WD97: Troubleshooting Fax Problems from Word

• Microsoft Word 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Windows 95

SUMMARY

To troubleshoot fax problems that occur when you use Microsoft Fax to send a fax from Word, use the methods described in the "More Information" section of this article.

NOTE: Third-party faxing software is available for use with Microsoft Word; however, Microsoft Technical Support can only support faxing from Word when using Microsoft Fax.

MORE INFORMATION

To fully test your system's ability to communicate and function correctly with your modem and Microsoft Fax, perform the steps in the order in which they are listed here.

Step 1: Test Windows Communications with Your Modem

To test whether Windows can communicate with your modem, follow these steps:

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.

2. Double-click the Modems icon.

3. Click the Diagnostics tab, click the port at which you have your modem installed, and then click More Info. Windows will now attempt to communicate with your modem. Windows should display the following message:

         Communicating with modem. This may take a few minutes.
   

   Windows will send several "AT" commands to your modem. If these tests are successful, Windows will display the Port Information and "AT" responses for each command.

If any of the following problems occur, you may have either a modem, modem configuration, or modem connection problem. If this is the case, refer to the additional information articles at the end of this section.

Problems that may occur when you run the test:

• The COM port for your modem may not be listed as an available port.

  -or-

• You receive any of the following error messages:

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

        -or-
  

        The COM<x> port is currently assigned to an MS-DOS application. Do
        you want to reassign the port to Windows?
  

        -or-
  

        Another program is using the selected Telephony device. Try again
        after the other program completes.
  

   ARTICLE-ID: Q105940
   TITLE     : Troubleshooting Serial Port Problems in Windows

   ARTICLE-ID: Q152064
   TITLE     : How to Install an Internal Modem in Windows 95

   ARTICLE-ID: Q158114
   TITLE     : Err Msg: Another Program Is Using the Selected Telephony...

Step 2: Test the Send Functionality of Microsoft Fax

To check the send functionality of Microsoft Fax, use the following steps:

1. On the Windows Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to Fax, and then click Compose New Fax. The Compose New Fax wizard should start.

2. Click Next.

   NOTE: Click Dialing Properties to change dialing information, if needed.

3. Type in the addressee in the To line, and then type in the fax number of a fax machine you can send a test fax to. Click Add To List, and then click Next.

4. For your test, click No to the question "Do you want a cover page?" Click Options. Under the Time To Send section, click "As soon as Possible," click OK, and then click Next.

5. Type in a Subject and a short Note, and then click Next.

6. On the Files To Send dialog box, click Next.

7. In the "Your Fax is now ready. To send it, click Finish" dialog box, click Finish.

   - Processing new fax message

   - Preparing email format

   - Email format created

   - Calling <recipient>

If either of the following problems occur, see the articles at the end of this section.

Problems that may occur when you follow the steps:

• You receive the following error message:

  The following unrecoverable error has occurred: Internal MAPI error: The information service cannot be added to the profile using the Inbox Setup Wizard. Contact your administrator.

  -or-

• The Fax command is not available on the Accessories menu.

For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q165414
   TITLE     : Error Message: Internal MAPI Error

   ARTICLE-ID: Q152196
   TITLE     : How to Install and Use Microsoft Fax

   ARTICLE-ID: Q129211
   TITLE     : Frequently Asked Questions About Microsoft Exchange Profiles

   ARTICLE-ID: Q105940
   TITLE     : Troubleshooting Serial Port Problems in Windows

   ARTICLE-ID: Q152064
   TITLE     : How to Install an Internal Modem in Windows 95

   ARTICLE-ID: Q162203
   TITLE     : OL97: User Profiles and Information Services

Step 3: Test the Rendering System of Microsoft Fax from Word

NOTE: Make sure that the Send As Attachment option is turned off in Word. To turn the Send As Attachment option off, click to clear the Send As Attachment check box on the General tab. To view the General tab, click Options on the Tools menu.

To test whether Microsoft Fax can render a Word document for faxing, follow these steps:

1. Create a document in Word. On the File menu, point to Send, and then click Mail Recipient.

   NOTE: If Send is not available on the File menu, you must install Microsoft Exchange using Windows 95 Setup.

2. In the New Message dialog box, the Word document will appear as text and the insertion point should be blinking in the To line.

   NOTE: To send your Word document as an attachment to the mail message, in Word, click Options on the Tools menu. On the General tab, click to select the Mail As Attachment check box, and then click OK.

3. In the To line, type "[fax:me]" (without the quotation marks).

4. Use one of the following methods:

         Method 1: With Microsoft Outlook Installed
         ------------------------------------------
   

         a. On the File menu, click Send Options.
   

         b. On the Fax tab, under Message Format, click to select
            the Not Editable check box, and then click OK.
      
         Method 2: Without Microsoft Outlook Installed
         ---------------------------------------------
      
         a. On the File menu, click Properties.
      
         b. On the General tab, under Message Format, click to select Not
            Editable and then click OK.
      
         c. Click OK.
   
   

5. On the File menu, click Send.

• Processing new fax message.
• Preparing fax format.
• Scheduling fax.
• Calling:Me.

If any of the following problems are experienced, refer to the additional information articles at the end of this section.

Problems you may experience when you run this test include:

• You receive the following error message in Microsoft Exchange:

        The item's properties could not be displayed. No additional send
        options are available for this message.
  

  -or-

• When you click Send Options on the File menu from the test message, nothing happens.

  -or-

• You cannot close Microsoft Word until the Send Mail command is finished. Switch to the New Message first, and either send or close the message.

  -or-

• You receive a message stating that no transport provider was available for delivery to this recipient.

  -or-

• You receive an "Undeliverable" mail message stating "An unknown error has occurred. Try to send the fax again."

  -or-

• The Fax tab is missing from the "Send Options for this Message" dialog box after you click Send Options on the File menu from your test message.

  -or-

• You receive an "Undeliverable" mail message stating "A problem occurred during message processing in the message store."

  -or-

• Electronic Fax is not available as a merge option.

  -or-

• When you select mail merge to "Electronic Mail" you get the following error message:

        Microsoft Exchange does not recognize <Phone Number>
        Would you like to
  

          Create a new address for  <Phone Number>
          Change to
  
  

  If you experience any of these problems, repeat step 2. You may not have Microsoft Fax properly installed. For assistance in setting up Microsoft Fax, you may need to call Microsoft Windows 95 Technical Support.

  For additional information, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

     ARTICLE-ID: Q160863
     TITLE     : OL97: How to Send a Contact to a Fax Address
  
     ARTICLE-ID: Q142345
     TITLE     : WD: Unable to Fax Mail Merge to Microsoft Fax from Word
  
     ARTICLE-ID: Q142088
     TITLE     : WD: Merge to Fax Not Available
  
     ARTICLE-ID: Q169542
     TITLE     : WD97: Messages When Attempting to Fax From Word
  
  

Step 4: Test Printing to Microsoft Fax From Word

To test Microsoft Fax by using the Print command on the File menu, follow these steps:

1. Create a new document or open an existing document.

2. On the File menu, click Print.

3. In the Print dialog box, under Printer, in the Name box, select Microsoft Fax, and then click OK.

   The Compose New Fax wizard should start.

4. Change your Dialing Properties, if necessary, and then click Next.

5. Type in the name and fax number of the fax recipient, click Add to list, and then click Next.

6. Click No when prompted with the question "Do you want a cover page?" Click Next.

7. Type in a subject and note, if desired, and then click Next.

8. Click Finish to complete sending the test fax.

If these tests are unsuccessful, then you may not have Microsoft Fax properly installed. For assistance in setting up Microsoft Fax, you may need to call Microsoft Windows 95 Technical Support.

If the Microsoft Fax driver is not an available printer when you click Print on the File menu, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q137752
   TITLE     : Cannot Print to Microsoft Fax Printer Driver

   ARTICLE-ID: Q132908
   TITLE     : Error Message: Could Not Start Print Job