[dr.rocket]

I was mistaken about WinFax not waiting until after the 2nd ring to answer. It does seem to be answering after whatever number of rings is specified, but then it quickly disconnects without any data transfer.

[Administrator]

In WinFax Tools , click WinFax Info. What is displayed there? What version of WinFax is listed? Does it indicate any warning message about the 10.04 update?

also, what is listed under “Known running fax tasks” window? There should be a few WinFax related applications, such as wfxswtch.exe, wfxsnt40.exe, faxmng32.exe (if message manager is open) , wfxctl32.exe (if controller is active) and wfxmod32.exe, and you’ll see WinFaxTools130.exe Are there any others?

Confirm if you have any other fax software active and waiting for calls? This would cause a problem with answering, or if another device like an answering machine or fax machine is also on the same telephone line.

Do you see “Answering…” and then after a few seconds it hangs up, or does WinFax try to connect with a fax machine with “Negotiating…” or “Training…” and then a hang up?

What type of phone line are you using? Is it a VoIP (Internet) or standard POTS (Plain Old Telephone) line?

Have you checked the phone line cable on the back of the modem? Is it plugged into the proper cable outlet? One is labelled LINE IN and the other should be PHONE. Check connections to ensure it is secure and correct. Incorrect connections can sometimes allow sending out, but not receiving.

Also, since the modem is an older external RS-232 (25 pin) type it is likely you have some sort of adapter or add-on card for your PC (assuming it is a newer type PC). What type of serial connection are you using? Do you have another device using COM2? Why is the modem installed on COM3? How are you connecting this modem to the PC? Is it using a adapter such as a USB-> Serial adapter? or a 25 pin to 9 pin serial adapter? How many serial ports (if any) does your computer have?
A hardware problem can cause problems answering calls.

[dr.rocket]

WinFax Tools reports:
WinFax About.Cfg Version : 10.0
WinFax About.Cfg Display Version : 10.0
WinFax registry version reported : 10.0

Program Path : C:WINFAX
Data/Fax default Path : c:WINFAXData
Cover Pages Path : c:WINFAXCover

Base Operating System : XP
Logged in as Administrator account : True

Wfxmnt40.dll: 2/14/2000 4:36:18 PM Size: 131072
Wfxmnthq.dll: 2/14/2000 4:36:20 PM Size: 132608
Wfxsnt40.exe: 2/14/2000 4:36:22 PM Size: 43008

No mention is made about the 10.04 update.

Under known running fax tasks:
wfxsnt40.exe
WinFaxTools130.exe

No other fax software is running or waiting for calls.
It is a dedicated POTS phone line.
The dialogue box says “Answering…” very briefly, then disconnects. It never gets to Negotiating or Training.

The modem is hooked up correctly.
The motherboard does not have any serial ports, so a Serial –> USB adapter is being used.

Device Manager is not showing COM2 at all, just COMs 1,3,5,6; if I recall correctly, the UPS monitor is on COM2.
Device Manager is not seeing my Practical Peripherals modem, and WinFaxPRO keeps clearing the checkbox so no Active modem is found, even though the Practical Peripherals is listed (–it’s listed but not checked in WinFax; it’s not even listed in Device Manager).

Why is WinFaxPRO not saving the Practical Peripherals as an active modem?

[Administrator]

@dr.rocket wrote:

No mention is made about the 10.04 update.

Your original message you mentioned 10.04, and it doesn’t appear you have this update installed. This is not required, and since you have version 10.0 you should not update to 10.04.

Under known running fax tasks:
wfxsnt40.exe
WinFaxTools130.exe

These are the proper results for WinFax PRO 10.0.

No other fax software is running or waiting for calls.
It is a dedicated POTS phone line.
The dialogue box says “Answering…” very briefly, then disconnects. It never gets to Negotiating or Training.
The modem is hooked up correctly.
The motherboard does not have any serial ports, so a Serial –> USB adapter is being used.

WinFax doesn’t work too well when connecting a fax modem via a USB->Serial adapter. Generally, we don’t recommend them. This is not an ideal setup and could be the cause of these strange problems you are experiencing with WinFax PRO. If you are using a serial modem, you should have a serial port on your PC. This can be accomplished by use of an add-on card with serial ports on them. Have you always been using this setup? Has it worked before with the same hardware configuration?

Device Manager is not showing COM2 at all, just COMs 1,3,5,6; if I recall correctly, the UPS monitor is on COM2.
Device Manager is not seeing my Practical Peripherals modem, and WinFaxPRO keeps clearing the checkbox so no Active modem is found, even though the Practical Peripherals is listed (–it’s listed but not checked in WinFax; it’s not even listed in Device Manager).Why is WinFaxPRO not saving the Practical Peripherals as an active modem?

This older hardware isn’t Windows plug & play compatible. So its not likely going to show up in device manager as a listing under modems. You need to ensure that in the specific Windows modems settings in Control Panel, unders Modems, it does show up as a modem and it is listed on the proper com port it is connected to. You can check device manager and ensure that under Ports, you have Com3 listed there. You can also click on the Diagnostics Tab, and click Query Modem to test the modem. This ensures that the modem is detected by Windows and it is communicating with it. Do this first, and ensure the modem appears in Windows properly (even if it is only listed as Standard 14,400 bps modem)

Next, I recommend is resetting the modem settings in WinFax. This will un-do the modems we added previously, and also reset and settings incase of some corruption. You can then re-add the modem in WinFax (this should fix the “No active modem” problem.) To do this:

Using WinFax Tools:
Click Install & Setup Tools
Click Start SymDiag.
Click Yes to message.
Click OK to message
Click Restore Default Settings
Scroll down to the bottom of the list, and only select “Modems Registry Key”
Click Reset.
Click Yes to Warning: All Modems and other fax devices will be unconfigured… message.
Click Close.
Click Close again.
Click No to message “Would you like to start Message Manager”

You now need to re-configure the modem in WinFax. Go into Modems & Communications Devices in WinFax Setup, select the “Standard Modem” and click Properties. This should now present you with the wizard to add the modem.

Remember that the default setting is TAPI, so go ahead and try it in TAPI mode to see if you notice any difference when receiving a fax. Does it show Negotiating, Training etc… or does it hang up like before? does it appear to receive the fax, then report the error “Error in ending session” ? Does the system lock up?

[dr.rocket]

I don’t know why WinFaxTools is reporting 10.0; I know at one point I was using WinFaxPRO 10.04. Maybe it used to display under Help/About Message Manager?

If you are using a serial modem, you should have a serial port on your PC. This can be accomplished by use of an add-on card with serial ports on them. Have you always been using this setup? Has it worked before with the same hardware configuration?

My current motherboard has no serial ports, but the USB–>Serial adapter hardware configuration did used to work well. I had reseached the adapters (I’ve tried 2 different ones — Belkin, Keyspan) prior to purchase, and they got good reviews. I’ll look to buy a serial port PCI card now if you think that is preferrable; but, like I said previously, it used to work with the USB–>Serial adapters.

Using the TAPI setting, the computer locked up during Answering. After rebooting, I got a dialogue box about applying Symantec KB-ID 200309015493306. A Google search revealed nothing about this KB. What’s it trying to fix?

[dr.rocket]

A new wrinkle — I am unable to set the Standard 14400 modem as active (neither as TAPI nor as COM3). I get an error dialogue box stating, Only 2 devices requiring dialing rules may be active at a given location.

One step forward and two steps back. ;(

[Administrator]

@dr.rocket wrote:

A new wrinkle — I am unable to set the Standard 14400 modem as active (neither as TAPI nor as COM3). I get an error dialogue box stating, Only 2 devices requiring dialing rules may be active at a given location.

One step forward and two steps back. ;(

You can define specific dialing rules and modems used for multiple locations.
Check your location setting (it is at the top of the dialog where you set the modem as active) (Default, Cellular ..etc)
What modems are defined for each location? Try unchecking them if they are active elsewhere.

If you can’t adjust them, then it is possible your location settings may be corrupt.

[Administrator]

@dr.rocket wrote:

I don’t know why WinFaxTools is reporting 10.0; I know at one point I was using WinFaxPRO 10.04. Maybe it used to display under Help/About Message Manager?

If you are using a serial modem, you should have a serial port on your PC. This can be accomplished by use of an add-on card with serial ports on them. Have you always been using this setup? Has it worked before with the same hardware configuration?

My current motherboard has no serial ports, but the USB–>Serial adapter hardware configuration did used to work well. I had reseached the adapters (I’ve tried 2 different ones — Belkin, Keyspan) prior to purchase, and they got good reviews. I’ll look to buy a serial port PCI card now if you think that is preferrable; but, like I said previously, it used to work with the USB–>Serial adapters.

Using the TAPI setting, the computer locked up during Answering. After rebooting, I got a dialogue box about applying Symantec KB-ID 200309015493306. A Google search revealed nothing about this KB. What’s it trying to fix?

This is not an active article that I can find, it is in a valid format but appears to be missing a digit.
From our experience these adapters are problematic. It is not an issue about a specific brand. If it was working before, it should continue to work providing the modem is properly configured in Windows.

[dr.rocket]

What modems are defined for each location? Try unchecking them if they are active elsewhere.

The only options for define Active device for location are Default or Dial as entered. Nothing is checked, but when I check the Standard 14400 bps modem I get the error message about 2 devices…

BTW, all the items in the Connection Device list are :
ISDN Device (CAPI 2.0)
WinFax PRO Fax Sharing
Concord Internet Fax
NetCentric Internet Fax

I’m at a loss for how to correct what is messed up. I can’t use WinFax for anything now, not even sending a fax. ;(

[Administrator]

@dr.rocket wrote:

What modems are defined for each location? Try unchecking them if they are active elsewhere.

The only options for define Active device for location are Default or Dial as entered. Nothing is checked, but when I check the Standard 14400 bps modem I get the error message about 2 devices…

BTW, all the items in the Connection Device list are :
ISDN Device (CAPI 2.0)
WinFax PRO Fax Sharing
Concord Internet Fax
NetCentric Internet Fax

I’m at a loss for how to correct what is messed up. I can’t use WinFax for anything now, not even sending a fax. ;(

You’re missing 2 locations. Either they were deleted previously, or incorrectly configured and left over in your system registry. To fix this problem you’ll need to reset all the locations.

To do this.

Using WinFax Tools:
Click Install & Setup Tools
Click Start SymDiag.
Click Yes to message.
Click OK to message
Click Restore Default Settings
Scroll down to the bottom of the list, and only select “Locations Registry Key”
Click Reset.
Click Yes to Warning: All locations settings will be lost….. message.
Click Close.
Click Close again.
Click No to message “Would you like to start Message Manager”

Now try to go back and set the Standard Modem active again for the “Default” location.

[dr.rocket]

OK, at least now I’m back to where I started — Standard 14400 on COM3 is the Active default location modem; I can once again send faxes but, receiving a fax still disconnects at Answering. [Note: When set as TAPI, receiving a fax locks-up the computer at Answering]

I have ordered a serial port PCI card just in case but, previously the Serial–>USB adapter configuration worked fine.

What should I try next?

[Administrator]

Here are some suggestions you can try:

You could try rebuilding the send/receive logs if you have not already done so.
http://www.getfaxing.com/winfax/2009/07/09/how-to-repair-logs-or-phonebooks-in-winfax-using-winfax-tools/

You can try configuring Microsoft Fax (included with Windows XP) and see if you can receive faxes with this software.

There is also this Microsoft document regarding TAPI and hanging/crash during termination of a call. This may or may not be related to the problem you are having when set to TAPI.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/955576

You can try adjusting the modem to use COM1 or COM2 instead of COM3. If your computer doesn’t have any com ports, these should be free. This can be accomplished by removing the modem in Windows, rebooting, and then re-adding the modem again from the Control Panel/Modems/Add Modem. This only works if there is no other devices using COM1 or COM2 – AND you actually have these ports configured under PORTS in Device Manager. Also, if your USB->Serial port hardware installs some configuration software, you may need to configure these settings from there. Consult your USB->Serial port adapter manual/guide to determine how to specify a com port it uses. If you change the modems com port, you have to make sure you reconfigure the modem in WinFax again.

You can replace the modem with another that is Windows XP plug & play compatible.

[dr.rocket]

Mystery solved (I think) — by mixing and matching 2 different external modems (Practical Peripherals [aka, Standard 14400] and U.S. Robotics V.Everything) with 2 different Serial–>USB adapters, I was able to deduce that the COM3-adapter had a Receive problem no matter which modem was used; each of the modems Sent and Received faxes properly when connected via the other Serial–>USB adapter (associated with COM6). TAPI was the correct setting to use for the Active default-location modem.

In case you’re wondering why I prefer using the old Practical Peripherals PM14400FXSA instead of the [plug-and-play] U.S. Robotics V.Everything, it’s because this model of Practical Peripherals fax/modem displays scrolling messages rather than blinking LEDs to depict the status of transmissions. Also, I recall that in the past U.S. Robotics fax/modems had a problem communicating with certain other brands of fax/modems. I don’t know if that’s still the case.

I’m awaiting delivery of a Serial port PCI card to use instead of a Serial–>USB adapter since you WinFax experts seem to think Serial–>USB adapters can be problematic. Can’t a Serial port PCI card fail over time as well?

Thanks for all your help.

[Administrator]

@dr.rocket wrote:

I’m awaiting delivery of a Serial port PCI card to use instead of a Serial–>USB adapter since you WinFax experts seem to think Serial–>USB adapters can be problematic. Can’t a Serial port PCI card fail over time as well?
Thanks for all your help.

Yes, like all hardware it can also fail.
I think the USB->Serial adapters is an easier solution to add serial capability to a PC, but not necessarily a better solution. From my experience, they don’t work too well (at least for WinFax) and are difficult to troubleshoot/diagnose when there is a problem, as you have experienced. In addition, most of these devices usually lack the hardware such as 16550 UART chip so they don’t truely support all serial applications. They may work fine for most serial devices you plug in, but not all. In situations where the PC doesn’t have a serial port, and you require to use a serial modem, I always recommend a 1 port, or 2 port serial card in PCI or PCIe format (on desktop systems).

[Author]

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