Windows Fax and Scan does not appear in the Start menu

[Pete'n'Sheila79]

I'm using Vista Home Premium and want to (a) send faxes via a local fax
modem, and (b) scan docs from a local scanner. I hear there should be a
Windows fax and Scan program shown in the Start menu. I clicked All Programs
in the Start menu and it still does not show. Suggestions?

 

[Hal Hostetler [MVP P/I]]

Fax and Scan is available in Vista Business and Ultimate editions, it is not
available in any of the Vista Home editions. Since you have a Vista Home
version, the only Fax option is a third party product. These products work
under Vista:

Snappy Fax
http://www.snappysoftware.com/
RKSFax
http://www.rkssoftware.com/rksfax/overview.html
VentaFax
http://www.ventafax.com/
FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro 7.5
http://www.faxtalk.com/products/ftfcp/index.htm

I've seen reports that the free version of BVRP works with Vista also:

http://www.usr.com/bvrp/bvrp.asp
BVRP PhoneTools

Since the above comes bundled with new USR modems, I don't know if it will
work with non-USR modems. You can also send Faxes via your Internet
connection provided you are willing to pay for an Internet E-Faxing service:

http://www.slipstick.com/addins/services/fax.htm#internetfax
Personal Fax Services - Internet Fax
http://www.savetz.com/fax/
FAQ: How can I send a fax from the Internet?

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-Print/Imaging -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Live at Hot Licks - www.badnewsbluesband.com

 

[Pete''n''Sheila79]

Thanks, Hal. While waiting for a response to my post I had a better look
thru the various threads on this section and found that my query was not that
original, and that you had posted similar replies already. Nice to see such
patience and dedication! In fact I got Vista Home Premium pre-installed on a
new Dell which also has an optional fax modem installed, so my issue is
really with them that they did not include the necessary app-level software
alongside this option, given that Microsoft excluded it from Home Premium.

While hunting around, I came across the RKSFax product you list, and can
confirm it works fine. I doubt if beating Dell (or MS) up about this will
yield anything useful, so I'll probably pay RKS $20 for their product.
Thanks again, Pete.

 

[Hal Hostetler [MVP P/I]]

You've very welcome and thanks a bunch for the feedback on RKS!

Hal
--
Hal Hostetler, CPBE -- (e-mail address removed)
Senior Engineer/MIS -- MS MVP-Print/Imaging -- WA7BGX
http://www.kvoa.com -- "When News breaks, we fix it!"
KVOA Television, Tucson, AZ. NBC Channel 4
Live at Hot Licks - www.badnewsbluesband.com

 

[Russ Valentine [MVP-Outlook]]

Bizarre. Never seen it or seen it reported. How was Vista originally
installed on your PC? Does WFS seem to function normally once you remember
the path you need to use to launch it? Do you have a Fax Account configured
correctly?