Can't receive faxes, don't want Phone mode

[terryp]

I have used an earlier free PhoneTools program for over 3 years with few problems, but it recently quit working after I got an upgrade to my computer (I run Windows XP Home SP2--could XP updates be responsible?) so I bought and downloaded Classic PhoneTools 6 two days ago.

I have been able to send faxes but they go very slowly and just show as smudges in the transmission screen, although the recipient says they look fine. An incoming fax causes the mode to switch to Phone and I can't switch it back to Fax unless I restart the computer. So I have been unable to receive any faxes. When I try to shut down PhoneTools to restart, a popup says Releasing Modem Please Wait, then the computer sometimes freezes up.

Also, I was unable to attach Word files to my outgoing faxes but I could attach a jpg. I only need to be able to send and receive faxes; I'm not interested in the Phone, Answering Machine or other features.

I use the distinctive ring feature just as I did with the old version. It never gave me any problems before but I don't know if it could be an issue now.

I have tried uninstallling and reinstalling PhoneTools 6 but the problem persists. Maybe I did this incorrectly? Could there be some remnant of the original free PhoneTools program interfering with the new version?

My modem is a PCTEL Platinum V.90. The modem was recognized by PhoneTools 6 during setup.

[Support_MS]

1. With all programs closed go to Start
2. Go to Control Panel
3. Go to Phone and Modem options (it might be under Printers and Other Hardware)
4. Go to the modem tab
5. Remove all modems listed there
6. Close everything and restart your computer (when windows comes back up it should reinstall the modem)
7. Once the modem is reinstalled Open Classic Phonetools
8. Go to configure in the bottom left
9. Go to General Setup or General Configuration
10. Go to the Communication Tab
11. Click on Change modem
12. Click Next
13. Make suer the PCtel modem is highlighted and next
14. Check the Box for Do not Autoimatically detect and click next
15. On the left side scroll down to Standard Fax/data drivers and click on that, on the right side there should be a PCtel Data/fax, highlight that and click next
16. Click Finish
17. Check Exclusive use and yes
18. Click OK out of the General Setup.

Let me know if that helps.

[terryp]

This fixed only some of the problems.

When I shut down Classic PhoneTools now, the popup Releasing Modem Please Wait no longer appears, and the computer doesn't freeze up.

I still could not attach a Word file to an outgoing fax. When I tried to do this, a popup said "Conversion of (document name) by Word failed." Once again I had no trouble attaching a JPEG and the fax went through much quicker, with the image in the transmission window looking a lot better.

After I sent a fax the status bar went orange. Then it changed back to green when I got an incoming fax a few minutes later. However, the mode immediately went from Fax to Phone again, and the fax was not received. When this happened, the middle screen showed the message "Incoming phone call, you can pick it up." However, after the fax was dropped I was able to change the mode back to Fax, which I couldn't do before without rebooting. The status bar has since stayed orange.

Also, "No Device connected" (which I haven't seen before) and "Answering Machine active" (which has always been there) appear in the screen directly under the status bar.

[Support_MS]

Did you have the options for Standard Fax/data drivers and PCtel Data/fax?
There should be no Voice mail with that driver. A number of these issues could be explained by the program using the wrong driver for the modem.

How are you atttaching word documements, in the program or by printing to Document capturefax? If you are in Classic Phonetools, try opening the Document and clicking File and then print. In the print window change the printer to Capturefax BVRP and then click ok or print. The Send fax window should come up with the document already attached.

[terryp]

I tried the steps again and now the Phone function seems to be disabled. No Phone or Voice Mail tabs on the console now, only Fax and Email.

I am still able to send a fax with a JPEG attached. However, when I try to attach a Word file the computer freezes up. The same thing happens when I try to send the Word file using CaptureFax. At the same time, a note appears at the bottom of the screen: "Word is preparing to background print the document."

Somebody who tried to send me a fax said after 2-3 rings he heard a voice mail greeting that said something like "Do not hang up. The message system you called is not receiving. Please press the pound key." He pressed the pound key and nothing happened. My fax did not pick up. Was this the PhoneTools answering machine picking up the call? I have disabled the answering machine in General Setup (before I disabled the Phone and Email functions) but that didn't help.

Then a minute later his fax machine automatically redialed. PhoneTools picked up after one ring (I have it set on 5 rings) and I received the fax. The same thing happened a few minutes later when he tried to send another fax. Apparently the answering machine overrrides the fax function the first time, then the fax is sent and received normally the second time.

[Support_MS]

"Do not hang up. The message system you called is not receiving. Please press the pound key."
Is not a message from our program, that sounds like a seperate voice mail. Once that stopped picking up then our program started working correct? Are you still having issues with it receiving?

Its only when you are attempting to attach a Word Doc that the computer locks up, correct? No other formats are causing the issue? It might be an issue with Word, but lets try reinstalling Capturefax, just in case.

Here is a link and instructions for downloading and installing Capturefax BVRP.

1. Go to www.bvrpusa.com/capturefax

2. Save the file to your desktop

3. After the file is downloaded, close all programs, and from your Windows Desktop, double-click on CaptureFAX.exe .

4.To verify the Capture Fax drivers installed, from Windows, click Start, Settings, Printers and it should show those drivers.

[terryp]

CaptureFax is now working OK. I can attach a Word file to a fax.

The only remaining problem is that the phone and fax functions are interfering with each other even though I have disabled the phone and voice mail functions in Classic PhoneTools. Every other call to my fax number (which has a distinctive ring and shares a line with my home number) is being received by my home number (with the voice mail greeting I described earlier, which is not my greeting but may also come from Qwest, which is what I use) before the fax can pick it up. I have set the number of rings at 5 on the fax number and 4 on the home number, but on alternating calls to the fax number my home number picks it up after 1 or 2 rings. If the next call is a fax, it is received normally as a fax after 5 rings.

Also, the reverse is happening with calls to my home number. One will come in as a regular call, and if I don't pick it up my external voice mail will answer after 4 rings as it should. However, the next call to my home number is picked up after 1 or 2 rings by the fax, and the caller hears the annoying fax noise along with me when I answer.

If I turn off Classic PhoneTools, calls to my home number come in normally, but of course I can't receive any faxes unless I get a call warning me one is coming so I can turn on CPT. However, once I do that, there's only a 50% chance the fax will come in normally due to the above problem. It's only when CPT is turned on that the fax and phone functions interfere with each other.

It would be nice to receive faxes as faxes and phone calls as phone calls.

[Support_DM]

To recive a fax you will need to make sure that you do have the Classic phone tools open on the screen, and that nothing else is useing the Phone line while you want to recive a fax (dile-up internet service, talking on the phone)..


If the software is not picking up when some body is calling, you can make sure that you do have the Windows fax services dissabled. (win.XP)

Disable Windows fax services:

1. Start
2. Control Panel
3. Add/Remove Programs
4. On the very far left margin of the Add/Remove window, left click (just once) Add/Remove Windows Components
5. Make sure Fax Services is not checked
6. Click next
7. Click Finish

[terryp]

The Windows fax services were already disabled. The Fax Services box was not checked. Any other ideas?

If the software is not always picking up the faxes when it is open, the last thing we can do is pull a modem log.

1. After reproducing the issue in your BVRP software application you will want to get the log. ( to reproduce the issue you will need to keep classic phone tools open, and call the software so the log will record the program not working)

2. From your BVRP software application, click Menus, then click Display/View, then click Modem Exchange. (Pressing the F12 key while in the program will also bring up the modem exchange)

3. Click on File, then click on Save Buffer As.

4. In the top Save In window - select either Desktop or My Documents (to make it easier to find it later)

5. In the Save As window - type in your last name and click on Save

6. Your Modem Log is now saved. Reply to this email attach the saved log from your desktop.

7. Email this log to me at Dmestas@bvrpusa.com