My fax console is GONE!!! (winxp sp2 )

  • Thread starter Thread starter Trinity
  • Start date Start date
T

Trinity

OMG....
I downloaded Fax4Outlook the other day because I need to send and
receive faxes through my VoIP line. the software recommended that I use
configure Windows Fax, so through control panel->add/remove
programs->add/remove windows components, I clicked on the box for the
fax... went through a successful installation only to receive the
message "connection to fax server can not be made". I checked again the
windows component and the box was UNCHECKED... Like a recurring
nightmare I went through the checked, unchecked box merry-go-round to
no avail! Finally, trying something different, I decided to checked to
see if I could go through the fax console to send a fax without the
software, that's I'd noticed that it says 'empty' where the fax console
should be....

How can I recover the fax console? Is there a way to reinstall it?
How can I get that darned box to stay checked (windows fax config)?
Is there a work around? Can anyone offer a fix? I'd truly appreciate
the help....

;-)
 
Many users who have updated an older version of Windows XP to SP2 before
they try to install the fax service appear to be encountering a problem
installing the fax service. In these cases there is no error message during
the installation (distinguishing this from the very common problem where the
installation routine states it cannot find the necessary files). The
installation appears to proceed without error, but when it is over there is
no fax printer apparent and any attempt to send a fax results in the error
message "Fax server information cannot be retrieved. The Fax Wizard will now
close." This problem appears to occur because the security data base is
corrupted as documented here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884018/EN-US/
Note that this article describes a hotfix that users can obtain that might
fix the problem and that Microsoft does NOT recommend simply running the
Esentutl.exe utility to recover from security database corruption. In
addition, the fax developers have worked on some modifications to the
fxsocm.inf file that might permit installation of the fax service. This is
an unsupported workaround that I can provide offline for use at your own
risk if you provide a valid email address and can accept zip files as
attachments.
 
Hello! I am pleased to report that someone wrote me with a couple of
solutions to my problem! I wanted to post them because it truly took
the weight off of my shoulders and perhaps it will do the same for
someone else who may encounter this problem... Thanks to everyone in
cyberspace for putting thought to my problem!


http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQFAX.htm#_Toc88835132
2. Why can't the XP Fax Installation Program find the Installation
Files?

And here's some additional info concerning the Microsoft KB article
mentioned in the FAQ:

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/genericDocument?lc=en&cc=us&docname=c00270202
HP and Compaq Notebook PCs: Unable to Install Windows XP Fax Software

Note that Microsoft does NOT recommend that you use the Esentutl.exe
utility to recover from security database corruption. They have a
hotfix available that may fix the problem.

Hal
Many users who have updated an older version of Windows XP to SP2 before
they try to install the fax service appear to be encountering a problem
installing the fax service. In these cases there is no error message during
the installation (distinguishing this from the very common problem where the
installation routine states it cannot find the necessary files). The
installation appears to proceed without error, but when it is over there is
no fax printer apparent and any attempt to send a fax results in the error
message "Fax server information cannot be retrieved. The Fax Wizard will now
close." This problem appears to occur because the security data base is
corrupted as documented here:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/884018/EN-US/
Note that this article describes a hotfix that users can obtain that might
fix the problem and that Microsoft does NOT recommend simply running the
Esentutl.exe utility to recover from security database corruption. In
addition, the fax developers have worked on some modifications to the
fxsocm.inf file that might permit installation of the fax service. This is
an unsupported workaround that I can provide offline for use at your own
risk if you provide a valid email address and can accept zip files as
attachments.


--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]
Trinity said:
OMG....
I downloaded Fax4Outlook the other day because I need to send and
receive faxes through my VoIP line. the software recommended that I use
configure Windows Fax, so through control panel->add/remove
programs->add/remove windows components, I clicked on the box for the
fax... went through a successful installation only to receive the
message "connection to fax server can not be made". I checked again the
windows component and the box was UNCHECKED... Like a recurring
nightmare I went through the checked, unchecked box merry-go-round to
no avail! Finally, trying something different, I decided to checked to
see if I could go through the fax console to send a fax without the
software, that's I'd noticed that it says 'empty' where the fax console
should be....

How can I recover the fax console? Is there a way to reinstall it?
How can I get that darned box to stay checked (windows fax config)?
Is there a work around? Can anyone offer a fix? I'd truly appreciate
the help....

;-)
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Hi there

I've been having the same problem. I followed both your recommendations, but
the Accessories > Communications > Fax folder is still empty.

Please help!

Best regards
Loane
 
Hi Russ
The original thread follows ...
Best regards
Loane

Hi there

I setup the shared fax service for the first time on a machine that has SBS
2003 SP1 applied. (On MSDN I see that there are potential issues that arise
when the shared fax service is installed AFTER SP1 is applied, so this may
make a difference.) I have experienced some problems on both the server and
clients.

Network setup: Our server has one network card connected to a wireless
access point/internet router device, which in turn is connected over a DSL
line to the Internet. The internal fax modem is directly connected to the
same DSL line, and the voice and data streams on the DSL line are separated
using a line filter following the hardware manufacturers' instructions.
Clients are connected to the server using a wireless LAN.

Server problem: After the intial setup (closely following the instructions
in SBSFax.doc located at
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/...a0-1595-4776-a101-c3bec7512594&displaylang=en),
the server itself could send faxes (from, say,
wordpad using the fax printer) and also receive faxes. To stress-test the
server-side fax capability, I sent 10 faxes to the server in succession from
a remote/independent fax location, waiting each time for about a minute
between sends (this should be about the maximum for our business purposes).
On the third send I got a communication error back from the server, and
somehow the telephone line was jammed up: the server's telephone number gave
a "busy" signal when dialed, and the server could no longer be accessed over
the internet (using Remote Desktop and RPC/HTTP for Outlook, for instance).
The server needed to be cold-booted, and trying the stress-test again the
same jammed-up result obtained.

Client problem: After setting up shared fax service on the server, logging
on to the client computers for the first time correctly prompted for setup
of the fax service. The SBS fax service setup began, and at the appropriate
time the Windows XP fax component setup began, and when asked I pointed to
the appropriate location on the server for the client setup .dlls. At the
very end I got a message that said "Applications not configured: Shared fax
service"; in Windows components the Fax service was unchecked, and the
Accessories > Communication > Fax menu was <Empty>. In the Application event
log, I found a message for Microsoft Fax with Event ID 32045 that read: "Fax
Service failed to initialize because it could not initialize the TAPI
devices. Verify that the fax modem was installed and configured correctly.
Win32 error code: 31." Following the suggested link, I got the following
message: "We're sorry. There is no additional information about this issue
...." (Incidentally the client machines do not have fax-capable modems.)

I'm assuming that the problem could arise from several sources:
(a) the fax modem and drivers may not be correctly installed on the server -
but if so, how could I send and receive faxes from the server itself?
(b) the shared fax service may not be correctly setup on the server - but if
so, how could the client computers be prompted to setup shared fax service
when logging on if the server-side setup was incorrect? (Incidentally, I
uninstalled the fax service from Windows Server 2003 components and then
installed the fax service from SBS 2003 setup)
(c) the DSL line may be problematic - but if so, how could clients connect
to the Internet (from within the local network) and to the server via VPN
and RDP (from outside the local network)?

Perhaps I've missed some other potential sources of the problem?

Please help!

Best regards
Loane
 
I doubt this has anything to do with SP2. I doubt Windows XP Fax is
compatible with that fax device.
 
Back
Top