Thread: Configuring the Windows Vista Fax

One of the functions for which we can use our computer to send and receive faxes.
To do this, Windows Vista (in Business and Ultimate versions) provides a powerful fax service.

Unlike what happens with Windows XP Professional, where you need to install and configure the Fax service in Windows Vista Ultimate that came pre-installed (not set), but we have a number of considerations into account:

The first thing we must remember is that you can not send a fax via a DSL connection. Circulating in the network programs that offer just that, sending a fax via ADSL, but it is to do it through business, and this service is provided to pay. To use the Fax service need a connection RTB (Basic Telephone Network) and an analog modem (the 56Kb).
Moreover, the fax service of Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate allows use of fax servers that are in our network.

The second thing we must remember is that this option is only available in Windows Vista Business and Windows Vista Ultimate. Windows Vista Home (Basic or Premium) is not available, so if you want to send and receive faxes have to resort to third-party programs.

As we have said, the fax service is installed by default (you can check on printer, where we see that we have created a Fax call), but what does that have to do obviously is to configure this service.
Let's see the steps to configure and make operational.

We have a quick way to use the fax as follows:

Let's Start -> All Programs -> Windows Fax and Scan.

By clicking on the Windows Fax and Scan will show us the console window fax.

In this console do fax and click New, the first time you do this, go into a fast configuration, through a few windows, we can use this service.

The first window asks us how we are to connect the fax. The option to choose is the first since we have installed a fax-modem is on our team. The second is when we have a network fax server

On the next screen choose a name for our modem (in this case, some options are disabled because there is no modem installed, but the steps are valid if we did have a modem installed).



In the next window choose the options for response and notification. In this case we're going straight to the third option (choose this option and later send a fax now), as we shall see later how to configure all these services and options manually.

After this last window we already have our fax ready to send a fax. It shows the editing window of the fax, so we created and sent.

OK, so we can send a fax, but we will see how to properly configure this service.

Setting fax options:

If the Fax Console go to Tools, we find several settings. Let's see these options:

As we can see, the tools menu is divided into three sections. At first we found some items of information and presentation, which is the sender's information, contacts and cover ... .... These three options are completely optional and not necessary, but let's see what each one:

- Information of the sender:

In this section we can configure the information that we want to send to the recipients of our faxes. These data are all optional.

- Covers:

Here you choose the cover as we want to send faxes on our front page (also optional). To create a home page can click the new button and we will open the editor fax cover we see in the picture below.

- Contacts:

We can choose the source of our contacts. In this case, the contacts of Outlook.

In the second section are the options received. Two, Monitor Status fax Receive a fax ... and now ...

- Monitor fax

It shows if the fax is waiting. We can see if this activity click on View Details, which shows the window as we see in the image below.