Fax Software Free Xp

There are three ways to fax with Windows XP:

1. Pc Fax Software Free
2. Free Computer Fax Software Microsoft

1. An online fax service, which operates as a virtual fax machine located accessed through the internet.
2. A connected fax machine or multifunction printer (print/scan/copy/fax) that allows for faxing from the computer through the multifunction device attached to a land-line phone line.
3. Windows XP's bundled software 'Fax Console,' which turns your computer into a direct replacement of a hardcopy fax machine.

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NOTE: As of April 8, 2014, Windows XP is no longer supported by Microsoft. The information on this page is accurate up to that date, however, will not be updated from that point. As the operating system is no longer supported, there may be compatibility and issues with any software, hardware, or service mentioned here due to the lack of support for the XP operating system.

Windows XP Fax – Table of Contents

Online Fax Services Compatible with Windows XP

An online fax service is a dedicated fax number that is hosted by a service provider.

Compared with Windows Fax and Scan (or a fax machine), an online fax service offers the ability to fax directly from the Internet without a dedicated phone line in your house, as well as the ability to access or manage fax communications from anywhere you can access the internet.

Interfaces are very much similar to a web-based email account (with the exception that you have the ability to send and receive faxes), and features such as faxing through email, the web, and integration with popular programs such as the Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.) are available.

Online fax services can also be combined with other devices – for example faxing to and from another computer, a tablet, or a smartphone through the same account.

For full details on online fax services compatible with Windows XP and other operating systems, see our page on Online Faxing.

Fax through a connected fax or multifunction (copy / print / scan / fax) printer

Many connected fax and multifunction printer have the option to fax through the machine from the computer.

While specific options depend on the fax machine's manufacturer (and the software they offer), many units can send and receive faxes directly to the computer through the fax machine. Instead of having to print a document and then fax it (or receive a document over the fax then scan it), connecting a fax machine this way will let you send and receive faxes from the computer.

What you'll need

To send an receive a fax from a Windows XP computer through a connected fax or printer with fax, you'll need the following:

• A computer running Windows XP
• A fax machine or multifunction (print / copy / scan / fax) printer that
• An active land-line phone line to connect the fax / multifunction printer. The phone line should not be a VoIP phone connection as VoIP signals usually scramble a fax signal – for more details on faxing with VoIP, see our page on 'why does my fax machine not work on my VoIP phone line?'
• A document to send

Things to be aware of

• You will still need to connect the fax or multifunction printer to an active land-line phone line for this to work
• A fax or multifunction printer with 'wireless' (such as wifi or Bluetooth) does not allow you to send and receive faxes without a phone line. The 'wireless' portion of the fax/printer is only for communication between the computer and the printer – not between the fax/printer and the phone system. A 'wireless' fax/printer cannot connect wirelessly to the internet to be able to send and receive faxes.
• When setting the system up, double check to see what happens with received faxes when the computer is not active. Some models will store a received fax in the fax/printer's memory. The challenge with this approach is a power interruption will erase any stored faxes (that the fax machine has already marked as acknowledged).

Installing and Uninstalling Fax Console in Windows XP

To use the Windows XP Fax, you will need to install then use the 'Fax Console' program.

Pc Fax Software Free

1) Install the Fax Console component

• – Click the start button then select 'run'
• – In the command box, enter 'appwiz.cpl' and click 'OK'
• – Click 'Add / Remove Windows Components' and start the 'Windows Component Wizard'
• – In the Components list, ensure that 'Fax Services' is selected, then click 'Next' – this will install the fax services. You may be asked to insert the Windows XP CD.
• – Click 'Finish' and then close the Add or Remove Programs dialog box

2) Configure the Fax Service

• – Go to the start button, select 'All Programs,' select 'Communications', 'Fax', and click on 'Fax Console' – this will start the Fax Configuration Wizard
• – If this is the first time setting up the computer fax, you may need to enter information such as your area code, etc. and click 'ok'
• – Click on 'Next', then configure your fax page and click 'Next'
• – Select the modem you're looking to use
• – Ensure that the 'Enable send' button is checked to be able to send faxes
• – If you want the computer to receive faxes when the phone rings, click 'Enable Receive' – keep in mind that if using a shared phone line, this will connect to the line as soon as it rings – the option 'Manual Answer' will prevent the fax from connecting automatically, however you will then need to be at the computer whenever you're looking to receive a fax.

Fax from a Windows XP Computer

To send (or receive) a fax from a Windows XP Computer you'll need the following:

• A computer running Windows XP (You may need the Windows XP CD to help configure the software)
• Modem or Fax Board on the computer (the majority of computers that have a telephone line connection have this ability)
• A land-line phone line. A phone connection from a local phone provider is preferred, as opposed to a phone connection from a VoIP provider – this is to ensure that the fax is properly transmitted
• A document to send

It's important to be aware that to use a Windows XP computer as a fax machine, the computer needs to always be on to receive a fax

To fax from Windows XP, you'll need to do the following:

1) From the Fax Console Program:

• – Select the start button, chose 'All Programs', 'Accessories', 'Communications', 'Fax', and 'Fax Console'
• – Click 'New Fax' or 'Send a Fax' from the 'File' menu

2) From the Print Box:

• – From the program you want to fax from, select 'File' and 'Print'
• – Choose 'Fax' from the Print Dialog Box, enter any necessary information, and press 'Ok'

3) From the Control Panel in Windows XP:

• – Select the start button and enter the Control Panel
• – Select 'Printers and Other Hardware'
• – Click 'Printers and Faxes' then 'Send a Fax'

To use the Windows XP Fax, you need to install then use the 'Fax Console' program.

Receive a Fax on a Windows XP Computer

To use Windows XP to receive a fax, you first need to enable the option to receive faxes – see the 'configure fax console in Windows XP' section.

You can opt to manually or automatically receive faxes once fax console is configured. This will make it so that you can either automatically answer a fax or keep the computer from automatically answering the phone line.

Sources and Additional Resources:

• • The Microsoft Support Bulletins 'How to Enable and Configure the Fax Service in Windows XP (Archived Link),' 'How to Send a Fax in Windows XP,' and 'How to Receive a Fax in Windows XP'
• Dummies.com – How to Send a Document as a Fax in Windows XP
• Andy Rathbone – 'Using Windows XP's Hidden Fax Program.'
• Microsoft 'Windows Picture and Fax Viewer Overview.' (Archive)
• Microsoft 'About the Fax Service Extended COM API.'

Other Resources on Computer and Online Faxing:

Free Fax Software Options

Despite all of the e-mailing, texting and other types of online file sending, sometimes you still have just got to use the fax. Faxing remains a widely used form of data transmission, especially when sending legal or sensitive documents. Everyone knows that if you want to send or receive a fax, you usually use a fax machine. That's the old-school hardware method. But there are a host of software-based options for faxing, and some are even free!

Free Fax Software For Windows XP

For instance, Windows XP has built-in faxing capability. That's right, with XP all that's required to set up faxing is a good old-fashioned phone line and a modem. Faxing in XP can be installed from the Control Panel using the 'Add Windows Components' option. The component is called Fax Services.

Once installed, the Fax Configuration Wizard provides an easy step-by-step interface that will assist in setting up a fax cover page, enabling send as well as receive and setting up the fax header information (also known as Transmitting Subscriber Identification or TSID). To start the Fax Configuration Wizard, click Start / All Programs / Accessories / Communications / Fax, then click Fax Console.

So what what about incoming faxes? In the Fax Configuration Wizard, you have the option to automatically answer, or answer manually. If you choose to automatically receive faxes, your fax modem will answer the fax line after the specified number of rings, receive the incoming fax, and store it in the Fax Console. If you choose to manually answer fax calls, you'll need to open the Fax Console, click File, then click Receive a fax now. The Fax Monitor will appear and waits for incoming faxes. If you don't have a dedicated phone line for faxes, you'll probably want to go with the Manual Answer method, and just turn on the Fax Console when you're expecting an incoming fax. Otherwise, regular voice callers will be greeted with those awful screeching fax tones.

Free Faxing With Windows Vista

Faxing is also made simple in Windows Vista. What's not so simple is sorting out just what version of Vista has in-the-box faxing capabilities. Vista's Windows Fax and Scan service is available in the Business, Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Vista. But the Fax feature is NOT available in the Home Basic, Home Premium, or 64-bit versions of Vista.

Free Computer Fax Software Microsoft

However, with the versions of Vista that do come with the fax service, sending a fax is easy, especially with Microsoft Office documents. Simply open up the document you want to fax and select File / Print. The Fax Setup Wizard will guide you in configuring fax settings. After configuration, just click 'Send' to send your fax. Make sure your phone line is connected to the modem first! (If you have two phone jacks on your modem, plug the line from the wall into the one labeled LINE, then plug your phone into the one labeled PHONE.)

Scanned documents can also be faxed. However, documents sent directly from Office will appear crisper to the recipient's fax machine, because scanning can degrade the quality of a faxed document, just like a photocopier or stand-alone fax machine can.

Other Fax Sofware Options

If you have a version of Vista that doesn't come with free fax software, or you want to try some fax software that offers more features than the fax freebies, try one of these:

• Snappy Fax $29.95 / Free Trial
• Fax machine $39.95 / Free Trial

Mac and Linux users, have no fear. There are many faxing packages available for Mac OS X and Linux platforms. Mac OS X includes a bare-bones free fax software option, but you can upgrade to PageSender ($39.95 / Free Trial) which can fax anything you can print, and includes lots of advanced fax sending and receiving options.

Ubuntu users can use efax-gtk, a free fax package for Linux, which provides a virtual printer for sending faxes from word processors, and can automatically print incoming faxes. Using the Add/Remove item in the Applications menu, you can install the efax-gtk package from the 'Universe' repository. One potential gotcha - many fax modems work only with Windows. The solution for Linux is to use an all-in-one printer that has built-in faxing capabilities.

What If I Don't Have a Land Line?

Keep in mind, these options are for regular analog phone lines - the kind that's been around since Alexander Graham Bell invented the phone. Lots of folks are abandoning land lines these days, opting to get phone service solely via their cell phones or through their broadband connection (VOIP). So what are your choices if you don't have a land line that can double as a fax line?

The answer -- Internet Faxing.

There are a number of internet faxing services out there, some are free and some are fee-based. The difference between the two usually involves whether you can both send and receive faxes (some of the free services only allow for sending) and if you can fax both domestically and internationally.

There are also commercial products available when you need to have a multi-user faxing environment such as for a small-to-mid-size business. In these cases, fax server software can be used. RightFax is a popular fax server program. Setting up a fax server may only really be necessary however, in corporate environments with businesses that really depend on a lot of simultaneous inbound and outbound faxing. With the emergence of faxing over the internet, many smaller businesses are going with that option.

It certainly seems as if faxing is going to be around for awhile. Why not use free fax software and fax straight from your desktop? It saves on the costs associated with toner cartridges for stand-alone faxes, it's environmentally-friendly and it means less clutter on your desktop without a dedicated fax machine.

Do you use free fax software, or a commercial fax program instead of a traditional fax machine? Post a comment and tell me what platform and software works best for you..

This article was posted by on 13 Oct 2008

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