WinFax PRO Support

One of the main components of WinFax PRO is its printer driver, the printer driver allows you to fax from other applications. Without this driver, you cannot send faxes from other applications. WinFax PRO is crippled without the installation of the included printer (WinFax) driver, without it, all you can fax are single cover pages that are built into WinFax.

Windows Server 2003

The first problem with installation of WinFax PRO under Windows 2003 is that the printer driver support in the operating system was moved from kernel to user mode. The reason is that the use of kernel mode printer drivers can possibily cause a server to hang, result in a blue screen and require a reboot. This isn’t something you want happening on a server. Because of this possibility, Microsoft decided to block the installation of all kernel mode printer drivers in Windows 2003. During the installation of WinFax PRO, a kernel mode printer driver (also called version 2 printer driver) is added to your list of installed printers. By default, Windows 2003 won’t allow you to add this printer, and during the installation it is either ignored silently or a printer driver related error message is displayed. Fortunately, in Windows 2003 you can bypass this restriction. You can set a group policy in Windows 2003 to allow the installation of kernel mode printers. Once you’ve done this, you should be able to successfully install WinFax PRO under Windows 2003.

Windows Server 2008

 Windows Server 2008 does not support Type 2/Kernel Mode printer drivers. While the installation of WinFax (may) appear to complete under Windows 2008, the installation  will not include these printer drivers.  WinFax PRO is not compatible with this operating system.

WinFax printer add failed. Error code ->1797 or 126 and other error codes.

If you are experiencing errors installing the WinFax printer driver, such as Error Code ->1797 or Error Code->126 you may have problems with the WinFax driver files.

Symantec has a list of troubleshooting steps here, but we’ve found these are usually not always effective in solving this problem (and is very time consuming, a reinstall is usually not required). 

http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/faxprod.nsf/docid/2002012814193804

Subscribers to our forums and download access to WinFax Tools can automatically check for these files and repair any errors automatically.

This error can be fixed in WinFax Tools by clicking on “Install & Setup Tools” and then, “Install Printer Driver”

Click here for more information on subscribing to WinFax Tools.

WinFax printer add failed. Error code ->1930

WinFax PRO and TalkWorks PRO requires a Windows compatible operating system such as Windows 9x, Windows NT, Windows 2000 and Windows XP, that will support Kernel Mode (Type 2) printer drivers. Microsoft VISTA and Windows 7 do not support Kernel Mode printer drivers.  While Windows 2003 does support kernel mode printers, they are blocked by default. Windows 2003 requires a policy change to allow for Kernel mode printer driver installation. You must disallow Kernel Mode blocking in Windows 2003 before you can install the WinFax printer drivers.

Unfortunately, like Microsoft Vista, Windows 7 is not compatible with WinFax PRO due to some of the changes made to the operating system.  With the release of Windows 7, Microsoft has acknowledged that many are still using legacy Windows XP applications, like WinFax PRO, and require a method to run these applications on a Windows 7 based PC.  A possible solution to run these legacy “XP” applications on your Windows 7 desktop is a feature that is available in some versions of Windows 7 called 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.

An alternative to WinFax PRO is FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro 7.5,  more details here: http://www.getfaxing.com

 More on Windows XP Mode.

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

In addition to the downloads, you’ll need a compatible processor and motherboard that supports hardware virtualization (AMD-V or Intel VT , also code named Vanderpool technology) . Microsoft has released a tool which you can download to test to see if your processor can support the AMD-V or Intel VT mode.  See Microsoft’s link above for more details.

More info on some compatible CPU’s in this post: http://www.getfaxing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=718

WinFax PRO 10.04 update is a patch file released from Symantec in 2005 that updates the Fax Sharing features of WinFax PRO.  After the patch is applied, the following WinFax PRO 10.03 files are updated in the WinFax installation folder:

• About.cfg
• ISUtil.dll
• UNINSTAL.DLL
• WFXCTL32.EXE (2 different versions depending on operating system)
• WFXRES32.DLL
• WFXIFWPP.DLL
• WPHOST.WPI

The update should only be applied to WinFax PRO 10.03 (North America) version, and is recommended only if you are using the Fax Sharing feature where one or more client(s) are using Windows XP.  

We do not recommend installing this patch for any other purpose, as it does not solve any other issues. If you’re having a problem with WinFax not related to fax sharing under Windows XP, then this update will not fix it. If you are using version 10.03 and do not use fax sharing, this update is not recommended. Do not install this update overtop any other version of WinFax, or any non-English language version of WinFax.

Symantec’s instructions to download and install WinFax PRO 10.04 update is available here: http://service1.symantec.com/SUPPORT/faxprod.nsf/docid/2004113014595304

There’s a lot of confusion regarding the compatibility of Microsoft Vista or Microsoft Windows 7 and WinFax PRO. Part of the confusion is that you can install WinFax on a Windows 7 or Vista installation, and you can send a cover page. See the following links regarding the full details on WinFax compatibility with Microsoft Vista or Windows 7.

Information regarding use of WinFax with Microsoft Vista and Microsoft Windows 7 from the WinFax Forums:  http://www.getfaxing.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=718

Technical article on Microsoft Vista and WinFax PRO: http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/2008/11/29/winfax-pro-and-microsoft-vista-compatibility/

Technical article on Microsoft Windows 7 and WinFax PRO: http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/2009/06/03/symantec-winfax-pro-and-microsoft-windows-7-compatibility/

Alternative to WinFax PRO is FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro 7.5, it is compatible with Windows 7 & VISTA. More details here: http://www.getfaxing.com

Error message: “Unable to locate the installation log file C:\Program Files\WinFax\WFXUNIST.ISU” during WinFax PRO uninstallation or “WFXUNINST.ISU is missing or corrupt.”

This is an error that causes an uninstall of WinFax PRO to fail.  This file is an uninstallation log file that is generated by a third party installation tool called Install Shield. Its automatically generated when you first installed WinFax PRO, so you won’t find this file on the WinFax PRO installation CD ROM. This log file contains all the information and settings that the uninstall program requires to remove WinFax, such as the program folder locations and features that you added or removed during the install process. 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 error message can occur with version 10.02 and higher of WinFax PRO that is operating in the Windows XP environment.  It does not appear under Windows 2000 or windows 9x environments, or versions 10.0 or 10.01. To determine the version of WinFax PRO you are using, click “WinFax Info” button in WinFax Tools.

Usually, starting the WinFax Controller may correct this problem, in some scenarios you may need to reboot of the computer.  If this does not solve the problem, then your installation of WinFax is likely corrupt and needs repair.

If you continue to encounter this error we recommend using the “Fix Start Up Errors” option in WinFax Tools.

When you reboot your computer, the WinFax PRO configuration wizard setup screen appears. You need to cancel or complete the setup to continue using the computer.  The next time you reboot the computer, this setup appears again. This error can be easily fixed with WinFax Tools. To repair this problem follow these steps: Read the rest of this entry »

If you’ve recently upgraded your Windows XP computer to include Internet Explorer 8, Internet Explorer 7, Service Pack 2, or the latest Service Pack 3, and you use WinFax PRO 10, 9, 8 or TalkWorks PRO 2,3 , you may have encountered a problem entering fax numbers in a phonebook. You may have also encountered problems (dialog boxes disappearing, closing) during the installation or setup – such as, entering a fax number, an IP address, dialing settings, area codes, passwords, or CSID (Caller Station Identifer). Read the rest of this entry »

Symantec WinFax PRO 10 is the last version of WinFax to be released, it comes in five different revisions, 10.0, 10.01, 10.02, 10.03 and 10.04 (often incorrectly called 10.4). When we troubleshoot a problem with our Remote Technical Support service, the first question we usually ask is what version of WinFax are you using?  Many can’t answer this, or usually answer version 10 when they may have version 10.02, or 10.03.  Our WinFax Tools application (click the WinFax Info button) can tell you immediately the version you have installed, but if you don’t have the product installed, you have to manually check for files on your CD or look at the product box. More details below.  Read the rest of this entry »

Symantec quietly discontinued its sales and distribution of WinFax PRO 10 in June of 2006.  A few years after the product has been discontinued there are thousands of WinFax PRO users out there. The reason for the longevity of this product is because there is nothing out there that can can match its capabilities, ease of use, and low price.  While its true that fax isn’t as popular as it once was 10 or more years ago, its still widely used by many businesses and individuals out there.

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