WinFax PRO 8.0 and Microsoft Outlook

Click here to subscribe
to our biweekly
EMO newsletter
EMO back issues

WinFax PRO 8.0

WinFax PRO 8.x from Symantec can operate both as a standalone fax program and with a certain amount of integration with Microsoft Outlook 98 in both Corporate/Workgroup (CW) and Internet Mail Only (IMO) modes. Earlier versions of WinFax PRO cannot communicate with Outlook.

The version of WinFax included with Outlook 98's Internet Mail Only mode, WinFax Starter Edition, is a very "light" version. Symantec offers an upgrade to the full WinFax PRO 9.0 product.

Many thanks to Ken Slovak for his setup and usage notes. Some of the information on setup is taken from my book, The Microsoft Outlook E-mail and Fax Guide.

If you have WinFax PRO 9.0 or 10.0, see Ken's article on WinFax PRO 9 or 10 and Microsoft Outlook Integration.

Setup | Usage | Notes | Limitations | Problems

Setup

If you already have Microsoft Exchange, Windows Messaging or Outlook 97 installed, you may get better results by installing WinFax PRO, then Outlook 98, then the WinFax PRO Update Utility.

When you install WinFax PRO, choose either a Typical or Custom configuration; the Minimum installation does not include support for Microsoft Outlook.

During setup, when you see the dialog box for Dialing Preferences, enter the same settings that you use for your default Windows dialing location. WinFax PRO does not use Windows dialing locations. When the setup wizard asks whether you want to use Microsoft Exchange from WinFax, enable that option.

After you complete the installation of WinFax PRO, run the program, connect to the Internet and choose Help | Live Update. The Live Update process connects you with Symantec and automatically installs updated components needed for Outlook compatiblity.

After upgrading to WinFax PRO, if you are using Outlook 98 in Internet Mail Only mode, run the WinFax PRO Update Utility to give WinFax the ability to see fax numbers in your Outlook Contacts by moving them to the Other Fax field. (Note that it moves, not copies.) If you have the Outlook 98 CD, you'll find it in the \Valupack\Winfax folder.

In Corporate/Workgroup mode, check Tools | Services to make certain that the WinFax Logs service is installed, so you can see WinFax folders inside Outlook.

In both modes, check Tools | Options | Other | Advanced |Add-In Manager to make sure that the DCCExtensions add-in is installed. Without this add-in, you will not see WinFax commands on Outlook menus.

Configuration settings that govern how WinFax works with Outlook are found in WinFax on the Setup | MS Exchange/MS Outlook menu. Use Microsoft Exchange in WinFax must be checked. For CW mode, you can choose to either set a specific profile or be prompted. For IMO mode, you must choose Always use this profile with the profile named Microsoft Outlook Internet Settings.

Usage

Both versions of Outlook 98
A FAX icon appears in the Standard Toolbar. Clicking it opens the Send Fax window in WinFax. A WinFax menu item appears that has choices of Phonebooks, Cover Pages, Attachments and Dialing PROperties. Clicking any of these opens the selected WinFax dialog.

Outlook 98 Corporate/Workgroup
WinFax Logs appear in the File List, showing the Outbox, Receive Log, Send Log and Wastebasket. Double clicking on any of the items in those logs opens the WinFax Viewer.

WinFax with OL98 Corporate/Workgroup
The fax numbers from the [Business Fax], [Other Fax] and [Home Fax] fields appear on separate lines in the WinFax Phonebooks. Voice numbers do not appear at all. The Personal Address Book entries (sorted by first name only) and entries from a Postoffice Address List appear (names only).

WinFax with OL98 Internet Mail Only
The fax numbers appear only from the [Other Fax] field. Voice numbers appear only from the [Primary] field. (This is why you need to run the WinFax PRO Update Utilty, as noted above, and either keep run it again every time you add new numbers or just add them in the Other Fax field.) Names are sorted on First Name only, regardless of sort order selected in the address book. LDAP providers appear also. An icon named MS Exchange appears in WinFax PRO Logs and opens to display Inbox, Contacts and Sent Items folders. You cannot see your WinFax PRO folders in Outlook; that feature is available only in CW mode.

For numbers to appear in WinFax, the folder must be enabled as an e-mail address book on its Properties dialog. An e-mail address for the contact is not required.

Notes

WinFax PRO itself does not include the ability to share a fax modem across a network. However, it can connect to a WinFax PRO for Networks 5.0 fax server.