Windows fax and scan send results in "No answer" if receiving machine send fax tone without ringing.

Question

For quite a long time now, we cannot send faxes via Windows Fax and Scan to any machine/server that answers the call without ringing but immediately answers with a fax tone. Our end will never initiate the send and returns a "No Answer" response. I can always manually send the fax via a fax machine, so it is not an issue with phone lines or the receiving machine. I have searched for literally years and have never found anyone even asking this question, let alone an answer. This happens on multiple servers, with multiple operating systems (Windows 7, 10, Server 2012, Server 2016), over several years. How can I FORCE the system to send the fax if it does not hear a ring from the receiving end? This is requiring me to monitor fax servers constantly and manually print and send many faxes weekly.

Answer 1

Hello **** Gary R. Meadows

When you try to send a fax using Windows Fax and Scan, and the receiving fax machine answers immediately with a fax tone without ringing, you might get a 'No Answer' error. This happens because the Windows Fax and Scan program expects the fax machine to ring before it sends the fax, but it can't skip this step.

To solve this problem, you can try using different fax software from other companies. This software often lets you change how the fax is sent, so you can send it even if the other machine doesn't ring. Windows Fax and Scan doesn't have this feature, so using other software can be more flexible and solve the issue for you.

Best regards,

Karlie Weng