Using Windows XP Pro with modem as fax machine

[theodoros_1234]

My fax machine is broken. I could buy one, but I have an old Windows XP Pro computer, and I thought I might be able to use it as a fax machine. I have a printer hooked up to it. If I buy an internal modem card, can I use that to send fax? Thank you.

 

[The Paladin]

if you can find a fax modem card in your area, and the software that would handle taking call buffering data and sending it to your printer, sure why not. don't forget pawn shops also sell fax machine usually for cheap if your project fails.

U.S. Robotics USR5638 V.92 Faxmodem 56Kbps PCI Express Data: V.92, V.90, V.34, V.32bis, V.32 Data Error Control/Compression: V.44/V.42/V42bis and MNP5 Fax: EIA 578 (Class 1) with V.17, V.29, V.27ter, V.21, Group 3 V.80 video conferencing selling for 23$ at Newegg

here is very good resource on how to configure windows xp and faxing.
https://faxauthority.com/windows-xp-fax/

I would make sure your windows has SP3 on it if you don't have it it can be downloaded from Microsoft directly

 

[Paperdoc]

Certainly that can work. When you do it that way, there is a potential bonus feature. There is likely an option in the FAX software you can set for this. You can choose, when a FAX is received, to have it stored on your HDD in a particular graphical file format (often a .tif) and NOT printed. Then later you can examine each of those files on your screen, delete any junk, and print out only the ones you need. That way your printer does not need to be on all the time.

You MAY need one more component. For generating FAXes to send, most software can be used. Windows itself has a FAX "printer" device (actually a software driver) you can use to "print" your FAX from an application. When you choose this printer, it does not print. It gets the required info from you and sends the FAX using the FAX Modem. BUT if you need to SCAN an existing piece of paper to generate the FAX, then you need a basic scanner. FAXes normally are black and white, or black-only greyscale, with no color. Further, their maximum resolution is 200 dpi. So the scanner needs only those basic capabilities.

 

[Paperdoc]

Thanks for Best Solution.