How I Got Windows XP Fax Utility (Fax Console v 5.1)

Incident: August 12, 2005
Author: carpediem2100
Written: November 21, 2005


Windows XP Home edition comes with a fax utility.  Although it isn't pre-installed with the operating system, it is supposed to be accessible on its cd's, or compressed harddrive files.  The files required are called: fxscfgwz.dll   &   fxsapi.dll .

(the following excerpt was copied from http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q306550/) it is titled:
"How to enable and configure the Fax service in Windows XP" Article ID:306550 ; Last Review:June  4,2004
...
Installing the Fax service
--------------------------
1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add or Remove Programs under
Pick a category.
2. Click Add/Remove Windows Components to start the Windows Components Wizard.
3. In the Components list, click to select the Fax Services check box, and then click Next.
Setup installs the Fax services. If you are prompted, insert the Microsoft Windows XP CD, and  then click OK.
4. Click Finish, and then click Close.     ...




My difficulty:
--------------
I followed the procedure as above.  The Windows Components Wizard will not proceed with installing fax because it can't find "fxscfgwz.dll" at location    ...Windows\Options\i386.

My computer comes pre-installed with Windows XP Home edition and ships with recovery cds which reformat the hard drive.  The I386 directory is windowsXP's equivalent of win98's ...install  OR ...options/cabs directory.  I searched this directory, and the harddrive, and the recovery cd's for files , named "fxscfgwz.dll"   or  "fxsapi.dll".  There were no files found.  On the Microsoft website, I couldn't find these files for download; however the site did tell you to install the utility from the Windows XP disc.



My solution:
------------
I found the answer doing an internet search. 
http://www.adminlife.com/247reference/msgs/20/103543.aspx, refers to a webpage called "Missing File: 'fxscfgwz.dll'."
http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/WinXP/microsoft.public.windowsxp.print_fax/2004-03/0761.html has a webpage called "Re: Missing File: 'fxscfgwz.dll'." 
These webpages give instructions on overcoming this obstacle.
The missing files ARE in the ...I386 folder; however, they are in ANOTHER form.
    fxscfgwz.dll is in the form of fxscfgwz.dl_  and
    fxsapi.dll   is in the form of fxsapi.dl_  .


overcoming difficulty #1
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    The Windows Components Wizard falsely looks for the I386 folder (on my computer) inside the Options folder.  My I386 folder is NOT inside the Options folder.  Remedy this by manually browsing/instructing the wizard to the I386 folder.


overcoming difficulty #2
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    When the Windows Components Wizard asks for fxscfgwz.dll, point it inside the I386 folder to the file fxscfgwz.dl_   .  Hopefully, this is all you will have to do to finish installing the
fax service.  If for some strange reason Windows won't recognize the file, you may have to
decompress it (see overcoming difficulty #3 below).


overcoming difficulty #3
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
    If Windows requires you to decompress the ".dl_" files, try this:
... When the installation routine is unable to find the necessary installation files (even when directed to the appropriate i386 folder) it usually means that the installation files are compressed.  This is often the case when the files are pre-copied by a manufacturer on the harddrive.  If you do a search for the files that the installation routine claims are missing (fxsapi.dll and fxscfgwz.dll) you won't find them, but you will find fxsapi.dl_ and fxscfgwz.dl_.  These are compressed DLL files and will need to be decompressed.  Double click on them and you will get a prompt for the file to use to open them.  Click Browse…. and select Win32 Cabinet Self-Extractor, which is in the system folder. With any luck it will uncompress them all and make them visible as DLL files. The install routine still may not find these files. If so, then you must manually direct the installation routine to the i386 folder that contains these extracted files. ...
(Source
http://members.shaw.ca/bsanders/FAQFAX.htm    21 November 2004;
http://www.tech-archive.net/Archive/WinXP/microsoft.public.windowsxp.print_fax/2004-03/0761.html)


Download
--------
if you need the files:
fxsapi.dll is available for download in .zip format (size = 180Kb) at www.dll-files.com at
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?fxsapi
If the above site is down, a copy of this file is here.

fxscfgwz.dll is available for download in .zip format (size = 109Kb) at www.dll-files.com at
http://www.dll-files.com/dllindex/dll-files.shtml?fxscfgwz
If the above site is down, a copy of this file is here.



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