? FAX Utility

nkoss · 27 Feb 2012

I installed a new all-in-one printer (Epson Artisan 837) and it is working just fine including its faxing ability. When I look in the "Devices & Printers", I see something called "Fax" and it says "Microsoft shared fax driver". What is this and is this something I need or can it just be deleted? There is another item listed called "Microsoft XPS Document Writer". Same questions for this one??

And I am now getting a dialog box that shows up each time I boot. The header says "FAX Utility" and the text says, "There is a problem with the parameters for the database library". Is this coming from the new fax driver for the Epson (I don't think so since it is working perfectly) or from the Microsoft driver, whatever that is??

My system is Windows 7 Pro x64

clittle · 07 Dec 2012

Same problem here (almost a year after yours). I just disconnected an Epson WorkForce printer. Sounds like that may be the common denominator.

bobafetthotmail · 07 Dec 2012

the XPS document writer is a virtual printer you use to create XPS documents (much like a free program called "pdf995" is a virtual printer that creates pdf documents from what you are printing with them).

As for the fax thing, it should be a Windows 7 trick, a virtual fax pointing to the actual device, this "shortcut" is used if you want to easily share it on the home network (and send fax from a PC that isn't the one connected to the device). It uses this trick when the driver from the manufacturer does not allow to share the fax on its own, or simply to have more control over the device.

Either of these two is perfectly normal, move along

.