Winprint HylaFAX

Installation Instructions

Winprint HylaFAX is a Windows print monitor designed to send its output directly to a HylaFAX Server. Once installed, you can print to a HylaFAX Server from any application, and it will pop up a simple dialog box, allowing you to enter the destination FAX number. It's not intended to be fancy or all encompassing, just a quick and easy way to send FAXes from any Windows application

It can be downloaded here. To go to the sourceforge pages for this software to comment, report bugs, or get source code, click here.

It is packaged in the form of a Windows Installer, which installs the required sets of .DLL files and registers the monitor with the system. This adds support for a new type of port to your system, called a "WinPrint HylaFAX Port." Once you've successfully installed the files, setup is straightforward, but it has a number of steps. First, you'll want to create an appropriate PostScript printer using the "Add Printer" button. You want to select a "Local printer," but since it's not a physical printer, uncheck the "Automatically detect and install my Plug and Play printer" box.

Next, you'll be asked what port to use. Select the radio button "create a new port type." If the installation went well, you should see "Winprint Hylafax" as one of the options. The drop list might scroll, so it may not be obvious that it's at the bottom of the list. (If it doesn't appear on the list at all, something went wrong with your installation.)

Next, a box will pop up for you to name the port. The name doesn't actually matter, but naming it HFAX1: will help to identify it.

Next, select the printer type. Experience has shown that the Apple LaserWriter 12/640 PS is a good choice, and I recommend it. Most any other PostScript printer will probably work.

Of course, name it whatever you want, preferably something that says, "hey, this is going to a FAX machine."

Do not share the printer. This is rather silly anyway, since you can locally install Winprint HylaFAX on any system that needs it, and it communicates directly with the HylaFAX server. Since it pops up the dialog box asking where to send the FAX job locally, this would be ugly, at best. Also, don't print a test page, since you're not done configuring the printer yet.

Right-click on the printer to call up its properties, and select the "Ports" tab. Locate the port you just created.

Press the "Configure Port" button to configure the connection to your HylaFAX server.

Most people who have problems are going to have problems because their HylaFAX server won't let them connect. Break out your HylaFAX server documentation, and make sure that you have set up the correct permissions, which can be as simple as putting the IP address of your client into /var/spool/fax/etc/hosts.hfaxd. You may not need the username -or- password, in which case, you can leave password blank, but the username is always required, even if it isn't authenticated.

Okay, now you're ready to print a test job. When you send anything to this printer, a dialog box will appear:

The FAX number is completely unedited and unverified. It relies on HylaFAX's dialing rules to make sense of it. As you would expect, the HylaFAX server will send an e-mail confirming delivery (or failure to do so) to the specified e-mail address.