Frequently Asked Questions About WinFax PRO.
What happened to WinFax PRO?
The first and original version of WinFax was developed in 1990 by the Canadian company, Delrina. The company was eventually purchased by Symantec in 1996. The last version of WinFax PRO to be developed was version 10 in 2001. Symantec continued to sell WinFax PRO 10 for the next 5 years until it was eventually discontinued in 2006.
Where can I buy WinFax PRO?
WinFax PRO is no longer sold as at the retail level or directly from Symantec. There are some dealers that may have new old stock (NOS) of WinFax PRO. Beware if you purchase any CD-ROM with a manual or original box. There are many counterfeit CD-ROMs being produced, especially for popular discontinued software such as WinFax PRO. We have an article on our site which shows the differences between a real CD-ROM and a fake.
Is there a WinFax PRO upgrade available for Microsoft Windows 7 or 8?
No upgrade exists for WinFax PRO. WinFax PRO was discontinued by Symantec in 2006, just prior to the official release of Microsoft Vista.
Does WinFax PRO work with Microsoft Windows 7 or 8?
No, any Microsoft Windows operating system developed after Windows XP is not compatible with WinFax PRO. Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows 8 is not compatible with WinFax PRO due to some of the changes made to the operating system.
Can I install WinFax PRO in Windows 7 to have access to my phone books and fax data for later retrieval, printing and viewing?
Yes, it is possible but there are several options in WinFax that can generate errors when operating under Windows 7. We can assist you in moving your existing faxes and phone books from your old PC to your new PC and install WinFax PRO so it can be easily used in Windows 7. Contact us for rates.
Does WinFax PRO with with Microsoft Windows 7 and Windows XP Mode?
Our initial testing confirms that you can run WinFax PRO in Windows XP mode, but you cannot “share” the WinFax PRO printer driver with Windows 7 applications. We successfully shared the fax modem, (and it was a software based modem) but not the fax printer. This prevents any access from Windows 7 programs to the WinFax printer. Only the applications that are installed within the Windows XP Virtual machine can be used with WinFax to send faxes, you cannot create faxes from within Windows 7 applications.
Windows XP Mode is a feature that is optional on Professional, Ultimate and Enterprise versions of Windows 7. Windows XP Mode is not available in the Home Premium or Starter Editions of Windows 7. Windows XP Mode option can be downloaded at no additional charge with a qualified version of Windows 7 directly from Microsoft’s Web site here: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx
Does WinFax PRO work in a virtual machine, such as Oracle’s VM Virtual Box?
Yes, just as Windows XP Mode in Windows 7, WinFax PRO will run properly with a properly configured virtual machine. However, the same restrictions apply as in Windows XP Mode. Only applications within the virtual box are accessible by WinFax PRO. WinFax PRO also requires some processing power to send and receive faxes, so if you are using a Virtual Machine you want to ensure your PC has the available memory and processing power to accomplish this task.
This limits the usability of WinFax in Windows 7. if you require to fax from a Windows 7 application, it will not work. Although, having Windows XP within your Windows 7 operating system saves you the expensive of having another separate computer just to run legacy Windows XP applications such as WinFax. Using WinFax in a virtual machine is not recommended.
What can I use to replace WinFax PRO now that I am using Windows 7 or Windows 8?
If you’ve replaced an older machine that already had an existing fax modem its likely you’ll also need to purchase and install a fax modem on the new computer. Most newer machines no longer include fax modems as an option and they must be purchased separately. Some older fax modems may not work with the newer operating system such as Windows 7. If you’re using a 64 bit operating system, you’ll need a fax modem that comes with 64 bit drivers. If you have only one fax line and require an inexpensive fax modem, we provide a USB Fax Modem that is compatible with both 32 and 64 bit Operating systems for use with FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro, more details here.