OL98: (IMO) Can't Fax After Mail Merge from Microsoft Word

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View products that this article applies to.

This article was previously published under Q187978

NOTE: These procedures only apply if you have installed Outlook with the Internet Mail Only option. To determine your installation type, click About Microsoft Outlook on the Help menu. If you have the Internet Mail Only option installed, you see "Internet Mail Only".

For information about the differences between Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Outlook Express e-mail clients, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

257824 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/257824/EN-US/ ) OL2000: Differences Between Outlook and Outlook Express

SUMMARY

If you install Microsoft Fax, in an attempt to do a mail merge from Microsoft Word, you can no longer fax from Microsoft Outlook 98 (IMO).

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MORE INFORMATION

Outlook IMO installs the Symantec, WinFax Starter Edition (WSE) fax service. Some faxing capabilities are not available with the WSE, for example; it does not provide for a mail merge to fax, using Microsoft Word. You cannot use WSE to send a fax from Word by clicking, "Send to Fax Recipient", on the File menu, however you can do so by printing to the Fax driver. If you install Microsoft Fax in an attempt to gain these capabilities within Word, you will no longer be able to fax from Outlook.

Installing Microsoft Fax removes the WSE component used by Outlook IMO.

To recover fax services in Outlook, you must remove the Microsoft Fax service and reinstall the WSE component.

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To Remove the Microsoft Fax Service

Quit all running programs.
Click Start on the Windows Taskbar, point to Settings and click Control Panel.
Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
On the Windows Setup tab, click to select Microsoft Fax and click OK.

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To Reinstall the WSE Component

Click Start on the Windows Taskbar, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
On the Install/Uninstall tab, click to select Microsoft Outlook 98, then click Add/Remove.
In the Outlook 98 Active Setup dialog box, click Add New Components.
Depending upon the source of your initial installation, click "Install from Web" or "Install from CD."

NOTE: If you use the CD for your installation, make sure Microsoft Internet Explorer is not in offline mode. Work Offline is on the File menu. If it is checked, click Work Offline to deselect it.
Click Yes, to allow Active Setup to determine the Outlook components installed on your computer.
Under Mail Components, click to select the Symantec WinFax Starter Edition check box and click Next.
When the download is complete, quit all programs and restart your computer.

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REFERENCES

For more information on this subject, please see the following articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

183946 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/183946/EN-US/ ) OL98: (IMO) How to Remove and Reinstall WinFax Starter Edition

187645 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/187645/EN-US/ ) OL98: Different Fax Services Installed With Outlook 98

183762 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/183762/EN-US/ ) OL98: (IMO) Microsoft Fax Replaced with WinFax Starter Edition

180462 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/180462/EN-US/ ) OL98: How to Add Components to Outlook 98

119819 (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/119819/EN-US/ ) WD: "Merge to Electronic Fax" Option Unavailable with WinFax Pro

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APPLIES TO

Microsoft Outlook 98 Standard Edition

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kbinfo KB187978

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Retired KB Content Disclaimer

This article was written about products for which Microsoft no longer offers support. Therefore, this article is offered "as is" and will no longer be updated.

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