SBS 2003 shared faxing not working....

Follow this paper's steps to properly configure your shared Fax:  http://sbsurl.com/fax

Start by filling out the worksheets mentioned on page 7.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Hi Jeff,

I did read that and I did that already.  But it didn't work. :(  Any other suggestions?

thanks

Ok then... assuming that what you mean by "I did read that" is that you did actually DO that and it didn't work, you need to uninstall and resinstall the fax service by following the section called "To uninstall and then reinstall Fax Services" in the SBS Troubleshooting Guide:  http://download.microsoft.com/download/5/6/1/561c9fd7-0e27-4525-94ec-4d2d38f61aa3/TSHT_SBS.htm

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Hi Jeff,

I did that as well.  I had to do that becuase I lost the option "Route to Document Library" in the fax setup wizard.

Any other suggestions?

thanks

Wow, now I got weirder problems.  I tried uninstalling and reinstalling again.  And something weird happened.

The fax service is uninstalled when I go to the add/remove programs.  But if I view the list of services, "Fax" is stuff listed as a service.  And the event log shows that the system is trying to start the fax service but cannot find the files needed and logs an error.

Hmmmmm....I'm going to see if I can find out how to manually uninstall the fax service.  :(

Ok, I tried to uninstall it again and reinstall it.  But now I cannot reinstall it.  Whenever I go to the Small Business Server Change/Remove, it errors out and the fax service doesnt' get installed.

:( I'm all out of ideas.  I can't even uninstall and reinstall the fax service....now what?

Well, what are the specific errors?  Are there other errors showing on the server?

Jeff
TechSoEasy

When attempting to reinstall the fax service through the SBS Setup, I get the error, "An error occurred while installed Fax Services. Rerun Setup, and retry installing Fax Services."  That's all it says.

There aren't any other errors showing either.

THanks! :)

Ok, most of that information wasn't new. :(

I did this:
*****************************************************************************************************
A.             Rename the keys and files below to *.old


1)          HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Fax
2)         HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Fax  
3)         C:\Program Files\Microsoft Windows Small Business Server\fax
4)         The ''SBSMIS-FAX.log'' file under ''C:\Program Files\Microsoft
Integration\Windows Small Business Server 2003\Logs''.
5)         The ''SBSMSI-faxcfg.log'' file under ''C:\Program
Files\Microsoft Integration\Windows Small Business Server 2003\Logs''.
6)         The ''faxsetup.log'' file under ''C:\WINDOWS\''.


B. Delete the following registry keys:


HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Telephony/Country List
HKLM/SOFTWARE/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Telephony/Locations registry
Keys


C.            Access Add/Remove Programs, Add/Remove Windows Components,
uncheck ''Fax Services'' to uninstall it.


D.            Once it is uninstalled, access Add/Remove Programs to
reinstall it.


E.            Then, access ''Add/Remove Programs again'', this time, we
will click ''Change/Remove'' on the ''Windows Small Business Server 2003''
item:


1)         Click ''Next'' on the ''Microsoft Windows Small Business Server
Setup'' page.
2)        Click ''Next'' on the ''Windows Configuration'' page.


Note: It states that ''This will take approximately 30 minutes'', it is
referring to the total time it will take in the first SBS component
installation. For the task such as remove a specific component, it will
just take couple of minutes.
3)        Now, in the ''Component Selection'' page, choose ''Remove''
before the ''Fax Services'' item.
4)        Click ''Next'', and then click ''Next'' again to confirm
''Component Summary''. You will be prompted to insert the SBS 2K3 setup
Disc 1.


F.      Once the removal process is completed, access ''Windows Small Business
Server setup'' again in ''Add/Remove Programs'', proceed to the ''Component
Selection'' page, and then choose ''Install'' for the ''Fax Services'' item
to reinstall fax service.
*****************************************************************************************************

And at step F, is when I came across the exact same error as before.  "An error occurred while installed Fax Services. Rerun Setup, and retry installing Fax Services."


I looked at the faxsetup.log and I can't even figure out what is errors and what isn't.

I'm over my head now and I'm lost.  :(

All of your help is greatly appreciated!  

Here's the weird part that's still happening:

In add/remove program->windows components, the fax service is not installed.
In add/remove programs->windows small business server 2003, the fax service isn't insalled.

BUT in the services list, Fax is listed there.  It's not started, but it is listed there.

What's going on?  :(

That's not really weird, when a service is uninstalled it may still stay listed in the management console.

Did you check to see if the registry key was there as described below step F describing what to do if the issue persists?

Jeff
TechSoEasy

During startup there is also an error saying that the fax service cannot be started.

There aren't any registry keys because I've uninstalled the fax service.

And I cannot re-install it because it errors out.  :(

Should I attempt a system restore from a previous point in time?

Well, look... if the fax service is still showing in the Services MMC then you didn't delete (or rename):

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Fax  

Because that's what causes it to show up and for you to get the error that it can't start.

Then, please follow the instructions in that post to install the registry key as described:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Fax\Routing Extensions\SBSFAX~1.DLL]

These are standard OS keys and would be necessary for you to have a successful installation.

Jeff
TechSoeasy

I removed it from the services list.  :)

Then I tried to install the registry key and I got this error when I double clicked the key.reg file:

"Cannot import c:\key.reg:  The specified file is not a registry script.  You can only imort binary registry files from within the registry editor."

Haha, my bad.  I accidentally had "START" in there.   Ok, the reg key is installed.

I attempted to reinstall the fax service via the Small Business Server 2003 Setup in the Add/Remove programs........but I get the same error.

:(

Okay then, we need to look at the log and see what the error is.  You can upload it to https://filedb.experts-exchange.com/incoming/ee-stuff/3142-hold.txt.  Log in with your EE username and password.

Then, please post a note back here so I know that it's done.

Jeff
TechSoEasy

Where is the error log located?

Ok, I got some new information!

I restarted the server and then I was able to re-install the fax service through the Windows SBS 2003 setup in add/remove programs.

So now I've got the fax service installed.  Except I cannot run the fax wizard setup.  :(  I get an error that states that it cannot find the "faxcfg.exe".

Ok, I got more information!  it's fixed!!!!!

After I got the fax wizard error, I went back and read the link you sent me and one of the very last posts addresses this issue.  I simply copied the 3 files from the %SBSInstall%/fax.old folder that I created earlier and created a new %SBSInstall%/fax folder and put the three files in there.  Then I restarted the server and registered the faxcfgc.dll.

After that then I'm now able to configure the fax and I already did a send and receive fax test with great success.  Thanks so much Jeff!  I've upped the poins and I'm awarding it all to you.  You've been a great help.

Now I have to go back and reconfigure the dailing rules because those got erased in the process, haha.

Aloha

Yikes... not the dialing rules!  :-)

Glad you got it working... and now back it up!

Jeff
TechSoEAsy