WinFax PRO Support

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.

Error: WFXCTL32.EXE caused an invalid page fault in module WFXIFWPP.DLL when connecting to a WinFax PRO or TalkWorks PRO Fax Sharing host.

Versions of WinFax affected: Confirmed with all versions of WinFax PRO 9.0x, WinFax PRO 10.0x and TalkWorks PRO 3.0. This error only exists on a fax sharing client, when connecting to a fax host. 

This error occurs when a Fax Sharing client connects to a Host, and displays the Received Fax Dialog box.  This dialog box contains a selection list box from the Host computer containing the Fax Message information, including the number of pages, the Remote CSID, the type of message (fax or voice), and the date & time the message was received.   This data is stored internally as comma delimited format.  If a Remote CSID contains a comma, the list is becomes shifted and is positioned in the list box incorrectly. Lack of error conditions in this module causes the error message in to fault in module WFXIPWPP.DLL

Solution/Workaround:

To correct this problem, you need to view the Host receive log and examine any received faxes that have a Remote CSID that contain a comma.  You need to remove these specific faxes from the Receive log (either delete them, or move them into another folder). 

If these faxes are being received from within your own organization, you can prevent future occurances of this error by remove any comma’s from the CSID’s in the fax machines, or software that you use within your organization. Unfortunately, you cannot control other fax machines that you receive from, so any other fax machine you receive from with a comma is the CSID will trigger this error.

What is a Remote CSID (also called a TSID)? 

This is the data that the caller has entered in the fax machine, or fax software that identifies that specific fax machine. Usually, this information contains the fax number but sometimes can also contain a text message, like a company or department name.  If the CSID (or the TSID) contains a comma, this triggers the error in WinFax.  This is a flaw that was not fixed by Symantec, expecting that a CSID would never contain a comma.