fax and scan stopped working

Hi Mac,

Thank you for your post and giving us a chance to assist you. I understand you get an error when trying to send a fax. All the information you provided was very helpful.

You can try the following methods to check if the issue gets resolved.

Method 1: Reconfigure the Fax settings

You can follow the steps in the links to reconfigure the fax settings.

For Windows XP

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows-xp/help/setup/print-scan-fax

For Windows 7

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Set-up-your-computer-to-send-and-receive-faxes

Method 2: Update the fax modem drivers
Please visit the modem manfacturers website and download and install the latest drivers.

For reference, Windows 7.

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Update-a-driver-for-hardware-that-isnt-working-properly

Method 3: Run modem diagnostics (Windows 7 system)
a)Open Device Manager http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Open-Device-Manager
b)Locate the modem adapter and expand it.
c)Right click the driver and click "Properties".
d)Click the "Diagnostic" tab and Click on "Query modem".

Feel free to use the forum for any other Windows questions you may have.

Thanks for the reply ajeshdsouza. 

 I tried all your suggestions on the Win7 compuer.  Tried #1.  Tried #2 but driver was current.  Tried #3 and got the following:

In the Soft Modem Properties Window Under the General Tab, it says this device is working properly.    Under the Diognotics tab, when I Query the Modem, I get a message that says:  OpenComm....The port that the modem is using is currently open by another application.  Exit any application that may currently be using the port.

So now my question is, What port are they talking about and how do I find out what program is using that port?

Thanks for the help.    Mac

PS:  I borrowed my brother's laptop (win7) which has a small USB modem.  I plugged it into the same phone line and was able to send a fax using Windows Fax and Scan.  So it appears the phone lines are not the problem. 

PSS:  I just tried reinstalling the modem drivers.  Now when I Query the Modem, I get this message: 

"The modem failed to respond.  Make sure it is properly connected and turned on.  If it is an internal modem or connected, verify that the interrupt for the port is properly set."

I went into Device Manager and checked the Modem Properties.  It says the device is working properly and is using COM 3.  When I open PORTS in Device Manager, I get a list of ports but Com3 is not listed.  COM1 is listed but I don't know what is using that port.

Hi Mac,

Thanks for getting back to us. Lets try these methods to check if it resolves the issue with the Fax and scan.

Method 1: Reinstall the Fax and scan feature
a)Press "Windows key + R" and type "appwiz.cpl" and press enter.
b)On the left pane, click "Turn Windows features on or off".
c)Uncheck the "Windows Fax and Scan" option under Print and document services. Restart the system.
d)Follow steps a-b and this time check the "Windows Fax and Scan" box to enable the feature.

Method 2:Run a System File Checker scan and check if that helps.
Refer to the following steps to run SFC scan.
a)Click "Start" and type "command prompt" in the search box. Right click Command Prompt and
"Run as administrator"
b)In the command prompt type in the following command: ‘sfc /scannow’.

If a Windows Resource Protection (WRP) file is missing or is corrupted, Windows may not behave as expected. For example, some Windows functions may not work, or Windows may crash. The System File Checker tool (SFC.exe) scans for missing or corrupted system files and repairs them.

You can run this command on the XP system as well but you will need the Windows XP installation disc for repairs to take place.

Feel free to use the forum in the future for any other Windows questions you may have.

I had the same problem with the fax part of W7. It's being driving me round the bend. It's a pain in the neck! Like you, I was able to send one or two faxes and then nothing, with or without error messages but never an explanation relating to what error. I suppose Microsoft thinks that the final user and customer that we are, are to dumb to understand the cause of an error. Or maybe they are to clever to be able to explain in layman's language.

Anyhow and to cut a long story short, I discovered that on my W7, I have a "guest account". I've just changed to W7 a fortnight ago. This would explain that. So I logged in as a guest and almost a miracle occurred. I was able to send a fax with the W7 built in fax tool. And I've sent more since.

So my conclusion is that " scan wise " my main account (administrator) is corrupted, whereas my guest account is fine. How to solve this corruption problem is another issue. I haven’t a clue.

PS for Ajeshsouza

I tried #1 & #2 of your 30 dec 2012 post. Though SFC did repair one file, nothing better happened. I still could not send a fax before I discovered my "guest account".