Install and Share a Fax Printer for Network Users

Applies To: Windows Server 2008 R2

When you install the Fax Server role, if you have not attached a fax device to the computer, a local fax printer connection, Fax, is automatically created in the Printers folder in Control Panel. If that fax printer connection becomes corrupted or is deleted, you can create a new fax printer connection by adding a new fax account. If you have installed the Fax Server role and already have a fax printer installed, you should follow the steps in this procedure to share the printer so that users can connect.

This procedure describes how to create a new fax printer, and then share the printer so that your users can find it.

To create and share a new fax printer

  1. Click Start, click All Programs, and then click Windows Fax and Scan.

  2. Click Tools, and then click Fax Accounts.

  3. In Fax Accounts, click Add to open Fax Setup.

  4. On the Choose a fax modem or server page, click Connect to a fax modem.

  5. You may be asked to install a modem. To do this, follow the instructions in the Add Hardware Wizard.

  6. On the Choose a modem name page, type a name for the fax modem, and then click Next. The default name is Fax Modem.

  7. On the Choose how to receive faxes page, click the option that you prefer.

  8. The new fax modem should appear in Fax Accounts, under Account Name.

  9. Then, to share the printer that has been created, click Start, and then click Control Panel.

  10. Under Hardware, click View devices and printers.

  11. In the list of printers, right-click Fax, click Printer properties, click the Sharing tab, select Share this printer, and then type a name for the printer that you want your network users to see.

  12. If you want to enable users with computers running different versions of Windows to use this printer, click Additional Drivers to install the needed drivers.

  13. In Additional Drivers, select the check box for the architecture that you want to support. You are prompted to provide a path to the driver. Provide the path to the %windir%\System32\DriverStore\FileRepository\prnms002.inf* file on a computer that is of the architecture that you want to support.

  14. To confirm that the files were copied properly, in Windows Explorer navigate to %windir%\System32\spool\drivers\ and look for the folder that contains the files for the selected architectures.

Additional considerations

  • To install Fax components or install a new modem, you must be a member of the Administrators group or you must have been delegated the appropriate authority.

  • Because the Fax service uses remote procedure calls (RPC) to submit faxes, manage and configure the Fax service, and monitor the status of the Fax service, you must ensure that the firewall on the server will allow this. Typically, when you add an account to the Fax service, Fax Setup in Windows Fax and Scan will ask the user to unblock RPC so that the firewall is unblocked for fax communication. You can also configure the firewall directly at any other time in Windows Firewall by verifying that Windows Fax Service and Windows Fax and Scan are in the exceptions list. If you are sharing the Fax service, File and Printer Sharing should also be added to the exceptions list. For more information about Windows Firewall and Windows Firewall with Advanced Security, see the Windows ServerĀ 2008 Technical Library (https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=141086)

Additional references