WinFax PRO Support

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 »

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 »

This error message can occur with version 10.0 and higher of WinFax PRO when the computer is configured as a Fax Sharing Host. It is also related to Error Loading CopyUNIDRV, and WinFax PRO detects that DCOM is not available, please install and activate DCOM support message.

This error message can be corrected with WinFax Tools.  Click “Install & Setup Tools”, then click “Fix Start Up Errors” option in WinFax Tools.

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.

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.

This can be fixed with 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’re experiencing problems with WinFax or TalkWorks where faxes are not displayed in your send dialog window, you will need to use the “WinFax No Pages fix” button in WinFax Tools.  This fix is for all versions of WinFax PRO 8,9,10 and TalkWorks PRO 2,3 that are using Windows NT, Windows 2000, Windows XP or Windows 2003 Server.

NOTE: WinFax PRO and TalkWorks PRO are not compatible with both x32 and x64 bit Windows Vista, Windows 7 or Windows 8. It it also not compatible with any x64 Microsoft operating system such as Windows Server 2003 x64 or Windows XP x64 bit. WinFax Tools does not correct this incompatibility, and no update is available.
Read the rest of this entry »

Sometimes a fax can appear stuck or faxes fail to send when you submit them. This can be caused due to corruption in the default WinFax send, receive and outbox log.

Repairing a log or phonebook database in WinFax can now be accomplished with ease using WinFax Tools.

Before rebuilding any data in WinFax please backup your entire DATA folder (or entire WinFax folder) where all your WinFax files are located.  We recommend this in case of any failure during the rebuild/repair process.  If you’re not sure where your WinFax files are located, WinFax Tools can determine the location of your DATA folder for you, click on WinFax Info. Read the rest of this entry »

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 »

If you’ve sent a large number of faxes and you want to stop all of them, you can do a simple “HOLD ALL” in WinFax to stop the sending of all faxes in your outbox. Read the rest of this entry »

Windows XPM is an interesting feature for Windows 7, it allows Windows XP applications to run under the same desktop with Windows 7. Unfortunately, Not all PC’s will support the new Windows XP Mode under Windows 7. The processor must support a feature called “hardware virtualization”, which is not supported in many Intel & AMD processors. In addition, even if your CPU does support hardware virtualization, your BIOS must also support it. If you have an older bios that can’t be updated and a chip that does support hardware virtualization, you’ll still be out of luck in using Windows XPM in Windows 7.

UPDATE: Microsoft has released an update for Windows XP Mode to allow for compatibility with processors without hardware virtualization.  For best performance, Microsoft recommended a hardware virtualization CPU.   Read the rest of this entry »

Many of you held off upgrading from Windows XP to Windows Vista and are considering the upgrade to Microsoft’s latest operating system Windows 7 (or even the new Windows 8), but are wondering if many of your existing applications such as WinFax PRO will work.

WinFax PRO and TalkWorks PRO (the fax/voice version of Symantec’s popular fax software) still have a strong user base and many of you don’t want to give up this powerful and easy to use desktop faxing software.

Unfortunately Microsoft Windows 7, along with the upcoming Windows 8 are NOT compatible with WinFax PRO. 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 »

 Does Outlook 2003 or 2007 Crash when you exit Outlook? Did this problem start after you installed WinFax PRO 10? If so, check to see if you have “WinFax Logs” linked in Outlook 2003 or 2007. 

Note that Outlook 2007 is not compatible with WinFax PRO – you cannot use Outlook 2007 contacts with WinFax, and the fixes noted below do not resolve phonebook/contact compatibility issues with Outlook 2007 and WinFax PRO

There are three solutions to this problem Read the rest of this entry »

Shown above is a typical internal PC fax modem and a DSL modem

At one time, fax/modems were a common hardware item that were bundled with many pre-built PCs.  In an effort for computer manufacturers to reduce prices, and because of the decline of dial-up Internet modem usage, fax/modems are not usually bundled with a computer and must be purchased seperately as an add-on. While dial-up internet still being used, it’s rapidly being replaced by high speed internet service, such as DSL.  The DSL modem that is usually supplied to you when you subscribe uses the high frequency (25 kHz – 1 mHz) of your telephone line for internet service.  The lower frequency (4 khz and below) is used for use for regular telephone calls (voice), fax and data calls.

So the question is, if I have a modem for my DSL connection, I should still be able to send a fax with WinFax, right? Read the rest of this entry »