Sending and Receiving Faxes

    Microsoft Fax lets you send and receive faxes using the modem. Read this chapter to learn how to:

Install and configure Fax
Create and send a new fax
Set up a fax cover page template
Fax a document you scanned or created in another program
Receive, view, and print a fax

    Important

    Your modem cable must be installed before you can send and receive faxes. You cannot use your standard telephone modem to connect to the Internet while sending and receiving faxes.

      Help and Support

      For more information about sending and receiving faxes in Windows XP, click Start, then click Help and Support.

      Type the keyword Fax in the HelpSpot Search box , then click the arrow.

      Installing and configuring Fax

        If you are using Windows XP, complete the following instructions for installing and configuring Fax. If you are using Windows 2000, go to "Configuring Fax in Windows 2000".

      Installing Fax in Windows XP

        Microsoft Fax lets you send and receive faxes using your modem. When Windows XP was originally installed on your computer, Fax was not installed. You need to install Fax from your blue Operating System CD.

      To install Fax:

        1. Place the blue Operating System  CD in your CD or DVD drive.

        2. If the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP dialog box opens, click Install optional Windows components. The Windows Components Wizard opens.
          -OR-
          If the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP dialog box does not open, click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. Click/Double-click Add and Remove Programs. The Add or Remove Programs dialog box opens. Click Add/Remove Windows Components. The Windows Components Wizard opens.

        1. Click Fax Services, then click Next.

        2. Click Finish to exit the Windows Components Wizard.

        3. Click Exit to close the Welcome to Microsoft Windows XP dialog box.
          -OR-
          Click Close to close the Add or Remove Programs dialog box.

      Configuring Fax in Windows XP

        Before you send your first fax, you need to set up your user information. Your fax cover sheets and fax headers contain this information, some of which is required by law. The Fax Configuration Wizard opens the first time you try to send a fax.

        Important

        The first time you run the Fax Configuration Wizard, you may need to provide information in the Location Information and the Phone and Modem Options dialog boxes.

        To configure Microsoft Fax:

          1. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Fax Console. The Fax Configuration Wizard opens.

          2. On the Welcome to Fax Configuration Wizard screen, click Next. The Sender Information screen opens.

          1. Enter the information about yourself that you want to appear on your fax cover page, then click Next. The Select Device for Sending or Receiving Faxes screen opens.

          2. Click the arrow to open the Please select the fax device list, then click the modem you are using to send and receive faxes.

          3. If you want the modem to automatically answer the telephone in order to receive faxes, click the Enable Receive check box.

          4. Click Next. The Transmitting Subscriber Identification (TSID) screen opens.

          5. Enter the transmitting fax identifier information. This identifier information is required by law. You can enter up to 20 characters in the text box. We suggest using eight characters for your identifier name, followed by 12 characters for your telephone number.

          Important

          Some fax machines cannot use special characters such as hyphens. We suggest using spaces instead of hyphens in telephone and fax numbers.

            1. Click Next.

            2. If you set up your computer to receive faxes, enter the receiving fax identifier information, then click Next. This identifier information is required by law and can be the same identifier that you entered in Step 7. The Routing Options screen opens.

            3. If you set up your computer to receive faxes, select a folder you want to store receive faxes in and a printer you want to print received faxes on, then click Next. The Configuration Summary screen opens.

            4. Click Finish.

          Configuring Fax in Windows 2000

            Before you send your first fax, you need to set up your user information. Your fax cover sheets and fax headers contain this information, some of which is required by law.

          To configure Microsoft Fax:

            1. Click Start, Settings, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

            2. Double-click the Fax icon. The Fax Properties dialog box opens.

            3. Click the User Information tab.

            4. Enter the information about yourself that you want to appear on the fax cover page.

            5. Click the Advanced Options tab.

            6. Click Open Fax Service Management Console. The Fax Service Management window opens.

            7. Click Devices in the left column.

            8. Double-click the name of your modem. The Modem Properties dialog box opens.

            9. Click Enable send.

            10. Enter the transmitting fax identifier information. This identifier information is required by law. You can enter up to 20 characters in the text box. We suggest using eight characters for your identifier name, followed by 12 characters for your telephone number.

            Important

            Some fax machines cannot use special characters such as hyphens. We suggest using spaces instead of hyphens in telephone and fax numbers

              1. If you want to receive faxes, click Enable receive.
                -OR-
                If you do not want to receive faxes, go to Step 14.

              1. Enter the receiving fax identifier information. This identifier information is required by law and can be the same identifier that you entered in Step 10.

              2. Click the Received Faxes tab and select a folder you want to store received faxes in.

              3. Click OK.

              4. Click the X in the top-right corner to close the Fax Service Management window.

              5. Click OK.

            Sending a simple fax

              You can use the Send Fax Wizard to send a simple one-page fax to one or more recipients.

            To send a simple fax:

              1. In Windows XP, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Send a Fax. The Send Fax Wizard opens.
                - OR -
                In Windows 2000, click Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Send Cover Page Fax. The Send Fax Wizard opens.

              1. On the Welcome to Fax Configuration Wizard screen, click Next. The Recipient Information screen opens.

              2. Enter the name and fax number of the recipient of your fax.

              3. If you need to enter the area code for your recipient, click Use dialing rules to enter the full ten-digit fax number.

              4. If you want to send your fax to more than one recipient, click Add and enter the name and fax number of the next recipient.

              1. When you have entered all your recipients, click Next. The Preparing the Cover Page screen opens.

              2. Click the arrow to open the Cover page template, then click the cover page template you want to use.

              3. Type the subject text in the Subject line area.

              4. Type the message text in the Note area, then click Next. The Schedule screen opens.

              5. Select when you want to send the fax and a priority for the fax, then click Next. The Completing the Send Fax Wizard screen opens.

              6. Click Finish.

            Setting up your cover page template

              You can create your own cover page template that you can use in place of the cover page templates that Microsoft Fax provides for you. To create a cover page template, you use the Fax Cover Page Editor. On this template, you insert information fields that automatically import values you enter in both the Send Fax Wizard and the Fax Configuration Wizard (Windows XP) or Fax Properties User Information tab (Windows 2000) when you send your fax.

            To set up your fax cover page template:

              1. In Windows XP, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Fax Cover Page Editor. The Cover Page-Fax Cover Page Editor opens. If the Cover Page Editor Tips dialog box opens, click OK.
                -OR-
                In Windows 2000, click Start, Settings, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens. Double-click the Fax icon. The Fax Properties dialog box opens. Click the Cover Pages tab. Click New. The Cover Page-Fax Cover Page Editor opens.

              1. If you want to include fields that are imported from either the Send Fax Wizard or the Fax Configuration Wizard (such as To or From), add them to the page by using the Insert menu, then move them to the appropriate place on your template. You can also use the Insert menu to include information that is automatically calculated (such as number of pages or date and time sent).

              2. If you want to include text that always appears on your cover page (such as a letterhead or address), draw a box using the text box tool, enter your text inside of it, then move the box to the appropriate place on your template.

              3. If you want to include a logo that appears on your cover page, copy it to the Windows clipboard, then paste it into the Cover Page Editor and move it to the appropriate place on your template.

              4. To save your cover page template, click File, then click Save As. The Save As dialog box opens with your personal cover pages folder already in the Save in list.

              5. Type the new cover page template name.

              6. Click Save.

            Faxing from programs

            To fax a document directly from most programs:

              1. Open your document in the program it was created in.

              2. Click File, then click Print. The Print dialog box opens.

              3. Click the arrow button to open the Name list, then click the Fax printer.

              4. Click Print or OK. The Send Fax Wizard opens.

              5. Complete the wizard by following the instructions in "Sending a simple fax".

            Faxing a scanned document

            To fax a document that you have scanned:

              1. Scan the document using the program for your scanner.

              2. With the scanned file open, click File, then click Print. The Print dialog box opens.

              3. Click the arrow button to open the Name list, then click the Fax printer.

              4. Click Print or OK. The Send Fax Wizard opens.

              5. Complete the wizard by following the instructions in "Sending a simple fax".

            Receiving and viewing a fax

            To receive and view a fax in Windows XP:

              1. Click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Fax Console. The Fax Console opens. When the Fax Console is open, it detects incoming faxes and stores them in the Inbox.

              2. To view a fax, click Inbox, then double-click the fax you want to view. The fax viewer opens, where you can view and print the fax.

            To receive and view a fax in Windows 2000:

              1. Click Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click My Faxes. The My Faxes folder opens.

              2. To view a fax, double-click Received Faxes, then double-click the fax you want to view. The fax viewer opens, where you can view and print the fax.

            Canceling a fax

              You can cancel a fax that you have set up to send at a time in the future.

            To cancel a fax that has not been sent in Windows XP:

              1. If Fax is not open, click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Fax Console. The Fax Console opens.

              2. Click Outbox, then right-click the fax you want to cancel.

              3. Click Delete to cancel the fax.

              4. Click Yes.

            To cancel a fax that has not been sent in Windows 2000:

              1. If Fax is not open, click Start, Programs, Accessories, Communications, Fax, then click Fax Queue. The Fax Queue opens.

              2. Right-click the fax you want to cancel.

              3. Click Cancel.

            Automatically retry sending a fax in Windows XP

              You can set up Fax so that it continues to try sending your fax if the receiving fax machine is busy.

              Important

              Fax is automatically set up to retry three times at ten minute intervals.

              To automatically retry sending a fax:

                1. Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

                2. If your Control Panel is in Category View, click Printers and Other Hardware. Click View installed printers or fax printers. The Printers and Faxes window opens.
                  -OR-
                  If your Control Panel is in Classic View, double-click the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes window opens.

                1. Right-click Fax, then click Properties. The Fax Properties dialog box opens.

                2. Click the Devices tab, then click Properties. The Modem dialog box opens.

                3. Specify the number of retries and the amount of time between retries.

                4. Click OK.

              Automatically cancelling a fax in
              Windows XP

                If your computer tried to send a fax and failed to connect to a fax machine, you can automatically cancel a failed fax.

              To automatically cancel a failed fax:

                1. Click Start, then click Control Panel. The Control Panel window opens.

                2. If your Control Panel is in Category View, click Printers and Other Hardware. Click View installed printers or fax printers. The Printers and Faxes window opens.
                  -OR-
                  If your Control Panel is in Classic View, double-click the Printers and Faxes icon. The Printers and Faxes window opens.

                1. Right-click Fax, then click Properties. The Fax Properties dialog box opens.

                2. Click the Devices tab, then click Properties. The Modem dialog box opens.

                3. Click the Cleanup tab.

                4. Click to select the Automatically delete failed faxes after check box and specify the number of days.

                5. Click OK.