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No fax in Vista
A couple of readers have recently written in to ask about sending and receiving faxes using Windows XP. That's fairly easy to set up as long as you have a fax modem (not an ADSL or cable modem) installed.
If you're using Vista, however, it's a different matter, because Microsoft has quietly removed the ability to fax from most versions of the new operating system. It's still possible to do it in Vista Business and Vista Ultimate, but since most home and small office users will be on Vista Home Premium, that's not much use.
As the linked article above points out, the venerable (and much-loved, by faxers) WinFax software won't be appearing on Vista either, as it too was killed off last year, by its owner Symantec.
We'll be trying to find a suitable free alternative fax program for Vista, and we'll let you know as soon as we turn one up. In the meantime, if you know of any free or cheap fax software that will work with Vista, let us know, by email or by leaving a comment below.
It is very annoying that MS have removed the Fax program from Vista Home Premium. If you can find an alternative and workable Fax program, please let me know. Bob
posted-by Bob Shearing | May 4, 2007 11:57 PM
I am so dissapointed about winfax in fact I am unning XP on another partition just for Winfax.
I have installed Snappyfax which will work in Vista, but is not as user friendly.
posted-by Brian Bosomworth | June 12, 2007 3:30 PM
I am past diappointed with vista. My printer , camara , nor my cell is workable with vista. Now i cant send a fax. Microsoft told me that the store is responisible for reimbursments or exchanges.
Thanks micro !
How about a replacement for Vista period eh?
posted-by Dave W | June 12, 2007 5:15 PM
I was using FaxTalk Messenger which was pretty good in XP. They have decided not to upgrade despite the fact the version 7.0 is pretty new. Now they want to sell a fresh version compatible Vista, without any major better features for the same price I paid recently the latest version for XP. So unprofessionnal and so unfair
posted-by Pierre | August 17, 2007 1:31 PM
At last a great piece of fax software is available for Vista Home Premium.
It is called, RKS Fax. From BMT Micro. It is available as a free trial for 30 days, but after this it only costs, £10.42 from the web site. Well worth waiting for.
posted-by Keith Hudson | December 9, 2007 11:31 PM
Hi there, I've searched EVERYWHERE for a free fax product for Vista. There is one for Vista at http://www.blackice.com/impColorFaxLite.htm - it is a free "lite" version but does the job of sending faxes from Windows programs via print driver and receiving. Good luck!
posted-by Andrew Parker | March 31, 2008 11:25 AM
I ALSO HAVE WINDOWS VISTA HOME PREMIUM, AND HP COMPAQ PRESARIO, PLEASE WATCH OUT, I ALSO HAVE DIRECT CABLE AND RKS DOES NOT, REPEAT, DOESNOT WORK THRU A CABLE LINE, WINDOWS VISTA IS CRAP AND SO IS THE COMPAQ PRESARIO SR5023WM, SINCE THEY DO NOT LIKE EACH OTHER AND I HAVE CONSTANT PROBLEMS, NOW I AM BEING TOLD BY HP ONLINE CHAT TO TAKE THE CPU APART AND FIX IT. I AM 80 YRS OLD, WHAT A PIECE OF CRAP, GO BACK TO OLD DOS. IT WORKED!!!
gabriel
posted-by Gabriel | April 3, 2009 4:54 AM