’s possible that WinFax PRO clients are still “unofficially supported”  in versions 8.5 and 8.6 with use of the latest WinFax Connector.

If you have any additional details regarding compatibility with these versions please let us know.   We contacted FaxBack directly and received a reply that WinFax PRO connector had not been supported since version 8.0 (while we found a WinFax Connector update released about 2 years after the release of 8.0? and 8.1 mentions it in the documentation.

We do know that  NET SatisFAXtion version 8.0 will be retired December 31, 2009.

Don’t get duped into buying a counterfeit WinFax PRO 10 CD ROM.  Here is how you can tell the difference from a “real” CD ROM and the obvious fakes. If you purchased your Symantec WinFax PRO with a box and manual, chances are it is the genuine item. If you purchased a “loose” CD ROM, usually referred as “OEM”, then you should check for the following:

• Symantec never included the actual revision of WinFax PRO 10 (10.01,10.02 or 10.03)  on the CD ROM.  So, if your WinFax PRO CD ROM says “WinFax PRO 10.03″ its a fake. All genuine WinFax PRO 10 cd’s contain the heading ”WinFax PRO 10.0″
• If you see text with “winFAX” or “Live Update” anywhere on the CD its a fake.  The official Symantec trademarks are ”WinFax” and “LiveUpdate”, no other variations of this text should appear on the CD ROM.
• Failure to capitalize ”symantec” and “corporation”.
• An “All rights resverd” spelling error, or other spelling errors.
• Incorrect font used for WinFax PRO and Symantec logo. The current Symantec logo is consistant across all software they produce.
• Silver portion of CD is a (dull) matte finish, on the real CD it is relective (mirror surface).
• To determine if the CD is brand new and sealed – geniune WinFax PRO 10 CD’s come in a white envelope sleeve that are sealed with a sticker that may have one or more of the following: a bar code, a Symantec 5 or 6 digit product code, a brief license agreement. 
• In most cases, manufacturer information is printed on the inner rim of the CD ROM of genuine CD’s. This is usually missing on a counterfeit.
• Update patch 10.04 is not included on genuine CD ROMs. Any CD that contains the patch update to 10.04 is a counterfeit.

Example of a counterfeit CD ROM  and genuine WinFax PRO 10 CD ROM. Notice the differences in the mirror surface, the Symantec logo, and different font types. The counterfeit contains ”10.03″ version, something that is not printed on the genuine CD.  You’ll also probably see manufacturer information around the inner rim of the genuine CD ROM.  This is  likely to be missing on the counterfeit WinFax PRO CD.

This is a counterfeit poor quality copy of WinFax PRO 10.03 that appears to be created on a home deskjet printer. Note the non-reflective matte finish on the CD ROM.

 Here is the original design of the WnFax PRO 10 CD ROM used for North American releases of WinFax PRO 10.0 and WinFax PRO 10.01. This has a different design, yellow with silver (reflective) images.  This version uses the older style Symantec logo.

This image on the left is an example of a genuine WinFax PRO 10.0 or 10.01 CD ROM. Symantec updated most of its design & software boxes when they changed logo designs. Version 10.02 and 10.03 use the updated design & Symantec logo. This design also uses a reflective mirror finish on portions of the CD ROM. Lack of reflective mirror finish would indicate a counterfeit CD, or a version with the 10.04 update included on the same install CD would indicate a counterfeit.

Message Stores

WinFax PRO and TalkWorks PRO stores log records in the default Messages message store. A message store works like a filing cabinet with drawers that hold different types of files. For easy access, the Messages message store organizes your messages by placing them in one of four default folders:

• Send Log  Stores sent messages.
• Receive Log  Stores received messages.
• Outbox  Stores scheduled, held, and pending messages.
• Wastebasket  Stores deleted messages until you remove them manually or automatically.

Fax and voice log entries in the Messages message store are uncompressed; the Messages message store is therefore more suitable for short-term message storage or for storing a smaller number of messages. 

If you want to keep your messages for long-term use or you receive large numbers of messages, you can set up your own message filing system with custom message stores and subfolders. For example, you might want to organize correspondence by customer and your sales reports by quarter.

Your own dedicated incoming fax line for $1.00 a month ($12.00 a year)  Yes it is true. Forget those other services that charge $10 to $20 a month! Available in the USA and Canada!

We’ve been testing an on-line fax service for a few months now, and have found OneSuite.com to be reliable for incoming and outgoing faxes.  Get yourself your own fax number, from a selection of 16 U.S. states, with unlimited incoming fax pages.  Your faxes are then transmitted to you instantly to your e-mail address in a multi-page PDF format. Get started for as low as $1.00 a month for unlimited incoming fax service! and you can get started within minutes with a minimum pre-paid amount of $10.00 US Dollars. Use the link below to sign up, and get an additional 5% sign up bonus and your 1st month free!  https://www.onesuite.com/account/A96909221/suitetreat

If you want to be able to send and receive faxes, the service is $2.95 a month and includes unlimited incoming faxes.  Sent faxes are charged at a per page rate , in USA/Canada the current rate is 2.5 cents per page.

No setup fees, no hidden fees, you pay for what you use and the monthly fee of only $2.95 for sending and receiving, or $1.00 a month for receiving only.  Each subscription plan includes your own fax number, with unlimited fax receive.

Use SuiteTreat promotion code : A96909221 to receive the 5% Bonus plus your 1st month free.

An ActiveX security flaw has been detected in the WinFax PRO Viewer Control. This bulletin applies to the following versions of WinFax:

• WinFax PRO 8.0x
• WinFax PRO 9.0x
• WinFax PRO 10.0x
• TalkWorks PRO 2.0x
• TalkWorks PRO 3.0
• WinFax Basic Edition (all versions)
• TalkWorks Basic Edition (all versions)
• Delrina Fax (French release, version 8.0x and above)

More details on this security flaw by clicking here

Symantec has released this official Security Bulletin for WinFax PRO, technical details can be found at Symantec’s Web site

If you use a Norton product for security, such as Norton 360 and Norton Internet Security 2009, this threat is detected with current definitions. Other security software from other vendors  may also detect this threat.

Regardless of the type of security you are using, We recommend setting the KillBit for this specific ActiveX control to always prevent it from activating. Setting this KillBit does NOT effect the normal operation of WinFax PRO. 

This is recommended if you have or do not have an installation of WinFax PRO.

If you have prior experience in setting a KillBit in the Windows registry, the CSLID for the WinFax PRO Viewer Control is {C05A1FBC-1413-11D1-B05F-00805F4945F6}

or, you can use our tool to do this for you, download our Free version of WinFax Tools.  Click “Fix Security DLL” button and the KillBit will be set automatically.

UPDATE: In a Windows XP update that was released February 9th, 2010, this security flaw was finally addressed. The actual update released by Microsoft is: Microsoft Security Bulletin MS10-008 – Critical Cumulative Security Update of ActiveX Kill Bits (978262).   If you have already downloaded this security update for Windows XP, then your system will already have the necessary ActiveX Kill bits set for the WinFax PRO ActiveX control.  You can still download WinFax Tools and confirm if the ActiveX kill bit was applied properly by this Windows XP Update. If your system has the Killbit set, the WinFax Tools program will indicate it has already been applied.

Why are faxes so slow to complete when sending or receiving?

This is a common question that isn’t always easy to answer without more details on the specific fax pages you’re actually sending or receiving. There is a possibility that transmission errors  can cause pages to be re-transmitted, increasing the overall send and receive time.  In addition, there are compatibility issues with specific types of fax devices, where the maximum fax speed may be limited due to different fax specifications such as v.34, v.32bis and v.17 (more on this later.) Read the rest of this entry »

In this article I will describe some of the challenges of installing WinFax PRO with a Windows 2003 Server, and also the use of Terminal Services/Remote Desktop Services.

Read the rest of this entry »

This article will help you perform an install or reinstall of  WinFax PRO 10 with Windows XP Home edition or Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3.  All versions of WinFax PRO will install under Windows XP (all service packs).  With the support of WinFax Tools and this article, you can accomplish an install of WinFax PRO 10 with Windows XP.  This article is not for Windows 7, Vista, or any 64 bit Windows operating system including 64 bit Windows XP.  WinFax PRO is not compatible with these editions of Windows.  

NOTE: If you are using a Windows XP computer that is connected to the internet, We recommend you upgrade your Windows XP to the latest service pack 3, so you have the latest security fixes in Windows XP.

The North American (English) WinFax PRO 10 installation CD-ROM is available in a few different installation releases, they are:

• WinFax PRO 10.0 (old Symantec logo in upper case on setup screen)
• WinFax PRO 10.01 (old Symantec logo in upper case on setup screen)

• WinFax PRO 10.02 (yellow-black logo, white Symantec lowercase on setup screen)
• WinFax PRO 10.03 (yellow-black logo, white Symantec lowercase on setup screen)

Note: WinFax PRO 10.04 is not available on a CD-ROM installation. 10.04 is available as an update file to version 10.03 only. If you have purchased a WinFax PRO 10.04 CD ROM, or a 10.03 WinFax PRO CD ROM with the 10.04 update on it, it is likely you are using a counterfeit CD ROM.

You should first determine what version you are installing, as there are some known issues with specific versions that you should be aware of.  This can be accomplished by checking the box packaging, the version is listed on the bar code at the bottom of the box or on the envelope sleeve. You can also check by looking at the installation dates on the installation CD-ROM.  You can easily determine if you have WinFax version 10.02 or 10.03 by looking at the Symantec logo in the Setup screen during the installation process.  A white Symantec logo is version 10.0 or 10.01, a yellow/black current Symantec logo is version 10.02 or 10.03.

Note: Versions 10.02 and 10.03 versions were modified to handle a specific Windows XP feature called “Fast User Switching“, however, older versions 10.0 and 10.01 will still install and function under Windows XP.

Preparing the installation

1. Log in as an administrator

If not already done so, log in to Windows XP as an administrator, or an account with administrator access. If you have Windows XP fast user switching enabled, make sure no other users are active with programs running in the background.  Your Windows XP may automatically log the default user, so if you are not sure if your account has administrator access, you can start WinFax Tools and click the WinFax Info button. This will display if you are logged in as an administrator.

2. Close all active programs

Close all active programs that you can.  WinFax has external links (or “hooks”) to several programs, like ACT! 4.0,2000,2004 and Microsoft Office 97-2003.  We recommend you close all programs when you install WinFax, especially your Outlook e-mail. In most cases you can leave your antivirus turned on, but if you know how to temporarily turn it off, do so during installation if you are sure your using an ORIGINAL (legitimate) Symantec WinFax PRO CD ROM.

3. Insert WinFax CD-ROM

Insert your WinFax CD ROM.  If you have the CD auto-start turned on, you’ll be automatically presented with a WinFax PRO selection screen with several options.  Close and exit this screen, since we’ll be launching the installation setup program directly. We don’t need any additional programs active during the installation of WinFax.

4. Manually start the installation setup.exe file

Click Start, Run, click Browse and locate the WinFax folder on the installation CD-ROM , and locate and select the SETUP.EXE in this folder, click Open and OK to start the installation.

If everything goes well, you should see the WinFax setup dialog box like the graphics shown above, and a progress bar that should reach 100%. The setup should prompt you with the Welcome message with an option to Continue.  Now, go ahead and complete the installation.

If you’re not so lucky, you’ll be presented with a blank screen and setup does not even start.  Don’t try starting Setup.exe again, because if it is stuck, running it again will only cause multiple copies of the same program open, and if you continue trying, you’ll end up with non-responding system (which you’ll eventually have to reboot)

InstallShield fails to start, clicking Setup.exe does nothing

If you get no setup dialog box, and nothing appears to happen when you double-click SETUP.EXE, then you may have a problem with the InstallShield install process. WinFax PRO 10 uses a third-party install and uninstall utility called “InstallShield version 5.5″ to perform the install and uninstall processes.  Its possible your InstallShield 5.5 Engine files are corrupt, out-dated, or another program or service that is conflicting with the InstallShield 5.5 startup process.

 Try the following steps, proceeding to the next suggestion if the setup does not start.

• Reboot the computer and try starting Windows XP again, but this time press & hold down the SHIFT key while Windows is booting.  The SHIFT key being depressed during bootup prevents all startup programs from running.  Make sure all programs are closed, especially Outlook and Outlook Express. Now try reinstalling WinFax.
• If that did not help, try to copy the contents of the “WinFax” folder on the installation CD-ROM to a temporary location on the hard drive (like C:\WinFaxInstallImage), then reboot the computer and execute “setup.exe” from that temporary location you just copied the files from the CD ROM to.
• Try temporarily lowering your screen resolution & color depth, to 1024×768 or lower and 256 colors or lower. Yes, as strange as it seems this sometimes can cause InstallShield setup to fail to start properly.
• If this does not help,  read this document and update InstallShield 6 Engine files and delete any temporary files as mentioned in this technical document. Follow the steps for version 6.0 InstallShield engine.
• If you tried all the above and you still cannot start the install, we recommend you consult with a technician at the WinFax Forums and they can provide specific instructions you can use with the help of WinFax Tools.

WinFax PRO will support a maximin of 2 modems on a single PC. If you need to have dual modems, I’d recommend ensuring both modems are different, otherwise, you may run into difficulties. Two external controller based modems are best, or one external controller-based and one internal controller-less. You can try two controller-less modems, but make sure they are different models/manufacturers. Never use two softmodem based modems on a single machine, you’re just asking for trouble.

Looking to purchase WinFax PRO? You may have found links on the internet to download software on the Web and we recommend you do NOT download WinFax illegally from any of these sites. These sites will take your money and you’ll end up with nothing, or worse, stolen personal & financial information. Symantec (the developers of WinFax PRO) discontinued the software in 2006. The final version is WinFax PRO 10, and Symantec no longer sells it.

To purchase WinFax PRO, you’ll need to buy from a liquidator/distributor who has NOS (New Old Stock) on hand, or buy from a third-party 2nd hand.

Read the rest of this entry »

An important update to all WinFax PRO fax users 

UPDATED NEWS : Microsoft releases “ActiveX Killbits” Security Patch for XP February 9th, 2010 (See below)

A security flaw (called a Remote Buffer overflow) with a specific ActiveX Control that is used by WinFax PRO was reported. This type of security flaw is fairly common with ActiveX controls, and effects many programs out there. Recently the same security risks were identified in Facebook & Yahoo Music ActiveX controls. The flaw allows a script (on a Web page that you visit) to execute a program on your computer. When these risks are identified, Microsoft releases a security update to the operating system that fixes these holes. Read the rest of this entry »

I recently picked up a Magicjack, you might have seen the commercials on television, its a USB device that plugs into your computer that allows you to plug a telephone into it, giving you a dial tone so you can make telephone calls using a regular corded or cordless telephone. The difference is the telephone call is routed via your computer to the Internet, using the Magicjack service. Read the rest of this entry »