Sending faxes from laptop

[woolybanana]

Does anyone know if it is possible to use a laptop to send faxes and how to set that up, please? I have Vista and Office 2007.

[Théière]

Where do you put the paper in Wooly? [;-)]

[woolybanana]

Don't tempt me!![:P]

[Théière]

I used a program called winfax years ago there are several bits of fax software available but if you are sending word documents as aposed to scanning then you may be able to fax them directly from microsoft word

[Quillan]

I don't know Vista but as this function has been included since W2K it is probably included in Vista as well.

I have to start with making an assumption, you have a modem port on your laptop and have a cable which allows you to plug it in to a phone socket. If you don't then it simply won't work.

First look in the Printer and Fax area, you should see your current printer plus an icon marked Fax. If you don't have the Fax one proceed as follows.:

In the Printer and Fax screen go to the top left and click on 'File' then select 'Install Local Fax Printer' and a new icon will appear which looks like a Fax machine and called Fax.

Once you have the Fax icon proceed as follows:

When you double click on the Fax for the first time you will be asked a load of questions like phone number, your name etc which is put on the fax when you sent it so people know where the fax comes from. You will also be asked about pulse or tone dialing (select tone), it should pick up the internal modem. I can't tell you exactly the order of questions as I don't have a modem so on my machine it won't progress through the screens so I am working from memory.

When you have finished you will arrive at the fax window which is not too different to an email program with the usual stuff down the left side like Incoming, Inbox, Outbox (yes you can receive as well) and Sent. If you get in a muddle then delete the Fax Icon from Printer and Fax then start again. You can change things via the Properties by right clicking on the Fax and selecting Properties.

To send create your document in Word or whatever then go File, Print and then select Fax from the list of printers as it won't be default and you don't want it as default because every time you click on the print button in a program it will fax it and you don't want that.

If you have other things to send you can scan them and send them that way (a passport for instance). You can sent anything from your Laptop that can normally be printed from your Laptop. If you have VOIP via your router where you connect a normal phone to it then the fax will work as normal, just use one of those cheap two in to one adapters. If you use another method like Skype etc it won't unless you have a standard phone line.

The Fax ability is nothing to do with Office, its part of the operating system, in your case Vista.

Good luck, any problems get back to me via the thread or PM.

[Mr Coeur de Lion]

If you're looking for a temporary solution, you could use these people free for 30 days.

I quite often create an account when I need to send a fax (which is about twice a year if that), then cancel my membership shortly after.

[Quillan]

Yes put it is a Laptop in which case it will probably have modems unless you are really unlucky. It means you have the fax availability 24/7/365 and you can send fax's from any Windows program that prints. Plus once set up there is no mucking around afterwards.

Mind you if I didn't have a 3 in 1 printer I would probably use the service you suggested as most desktops don't have modems.

[woolybanana]

Thank you Quillan, I'l give it a whirl today.

 

[powerdesal]

Unless you have one of the top 2 versions of Vista (there are 4) you will not have the fax capability that was automatically included in (say) XP Pro.

[TWINKLE]

[quote user="Quillan"]

I don't know Vista but as this function has been included since W2K it is probably included in Vista as well.

I have to start with making an assumption, you have a modem port on your laptop and have a cable which allows you to plug it in to a phone socket. If you don't then it simply won't work.

First look in the Printer and Fax area, you should see your current printer plus an icon marked Fax. If you don't have the Fax one proceed as follows.:

In the Printer and Fax screen go to the top left and click on 'File' then select 'Install Local Fax Printer' and a new icon will appear which looks like a Fax machine and called Fax.

Once you have the Fax icon proceed as follows:

When you double click on the Fax for the first time you will be asked a load of questions like phone number, your name etc which is put on the fax when you sent it so people know where the fax comes from. You will also be asked about pulse or tone dialing (select tone), it should pick up the internal modem. I can't tell you exactly the order of questions as I don't have a modem so on my machine it won't progress through the screens so I am working from memory.

When you have finished you will arrive at the fax window which is not too different to an email program with the usual stuff down the left side like Incoming, Inbox, Outbox (yes you can receive as well) and Sent. If you get in a muddle then delete the Fax Icon from Printer and Fax then start again. You can change things via the Properties by right clicking on the Fax and selecting Properties.

To send create your document in Word or whatever then go File, Print and then select Fax from the list of printers as it won't be default and you don't want it as default because every time you click on the print button in a program it will fax it and you don't want that.

If you have other things to send you can scan them and send them that way (a passport for instance). You can sent anything from your Laptop that can normally be printed from your Laptop. If you have VOIP via your router where you connect a normal phone to it then the fax will work as normal, just use one of those cheap two in to one adapters. If you use another method like Skype etc it won't unless you have a standard phone line.

The Fax ability is nothing to do with Office, its part of the operating system, in your case Vista.

Good luck, any problems get back to me via the thread or PM.

[/quote]

That'll learn ya! [6]

[woolybanana]

NAA NA NA NA NA[:P]

[powerdesal]

[quote user="TWINKLE"] I don't know Vista but as this function has been included since W2K it is probably included in Vista as well.[/quote]

Well is it available in Vista Home or is it still a "probably' ?

I know very little about computers but when our new Vista PC was bought I couldn't fax from it and had to use a laptop with XP Pro. I wil be more than a little interested in getting the fax function enabled on the Vista machines.

[Quillan]

[quote user="powerdesal"]Unless you have one of the top 2 versions of Vista (there are 4) you will not have the fax capability that was automatically included in (say) XP Pro.
[/quote]

A little digging and you are quite right its available as standard in Vista Business and Vista Ultimate. Its not available as standard in Vista Home Basic or Premium.

If you have either Vista Home Basic or Premium then there is THIS product which at $19.95 (Just over 13 Euros) seems to do the job. There is a fully functioning 30 day trial version.

Hope that helps.

 

[AlexCarry]

How to use free fax service. Can you please help me?

[sid]

It's better to concentrate on one thread rather than posing the same question in two different places.

I've replied in the other thread, but this topic is over 10 years old here (15 years in your other thread).

Why FAX ?