Configuration puzzle: long-distance access code ignored

[Jonathan Sachs]

I am trying to configure my portable computer (a Toshiba Portégé M200,
with built-in modem) to send faxes. It is not adding the
long-distance access code to long-distance numbers. I'm particularly
baffled by this because I have configured Windows to send faxes a
couple of times before, and I never encountered this problem. Now I
can't figure out how to correct it.

In the "Phone and Modem Options" applet, I initially set "To access an
outside line for long-distance calls" to 1. Windows ignored it. I
then tried setting "Use this carrier code to make long-distance calls"
to 1. Windows ignored that, too.

So far the only way I can send a fax outside my area code by manually
adding the access code to the dialed number for each fax.

What is going on here? How to fix it?

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

You did not state your fax software.
If you are asking about dialing rules, dialing rules will only be processed
if your phone numbers are in canonical format.
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQFAX.htm#_Toc88835137

 

[Jonathan Sachs]

You did not state your fax software.
If you are asking about dialing rules, dialing rules will only be processed
if your phone numbers are in canonical format.
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQFAX.htm#_Toc88835137

Sorry about the omission. I am using Microsoft Fax Manager.

I looked at the article you referenced and discovered that I am not
formatting the numbers in their "canonical form" -- I have been
entering nnn-nnn-nnnn instead of (nnn) nnn-nnnn. I will try that the
next time I have to send a fax.

I'm still puzzled, because I have been sending faxes successfully from
other Windows machines for years. Out of habit, I would always format
a 10 digit phone number with two hyphens unless I knew that I had to
do something else, and I never knew that I had to.

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

All Microsoft fax programs have required canonical format in order to
process dialing rules. Your previous installations may have been converting
your numbers to canonical format automatically, since Outlook can be
configured to do so.

 

[JHG]

Russ,
How would one configure Outlook to convert phone numbers to canonical
format.
Thanks,
JHG

All Microsoft fax programs have required canonical format in order to
process dialing rules. Your previous installations may have been
converting your numbers to canonical format automatically, since Outlook
can be configured to do so.
--
Russ Valentine
[MVP-Outlook]

Sorry about the omission. I am using Microsoft Fax Manager.

I looked at the article you referenced and discovered that I am not
formatting the numbers in their "canonical form" -- I have been
entering nnn-nnn-nnnn instead of (nnn) nnn-nnnn. I will try that the
next time I have to send a fax.

I'm still puzzled, because I have been sending faxes successfully from
other Windows machines for years. Out of habit, I would always format
a 10 digit phone number with two hyphens unless I knew that I had to
do something else, and I never knew that I had to.

 

[Jonathan Sachs]

All Microsoft fax programs have required canonical format in order to
process dialing rules. Your previous installations may have been converting
your numbers to canonical format automatically, since Outlook can be
configured to do so.

I'm not sure what you mean about Outlook, because I don't use Outlook.
Is Microsoft Fax somehow considered to be a component of Outlook? If
not, Outlook has nothing to do with the problem.

In any case, I can guarantee that I never configured Outlook to
convert phone numbers to canonical form, since I did not know that it
could do so OR that conversion was necessary. Of course, a gremlin
might have done it. Windows XP is host to many gremlins.

I have looked at my home computer's fax directory and confirmed that
all of the numbers are in double-hyphen form. I never had problems
with them.

Strictly speaking, all of this is moot until I get a chance to try
sending a fax from the laptop again, but I'm beginning to suspect that
the form of the phone numbers is NOT the problem (or not the only
problem), and if so, I would prefer to find out what is really wrong
before I need to send another fax, which could take weeks or even
months.

 

[Jonathan Sachs]

....dialing rules will only be processed
if your phone numbers are in canonical format.
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQFAX.htm#_Toc88835137

I had occasion to send a fax this morning, and I tried putting the
phone number into canonical form. It made no difference at all.
Something else is wrong, and I still need to fix it.

From the reference you gave I understand that the number in canonical
form should have a space between the parenthesized area code and the
local number. That is what I tried. When it did not work I inserted
the access code manually, as before. Later I tried using the number
without the space; since I had already sent the fax I unplugged the
telephone cord before dialing. Once again, it tried to dial the
number exactly as entered.

 

[Jonathan Sachs]

Russ does not appear to be responding this time. Can anyone else make
suggestions? This problem seems unlikely to get resolved otherwise.