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SBS 2008 Shared Fax on XP Machine

3rd SBS 2008 Installation for me. First one utilizing the shared fax. SBS 2003 shared fax has always been a breeze. Fax on SBS 2008 is setup to receive and print automatically - no problems. Xp Pro clients have fax services installed via add/remove programs - shared fax from SBS machine installed via Add printer/fax wizard on XP machine using \\servername\fax. Double-clicking fax on XP machine brings up fax console where inbox is full of all incoming faxes, can view the tif files no problem. The problem resides on the xp machine (pro - joined to domain) in either using the 'new fax' option on the fax console or using the start-applications-communication-send a fax. Most of the times nothing happens, sometimes a "check network connection to fax" message comes up. XP Pro machine is SP3 - all firewall disabled to eliminate possibility of conflict. Same subnet - disable antivirus, even asked it nicely. This has me puzzled. The only thing I can think to try next is to the add the 32bit driver for the usrobotics external/serial modem on the SBS 2008 Server. (64 bit is only one listed, but it installs on 32-bit xp machine) Any help would be greatly appreciated!! Technical clarification(s) upon request! I have followed white-papers and technet articles for this.

Philip Elder

By default, SBS 2008 should have shared the Fax Printer.

On XP, you should be able to connect to the Fax printer via \\YourSBS, right click on it and Connect.

If the Fax printer is not shared, then you can right click on it in the server's print manager and share it.

Philip

dkorfanty

ASKER

Thanks for input Philip!
Fax printer has always been shared on SBS 2008 - Vista Clients can access and send faxes with it. XP clients are already connected to shared fax on SBS 2008 via \\servername\fax. Opening installed/connected fax in windows xp brings up the fax console where all incoming faxes are visible and viewable. Clicking "New Fax" on the Fax Console window on the XP machine does nothing, whereas on a vista machine a new window spawns asking for "send to" information,cover page, yada, yada, yada. I'm trying to figure out why I am unable to send a fax from an xp machine whereas I have already done so from a vista machine and I have already followed the technet article
For xp - http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd346629.aspx

Also want to add that SBS2008 machine is up-to-date with all security/hotfixes and the same for the xp clients. SBS2008 is Standard ed.

Philip Elder

In any Windows application you should be able to send a print job out to the fax printer and it should initialize and present the fax send window.

Philip

dkorfanty

ASKER

I've tried any and all applications that print to the shared fax on the server and the fax send window never appears on the xp machines. I have this working on at least a dozen different SBS 2k3 Servers at different clients and have never run into an issue like this before. The url I provided above from MS Technet has a user submitted comment at the bottom that states: "It appears that sending a fax from a windows XP client doesn't always work flawlessly. Is there a microsoft published solution for this?" If there is, I haven't found it and, therefore, am reaching out to the Experts Exchange Community for some assistance.

Dean

Philip Elder

When you open the Printers and Faxes window on the XP machine, what does the Status say for the fax printer? (View --> Details).

Philip

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dkorfanty

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Philip Elder

You can close and request a refund.

No worries. :)

Philip

Stefano_Thiella

In SBS 2008, add normal users in group "Windows SBS Fax Administrator Group" (or something like that). If not, the fax device is available only to administrator users.

NRTCF

How did you install the 32bit driver? It does not let me install a 32bit driver on the fax printer on my server.