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. 

• We fix annoying and cryptic WinFax error messages.
• We fix problems when WinFax suddenly shuts down or cannot start.
• We fix problems printing or attaching files to WinFax PRO.
• We can export, import WinFax faxes & WinFax phonebooks.
• We fix misleading “Not enough disk space” error messages when copying or moving log entries.
• We verify WinFax setup for use with Windows XP Service Pack 2 & 3.
• We repair WinFax errors due to file corruption and failed installations.
• We troubleshoot WinFax Send & Receive problems with your fax modem.
• We repair WinFax Printer drivers with Windows XP/2000/2003
• We can configure WinFax Fax Sharing across your network using Windows XP/2000/2003 (for Host & Clients)
• ACT! phonebook integration (ACT! 6 or lower)
• Fax merge and much more!

Our WinFax PRO Remote Support Service connects you remotely via a secure connection with a Symantec WinFax PRO™ expert to resolve almost any type of Symantec WinFax PRO™ related problem you might have. You connect to us via our secure Remote control software that we provide to you

Visit our Web site at :  http://www.getfaxing.com/services.htm

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.

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 (32 bit only) 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.

Incompatible = any 64 bit operating system, Windows Vista, Windows 7, and later operating systems.

Compatible  = Windows XP (32 bit), Windows 2003, Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.1, Windows 9x, Me

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,  more details here

 More on Windows XP Mode with Windows 7.

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

• 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.

Situation: During the installation of WinFax, or when you reboot your computer, the WinFax PRO configuration wizard setup screen appears. When you are presented with the screen to enter your name, fax number and CSID, the screen disappears or the computer hangs/freezes. You cannot continue the setup, and you cannot start WinFax as the setup is not completed.

These steps apply to Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or Service Pack 3, and all versions of WinFax PRO and TalkWorks PRO.

Start WinFax Tools (The full version of WinFax Tools is provided to all paid subscribers to the WinFax Forums. Click here for Premium Subscription Information)

1. Click on Install & Setup Tools button.
2. Click on Fix Start Up Errors button.
3. Click YES, WinFax will automatically close if active.
4. Click OK to any messages that appear, until completed.
5. Click Fix Entry Problem on the Main WinFax Tools screen.
6. Follow the on screen instructions that appear.
7. Reboot computer when done.
8. If WinFax setup appears, continue with setup. If WinFax Setup does not automatically start, start WinFax Tools, click on Install & Setup Tools button, click Start WTNSETUP button & Continue the WinFax installation.

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.)

WinFax and the maximum fax transmission and reception speed.

The truth is, all fax transmissions are slow when compared with today’s high speed internet. The maximum speed you can receive and send with WinFax PRO is 14.4kbps (14,400bps), regardless of the type of fax modem you use.  This is a fax specification that is called v.17. You can send a 50 page Word document via e-mail in seconds, while that same 50 page document would take almost an hour to fax using a v.17 fax.

Super G3 and v.34 fax

Some newer office fax machines support something called Super G3 (also called v.34bis), and an older fax standard called v.34, both with transmission speeds of 33.3kbps and 28.8kbps respectively.  However, most  consumer grade fax modems that you buy for your computer don’t support Super G3 or v.34.

Both Super G3 and v.34 fax are not supported by WinFax PRO, even if WinFax did support the newer Super G3 standard, chances are you don’t have the fax modem hardware to be able to take advantage of it. Super G3 is usually reserved for higher-priced office fax machines and higher-end fax modem cards.  Usually, large and medium sized businesses may have a Super G3 Fax machine, but many are still using fax machines and devices that support the older v.17 standard at 14,400bps.  About 3 out of 10 fax machines support the Super G3 specification.

If you use a Super G3 Fax, your maximum speed is 33.3kbps — that’s less throughput then standard telephone based dial-up internet access! Now that’s not so Super speed, but it does cut the transmission time in half when compared to v.17 fax, and also the initial connection and disconnection times are reduced in Super G3 Fax.  To see the benefits of a Super G3 Fax machine, you must communicate with another Super G3 Fax machine or compatible device.

The good news is its all compatible, so a Super G3 Fax Machine can talk with other types of fax machines, including a WinFax equipped computer. The lowest speed of the two machines fastest speed is the transmission speed that is set during the initial connection.

Average time to send or receive a fax page

The time it takes to send or receive a fax is based on the actual content of the fax, and how that fax is compressed during the transmission. On average, a single page will take approximately 1 minute to transmit at the WinFax maximum 14.4kbps speed (about 1/4 the speed of the fastest dial up modem internet connection).

That time will increase considerably if the fax image includes photographs, or complex images on the page. A fax with continuous white-space can be sent or received much faster when compared to faxes with a lot of text and graphics, usually a single fax page with a lot of white-space can be transmitted under 45 seconds. A lot of this time is consumed at the initial connection, start of a new page, and disconnection portions of the transmission.

How to speed it up

If you are concerned about the time it takes to send a fax. I recommend reducing the quality of the fax transmitted by sending pages in “Standard” or “Low” resolution. This can be configured in WinFax setup, under the Send options. This can reduce the sending time of faxes by as much as 50%, but the quality of the fax that is received on the other side suffers. If you use a Class 1 fax modem, you can also turn on the High Speed and 2D Compression options.  You do not have this option with a modem configured as a Class 2 or 2.0 fax modem in WinFax PRO.

When receiving faxes, you do not have control how they are received, if a fax is transmitted by the sender to you in high resolution, you will receive the fax in high resolution and it may take additional time to receive it. If two 14,400 bps machines are connecting, the entire fax transmission speed should be 14,400 bps unless there are some problems with the connection. Speeds such as 9,600 bps, 4,800 bps and 2,400 bps are also possible during error conditions. There are also 9,600 bps fax machines, so you may be receiving from an older fax machine where the maximum speed is 9,600 bps and it may be a normal condition.

Conclusion

Faxes are slow when compared to todays high speed internet access, regardless of the fax specification you’re using.  There is nothing you can do about this limitation. Computers don’t normally come bundled with a fax modem that support Super G3 (Class 2.1 type fax modem), so you can’t take advantage of the speed increase unless you spend money on an expensive fax board and use software that will support the Super G3 specification.

At the time of the writing of this article, we found a reasonably priced hardware based internal PCI and PCI express fax modem that also supports Super G3 (Class 2.1), the MultiTech Multimodem ZXP.   Multitech has been in the fax modem business for many years, and are known for reliable products. They are one of the few manufacturers that produce an internal Super G3/Class 2.1 fax modem.

If you use this fax modem with WinFax, it will not support the Super G3 fax setting, you will have to configure this fax modem as a Class 1, Class 2, or Class 2.0 fax device.

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, it is compatible with Windows 7 & VISTA. More details here: http://www.getfaxing.com/faxtalk

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.

The problem is if you don’t have this file, or it is bad/corrupt, you won’t be able to successfully uninstall WinFax PRO.  The uninstall halts, and you can’t continue. You’re left with WinFax that may be partially installed.

Possible Solutions:

If you have an installation of WinFax on another working computer, you could copy the WFXUNIST.ISU to the computer where the problem is occuring.  However, both computers must be using the same folders and features.  If you installed the software in the same way on both machines, to the same folders, then this may  solve the problem.

The preferred solution is to reinstall WinFax PRO to the same installation folder, so the uninstall log file is recreated and any corrupt or missing files are recreated.  You should then be able to perform a proper uninstall after you’ve reinstalled successfully. We always recommend making a backup of your entire WinFax folder including any Data folders before attempting this if you require any WinFax information.

NOTE: WinFax PRO versions 10.02 and 10.03 also require that you must uninstall before you can reinstall the software, so the above method will not work for these versions as it will display a message that an existing version of WinFax is installed, and it will halt the install process. Since you can’t uninstall, you can’t reinstall.

If you are a premium support subscriber, we have our own tools available within our WinFax Tools program and in our premium download area to bypass this message and allow an install overtop the existing version.

Another option is to bypass the WinFax PRO uninstall completely and use the WinFax Clean utility, available in the Premium Downloads area. This program will completely remove WinFax and all related registry keys.

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.

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.

Using Terminal Services / Remote Desktop Services with WinFax

One of the reasons of a Windows 2003 Server installation is because you can then use Terminal Services/Remote Desktop Services to have users connect remotely. We get a lot of requests regarding using WinFax with Terminal Services/Remote Desktop Services. This article may save you a lot of time and headaches.

Many printer drivers just don’t support terminal services (now called Remote Desktop Services), and WinFax PRO’s kernel mode drivers are no exception. If you attempt to print to the WinFax PRO printer driver, the output results will only appear on the console session (session 0), not the users remote connection. There is a document from Microsoft which explains how to shadow the console session 0 with a remote session here. Not a solution, but you can see what is going on here.

So the problem here is anyone using Remote Desktop Services trying to send a fax from their local machine are not going to see the WinFax Send screen asking them enter a fax number/name for the document they want to fax. While you could shadow the console session 0, its not always a good solution.

Alternative solution and sharing WinFax PRO with other clients

WinFax PRO includes a feature called Fax Sharing. It allows you to configure one computer to be a “WinFax Host”, and then you can connect (up to 25) other “WinFax clients” to it. The clients you connect don’t require a fax modem, they just require WinFax PRO to be installed on the local machine. Faxes are then routed to the Host from the client and are sent through the installed fax modem on the Windows 2003 server. Each client has its own send & receive log, and installed WinFax printer driver so everything is generated on the client computer. Remember that each client must be using an OS that WinFax can support, like Windows XP.

With Fax Sharing, you can configure the Windows 2003 machine as a WinFax Host. You can then install WinFax PRO on each user’s machine, and then connect to the Host. The Host machine doesn’t even need the have the WinFax PRO printer drivers, they are not required if all the faxes are going to be processed from the client machines print drivers. We’ve not experienced any problems with the WinFax PRO printer drivers, they are fairly stable, but if you don’t want to stay clear of Kernel mode drivers installed under Windows 2003, then you can remove them or just leave blocking of kernel mode printers on during the installation of WinFax.

I hope this article provides you a better understanding how WinFax interacts with Terminal Services/Remote Desktop Services, and some of the issues with using WinFax with Windows 2003 Server machines. There are of course other technical requirements when dealing with Fax Sharing and Windows XP SP2 or SP3 clients, which will be covered in another article.

This error message, along with the “ WinFax is not active for this User Account. Please start the controller and try again.” error message are both related. They can only occur with version 10.02 and higher of WinFax PRO that is operating in the Windows XP environment.  This error does not appear under Windows 2000 or Windows 9x environments, or versions 10.0 or 10.01 of WinFax PRO. To determine the version of WinFax PRO you are using, click “WinFax Info” button in WinFax Tools.

This error message can occur when you are using the Windows XP Fast User Switching feature.  The reason these messages only appear under Windows XP and versions 10.02 and higher is because these versions included support for Windows XP and specifically checked for the use of the fast user switching feature under Windows XP. This feature allows you to switch between users that are logged into Windows XP, while keeping that users applications running in the background.

The problem is that if another user already has the WinFax Controller running in the background, you can’t start another WinFax instance from another users account. (If you could, it would mess up the database and probably cause data failure).  In this specific case, this message is normal. You can’t start another copy of WinFax if someone else is running it in the background.

While this is the most common situation where this message can appear, its also possible something else is wrong and you don’t use Windows XP Fast User Switching, or don’t even have other users logged into Windows. 

Usually, when you run into this message you may need to reboot of the computer. Its possible that specific WinFax PRO startup programs and service were closed down prematurely, or didn’t execute or startup properly under the current user.  A reboot of the computer should successfully restart these programs that WinFax requires to use.  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. ]]> http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/2009/07/14/error-another-user-on-this-computer-is-using-winfax-please-try-again-later/feed/ 0 http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/2009/07/14/winfax-oem-download-scam/ http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/2009/07/14/winfax-oem-download-scam/#comments Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:02:47 +0000 admin http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/?p=300 Be aware of a current  OEM download doorway pages scam that are appearing frequently on many hacked WordPress blogs and similar sites.

What is a doorway page?

It’s a link that may look legitimate and appear on search engines like Google, but once you click them, they can link you to another Web site or page that could be totally unrelated to the original link.

We’ve encountered links where you are presented with a realistic looking “Windows Security” scanner screen, where it looks like it is scanning your computer and it reports that several viruses are detected.  Clicking anywhere on the screen, including the Cancel button forces you to download and run a file.  The truth is no virus is detected, and the screen is nothing more than a animated graphic of the scanning process fooling the user that a real Windows security scan is happening.  Of course in a state of panic, the user clicks Cancel, and it asks you to run a file. This is where they get you, the trick here is if you actually do download run this file, you’re likely to be infected with malware, or worse, a virus that could potentially delete your data. Most of these doorways are a way for a scammer to take your hard earned money, but the most common are doorway pages that link to sites which try to sell you something, like illegal software downloads. A recent Google search of “WinFax OEM” resulted in some specific examples:

Symantec winfax pro 10.03 Download Cheap OEM software 8 Aug 2009 … Symantec winfax pro 10.03. Shop for cheap OEM Computer Software. Find the lowest priced Computer Software products from 100s of different …blog.student-energy.xxx/wp-includes/js/…/ymce.php?p…winfax-pro… – Similar

Symantec winfax pro 10.4 Download Cheap OEM software

5 Aug 2009 … Symantec winfax pro 10.4. Find, shop for and buy software, business software, multimedia software, and more from Discount OEM Software.com.
blog.student-energy.xxx/wp-includes/js/…/ymce.php?p…winfax-pro… – Similar

As you can see, these 2 specific links are hosted on a WordPress blog (I’ve edited the original link, to protect the owner of that domain).  The problem here is this WordPress site was compromised, the original owner is likely unaware that their site is being used as a doorway page. Once the visitor clicks on one of these links, they are re-directed to another Web site which purpose is to sell software downloads.

The spammers are using this organization’s domain as a doorway.  Not only is traffic being routed to their domain, and then re-routed to the spammer site, but they are also being used for the purpose of legitimately getting indexed quickly on search engines, like Google.  This can also damage your search ranking of your legitimate Web site once Google determines your site is being used as a doorway page.

Stuffed keywords like the following can appear on a hacked webpage:

Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Monday, August 24, 2009 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 download Buy Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 online oem Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 price Symantec winfax pro 10.0 crack Symantec winfax pro 10.0 software Symantec winfax pro 10.0 download download Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 sales serial number for Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Buy Symantec winfax pro 10.0 cheap Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 low price Symantec winfax pro 10.0 product key Buy Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 serial number buy Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 oem Symantec winfax pro 10.0 buy buy Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 oem serial number for Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 rapidshare Symantec winfax pro 10.0 download Symantec winfax pro 10.0 download Symantec winfax pro 10.0 software Symantec winfax pro 10.0 crack cheap Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 keygen Symantec winfax pro 10.0 price Symantec winfax pro 10.0 sales download Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 download Symantec winfax pro 10.0 serial number Symantec winfax pro 10.0 product key Symantec winfax pro 10.0 torrent oem Symantec winfax pro 10.0 Symantec winfax pro 10.0 low price

As you can see, they stuff the keywords so Google, and other search engines rank these pages above other similar type pages related to Symantec WinFax PRO. Once the page has been indexed by the search engine using the above keywords, they redirect the same indexed link to a spam site.

These Web sites should never be trusted! Why? because if they will go to lengths to hack other sites to make money, they will likely use your credit card and other personal information for their benefit. In addition, If any site is offering an immediate download of WinFax, at any price, it is illegal. We’ve come across MAJOR sites, universities, colleges and other organizations that have hosted links that redirect to these download sites, many of which included offers to download WinFax PRO and many other software titles after entering your personal information & credit card details.

If you are looking to purchase WinFax PRO, do so from a legitimate vendor, or private third-party who can provide you with an original Symantec CD-ROM media from their existing old-stock.  Please see our Where to Buy WinFax in our Guides section for more details on this.

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.

1. Start WinFax Tools.
2. Click on Logs & Phonebooks button.
3. Click on Rebuild Log & Phonebooks button.
4. Click OK to the message “Do you want to rebuild log & phonebook files?”
5. If Outlook is currently running, you will be prompted to close Outlook. I recommend closing all other open applications except WinFax Tools.
6. You will now be presented with a dialog box asking you to select a specific WinFax database file with a ”.WFB” extension.  The default phonebook is called “MY-PH-BK” and the default send/receive/outbox log is called “STATUS”.  Select one of these files you want to repair, and click OK.  If you have additional phonebooks, they will be listed with the appropriate name.  Any additional logs (message stores) will also have their unique name.
7. Wait for the selected database to be optimized and rebuilt. Click CLOSE when done.
8. Repeat the steps for any additional databases you want to rebuild (if required.)
9. Click  Close in WinFax Tools.
10. Click Start Controller. The WinFax Controller should start and the database should be repaired.

1. Start Message Manager.

You can start Message Manager using the same methods you use to start any other program running on your operating system. To start Message Manager, do one of the following:

From the Windows Start button Click the Windows Start button, point to Programs, then WinFax PRO or TalkWorks PRO, and then click WinFax PRO or TalkWorks PRO Message Manager.

From the Controller Right click the Controller icon on the Windows taskbar and click Start Message Manager on the menu that appears.
From the WinFax folder/program group  Double click the Message Manager icon or executable file (FAXMNG32.EXE).

From Windows Explorer or File Manager Double click the Message Manager icon or executable file (FAXMNG32.EXE).

2. On the Go menu, click Outbox. The Logs window opens to display the Outbox folder.

3. In the record list, click the message you want to put on hold.

4. On the Send menu, click Hold (for selected faxes) or Hold All (for all faxes in the outbox)

• To hold all scheduled messages in the record list, click Hold All on the Send menu.
• Held faxes are marked with an upheld palm icon in the Outbox.
• An error message will appear if you try to Hold a fax that is currently being sent. This is a normal message as you can only hold faxes that are waiting to be sent.

Here’s a Video of some of WinFax’s features.  It was incorrectly named Norton WinFax in the video, WinFax Features Video

Before you purchase WinFax PRO software (eBay is one source), I’d recommend you read the following guide, so you know what you are buying.

Some WinFax History

WinFax was developed by Canadian software developers Delrina Technology in the early 1990s. Delrina sold millions of copies worldwide and as its flagship product, it pushed Delrina to become one of the fastest growing technology companies in Canada. The software allowed Windows based PCs with fax modems to easily send and receive faxes. It was part of Delrina’s contribution towards the “paperless” office. It included a easy to use interface and advanced features that still are not found in many fax software packages today. Delrina’s success caught the eye of software giant Symantec, and the company, along with the development rights to WinFax, was sold to Symantec in 1995. Symantec continued developing and updating WinFax PRO until about 2002, until it was discontinued in June 2006. Support ceased in August, 2006. As of the writing of this guide, no new versions are being developed by Symantec or any other third party. However, WinFax is still being used by thousands of users worldwide today! The reason is many die-hard users of this great fax package don’t want to give up the ease of use of WinFax – and have tried many other “alternatives” without success. Although never confirmed by Symantec, it has been rumoured that over 10 million copies of WinFax PRO were sold worldwide prior to being discontinued.

Free Upgrades, Support?

So now you know Symantec has discontinued WinFax. Auctions on eBay which claim “Free upgrades” are misleading, because Symantec will not offer any free upgrades, provide support, or provide updates to this software. While there is a LiveUpdate (Symantec’s automatic update software) feature in WinFax PRO, it does not automatically update your version of the software. Live technical Support from Symantec is also no longer available, and the only source of information for WinFax PRO is what is available from their on-line Web site or third-party Web sites. So be prepared to solve problems yourself on-line, or with the help a third party Web site, or support service such as the GetFaxing.com WinFax forums. More information on WinFax PRO and how to receive LIVE remote technical support can be found at www.GetFaxing.com. All retail versions of WinFax PRO 10 included a manual, and were sold with the “yellow” cardboard box. If the auction your looking at doesn’t include a manual or box, the CD might be counterfeit, especially if the seller has multiple copies for sale. Symantec has recently sued many dealers who sold illegal copies of their software. Be aware of what you are buying and what you will receive. Lots of sellers like to include a picture of the nice yellow box shot of WinFax PRO in their auctions, and many auctions use the wording “SEALED”, but you only end up receiving is sealed CD-ROM in an envelope sleeve. Many sellers also claim your buying the “OEM version” but WinFax PRO 10 was never bundled with specific hardware, so there are no OEM versions of WinFax PRO 10. (There were some BASIC Editions that were bundled with hardware, but these were feature limited) However, there are some exceptions and many eBay sellers are legitimate. Loose sleeve CDs may be legitimate software that was never put into a box for retail sale, used for volume licensing sales, some one selling a copy that lose the box and manual, etc. Its very difficult for you to determine how the seller obtained these CDs, so you might want to ask them. Look at the eBay feedback rating and comments to see if they’ve had any complaints before bidding.

Vista and Windows 7 compatibility

If you’re using Windows Vista or Windows 7, forget about using WinFax PRO. While WinFax PRO will install under Microsoft Vista and Windows 7, it will not operate properly. The fax printer driver will not install in these operating systems (it’s not compatible). The printer driver is the heart of WinFax, without it, you can’t send faxes from applications. If you already have Vista Ultimate or Business Editions, you’ll already have a basic fax software included with the operating system. These are very basic and not even come close to the features of WinFax. Unfortunately, if you only have Vista Home, Premium or Basic you won’t get any built in fax capability. Windows 7 will also include a very limited fax capability, but at this time it is unknown which versions will support this feature out of the box.

If you have Windows XP, you’re best bet is version 10.03. Version 10.03 is the version if you require access to Outlook 2003 data. Other versions will not function properly with Outlook 2003 and will give you grief with your Office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, because WinFax likes to install these add-ins without telling you. While 10.03 is recommended, it is not necessary. Version 10.02 has problems with the “Software Development Kit”, so if you plan on using WinFax with any other application, forget version 10.02. Version 10.04 is only required if you are using a Fax Sharing Host in Windows XP SP2 or SP3 (this is the only update can be downloaded from Symantec’s Web site, but to update you require version 10.03)

Using WinFax PRO with Windows XP Service Pack 3 / Service Pack 2

Yes, WinFax PRO is compatible with Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3. Anyone who claims otherwise, is incorrect. If you’ve recently upgraded your Windows XP computer to include Internet Explorer 7/8, Service Pack 2, or the latest Service Pack 3, and you use WinFax PRO or TalkWorks PRO, you may have encountered a problem entering fax numbers in a phonebook. You may have also encountered problems entering a fax number, an IP address, or CSID (Caller Station Identifer – a fax number) during the installation or within the user properties setup of WinFax PRO. Download WinFax Tools for a solution.

WinFax PRO 10 Version history

WinFax PRO 10.0 (released prior to Windows XP, but will install with Windows XP. Problems with Office 2003)

WinFax PRO 10.01 (short lived LiveUpdate for 10.0, fixed a few bugs, such as changing e-mail forwarding file type from .exe to .fxm, but generated some other flaws, because of this, it was removed as an update)

WinFax PRO 10.02 (officially planned Windows XP version. Problems with Office 2003 integration still, and also introduced the SDK problem which causes problems with third-party integration (Merge faxing with Microsoft Word, ACT! etc.)

WinFax PRO 10.03 (released to fix problems in 10.02 – much better, Outlook 2003 works without crashing. Still problems with Word macros)

WinFax PRO 10.04 (released as an update from version 10.03 only, fixes the security settings in Windows XP SP2 only for use with Fax Sharing) Not recommended as an update unless you are using Fax Sharing and Windows XP SP2 on all computers.

What type of fax modem?

You’ll need an analog fax/data modem installed on your PC for sending and receiving faxes. WinFax will not send “Internet faxes” for free using a DSL or Cable Modem. WinFax can be used to send internet faxes, but can only be done with a third-party company called Concord Fax which charges a fee for usage. Visit www.getfaxing.com/winfax  for more details on using a DSL or Cable Modem with WinFax PRO

The three main internal components of any analog fax modem are the DPU (Data Pump Unit which contains the DSP-Digital Signal Processor,RAM+ROM), the MCU (Microprocessor control unit) and the DAA (Data Access Arrangement which is the portion of the modem that handles the telephone line connection) . Different types of modems will include the DPU & MCU either in hardware in the form of microprocessor chips on the modem itself, or emulated in software performed by the computer. All modems have a DAA as hardware but they are not all created equal. The actual functions of these components are not discussed in detail here, but we mention them so you can understand the differences between the different types of modems you can buy.

“SoftModems”

They’re internal and sometimes found as external USB modems and can be purchased at computer stores or on eBay for very cheap or they come bundled with your computer. They work, but not always well with WinFax. They’ll come with drivers that are specific for the operating system you are using (usually, this is Windows – many Linux users don’t like softmodems for this reason). A “soft modem” is usually missing the DPU and MCU hardware that more expensive modems have built in. Instead of this hardware, the computer is used to simulate this missing hardware, this reduces the overall manufacturing cost of the modem because it uses less microprocesser chips. Why do you think it only cost $10? Some people might have had a bad experience with a “softmodem” and will tell you these modems are junk, but the truth is these modems can and do work if you have a fast computer and the drivers are installed correctly. We have many of our customers working well with these types of modems, so if you’ve already have one of these modem installed in your desktop or notebook, you can give it a try. You might be successful, just be aware that you can probably do better with the “controller based” or “controller-less” type modem described below. If your sending and receiving a serious amount of faxes while working on your computer doing other tasks, you might want to look at a better performing fax modem. Usually around $20.00 price. PCTel, ESS, Conexant Soft56K, HSF, U.S. Robotics 5670 are all softmodems.

“Winmodems”

Winmodems are often refered to as being the same as “softmodems”, but this is not true when dealing with U.S. Robotics types modems. U.S. Robotics came out with the first “WinModem” in the late 90s, and they own the trademark to this brand name. So legally, other modem manufacturers can’t call their modems “WinModems”. A U.S. Robotics brand “WinModem” is usually a controller-less type of modem. If a modem is a referred to as a “WinModem”, and is not a U.S. Robotics brand, you can be sure its really just a “softmodem”. I expect because of this consumer confusion, U.S. Robotics has dropped using the name “WinModem” for newer models of modems they manufacturer.

“Controller based” modems, often called “Hardware Modems”.

All external modems which use the serial port connection (usually 9pin or 25pin) are Controller based modems. Also often called “Hardware Modem”. The processing is done all within the modem itself, and not the computer. These modems have the DPU & MCU built into the hardware so you don’t have the computer worry about these tasks. These are the best types of modems. You can also purchase internal versions of these modems in PCI or PCIe format, but they are a rare find as few manufacturers make these. Found new at around $50 and up for external, internal hardware modems PCI/PCIe $70 and up. U.S. Robotics 5610 is a controller based internal fax modem.

“Controller-less” based modems.

A controller-less based modem off loads the MCU to the PC. This lowers the overall cost of the modem but keeps the DPU on the modem itself, so it’s one step below performance of the Controller based modem, but well ahead the “Softmodem” design. Many internal PCI modems manufactured today are “Controller-less” based modems, unfortunately, these aren’t the modems that usually get bundled with your PC. These are a popular choice for those who don’t want an external based fax modem. These modems are sometimes also referred incorrectly as a “hardware modem” when compared with a “softmodem”. Found new at a price range from a low of $30 and up. The Conexant HCF type fax modems are controller-less and U.S. Robotics “WinModems” are controller-less.

How can I tell the difference between types of modems?

A “softmodem” is fairly easy to recognize, its the one that is small, compact, and might only have a single-chip on the entire fax circuit board. If the driver name has the words “Soft” , “Flex”, “HSP”, HSF” its likely a softmodem. Most manufacturers of softmodems will not mention anywhere in their marketing material about it being a “softmodem”, so you need to look a the driver, or the modem circuit board, or do some research on the specificiations of the fax modem from the manufacturer. External USB modems also fall into the “softmodem” category, but some external modems have both USB and Serial connections which could be controller based fax modems. Internal Controller-less and Controller based fax modems usually will have a few microprocessor chips on the fax circuit board, perhaps 2 or more microprocessor chips. They are usually larger in size when compared to a softmodem. Most manufacuters who make these modems make sure their marketing promotes the fact they are “hardware based” fax modems and can get a higher price tag because of this.

External controller based fax modems are easy to recognize, they’re external, require an added power supply, and connect to the computer via RS-232 (serial type 9 pin or 25 pin) connector. When in doubt, find the model number of your fax modem, and if possible, contact the manufacturer for specifications of the fax modem.

Look for an old fax modem

Older 28.8kbps and 33.6kbps fax modems are just as good as the new 56kbps ones. Remember this speed is for the “data” portion of the modem, not the fax, which is standard at 14.4kbps. The max fax rate that you can transmit with WinFax is 14.4kbps, so these fax modems work fine. Older modems manufactured in the mid and late 90s (Hayes, Supra. U.S. Robotics for example.) are good for use with WinFax and eBay is a good source to buy used, older 14.4kbps fax modems dirt cheap. Unfortunately, many older internal modems use the old ISA bus which all modern computers have abandoned, so you want to avoid these because they just won’t plug into a modern PC with PCI slots. Internal controller based PCI modems are good if you stick with those that are “controller based” or “controller-less”. Rockwell based (now called Conexant) chipset are recommended, but external modems using the standard 9 pin or older 25 pin serial port work best. The fax standard is 14.4kbps, so an older modem will perform the same speed as a new one when using WinFax PRO.

2 modems in one computer

WinFax PRO will support up to 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.

Fax Merge/Fax Broadcasting/Sending Bulk Faxes

Yes, WinFax PRO can receive faxes but one of the most common uses of WinFax PRO is to send many faxes, called a fax merge/fax blast, or fax broadcast. You might have a fax that you need to send to each of your customers or clients on a weekly or monthly basis. A properly configured WinFax PRO is perfect for this type of job. A fax merge allows you to personalize individual faxes to your clients. We can assist in setting up this type of service for you, never again do you have to pay an outsouring company to send your faxes – you can do it all yourself! More information can be found at GetFaxing.com

Hope this guide helps, and good luck with your faxing project! If you have any additional information you’d like to suggest for this posting please let us know.

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.

For this flaw to effect you, you’d have to 1) Have WinFax PRO, TalkWorks PRO or WinFax Basic Edition installed 2) be tricked to visiting a Web page set up with this exploit, and 3) click “Yes” to allow the ActiveX component to run (it is preferred that you don’t allow ActiveX components to automatically run, so beware and check your settings in IE)

We’ve tested the “proof of concept” test script in Internet Explorer and our AVG Anti-Virus detected it immediately and prevented the script from executing. However, one user commented to us that a carefully encoded script could bypass current Anti-virus detection. We’ve determined this Fax Viewer flaw effects all versions of WinFax PRO (from 8.0 to 10.04) and TalkWorks PRO (2.0 and 3.0) and all WinFax Basic Editions.

Symantec’s Security team response was they would not be updating the effected file since they discontinued sales and support of WinFax PRO in 2006.

How to protect myself?

We have included a free tool (WinFax Tools) which sets the “killbit” for this WinFax specific ActiveX control in the Windows registry. A “killbit” disables the WinFax ActiveX control from executing in Internet Explorer and Microsoft Explorer. This doesn’t effect the normal operation of WinFax PRO but will disable any custom written (WinFax SDK) applications that may use this WinFax Viewer Control from a Web page.

The Fix:

1. Click here to download WinFax Tools
2. Click the “No Operator Code” button when prompted
3. Click the “Fix Viewer DLL Security” button to set the “Killbit” for the WinFax ActiveX Control.
4. Click ”Yes” when prompted.
5. You’re done, and are now protected from this security risk.

This type of security flaw is common with many ActiveX components used in applications, not just WinFax. Facebook & Yahoo ActiveX controls have recently been indentified with the same risks. It always recommended to follow safe surfing practices, have anti-virus enabled and a firewall, keep your Microsoft Windows OS updated with the latest security patches released by Microsoft, don’t allow ActiveX controls to run automatically, and be aware of any ActiveX controls that you allow to run.

It’s possible that Microsoft will include a security update (which includes the Killbit) in the near future that would prevent the execution of this specific ActiveX control. We recommend you take action now, instead of waiting for Microsoft to release Killbit Security updates.   

 UPDATE March 2010: 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 check to see if the ActiveX kill bit was applied properly by Windows XP Update. If your system has the Killbit set, the WinFax Tools program will indicate it has already been applied.

Here are some links to interesting applications and technical articles on ActiveX controls and Killbits for those interested in learning more about “Killbits” and security issues with ActiveX controls.

Killbit Explorer application (lets you see all ActiveX controls that have killbits set.) http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/killbitexplorer

How to disable ActiveX controls from running in Internet Explorer and Windows Explorer http://support.microsoft.com/kb/240797

Article on ActiveX Controls and Security http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/security-pros-kill-activex-164?page=0,0

Symantec’s Official Report on this flaw http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/attacksignatures/detail.jsp?asid=23348

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

Solution #1

If you are a WinFax Forums premium member, you can download the file to fix this here:  Outlook Patch If you are not yet a member, you can find out more details on becoming a Premium Forum member http://www.getfaxing.com/services.htm#forums

NOTE: This does not delete your logs in WinFax PRO, it only removes the link in Outlook to your WinFax logs.  You can continue using your Outlook 2003 contacts in WinFax PRO. Outlook 2007 IS NOT SUPPORTED at all in WinFax PRO.

Solution #2

1. Start Microsoft Outlook 2003 or 2007
2. Click on File, Data File Management.
3. In the list, you will see “WinFax Logs“, if so, Select “WinFax Logs” from the list and click “Remove“.
4. Verify you selected “WinFax Logs” and then click “Yes” to confirm removal of the data-file.  (WARNING: Be sure you only select and remove the WinFax Logs folder)

NOTE: This does not delete your logs in WinFax PRO, it only removes the link in Outlook to your WinFax logs.  You can continue using your Outlook 2003 contacts in WinFax PRO. Outlook 2007 IS NOT SUPPORTED at all in WinFax PRO.

Solution #3

If you can’t perform the above steps because Outlook won’t start properly (crashes, hangs) after installing WinFax PRO 10.0x, then try the following steps:

1. Open the Control Panel.
2. Double-click the Mail icon. (If the MAIL icon does not appear, try switching to CLASSIC VIEW)
3. Click on the Data Files button.
4. Select “WinFax Logs” from the list and click “Remove”. (If you are using Outlook 2007 you will need to click on the Data Files tab first.)
5. Verify you clicked ”WinFax Logs” and then click “Yes” to confirm removal of the “WinFax Log” data-file.   (WARNING: Be sure you only select and remove the WinFax Logs folder)

NOTE: This does not delete your logs in WinFax PRO, it only removes the link in Outlook to your WinFax logs.  You can continue using your Outlook 2003 contacts in WinFax PRO. Outlook 2007 IS NOT SUPPORTED at all in WinFax PRO.