How to Fax From a Computer on Windows 10

The easiest way to fax from a Windows 10 computer is an online fax service, which sends your document over the internet. No modem or phone line is needed. If you have a fax modem and a landline, you can also use the built-in Windows Fax and Scan app. Both methods are below.

Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. Before you buy or reuse a fax modem, check that its maker still supports your version of Windows.

Fax Online Without a Modem

Online fax services such as eFax, FaxZero, and iFax work in any web browser:

1. Open the online fax service’s website in your browser.
2. Enter the recipient’s fax number, including the area code.
3. Upload the document you want to send, such as a PDF or Word file.
4. Add a cover page note if you need one, then select Send.
5. Check your email or the service’s website for the delivery confirmation.

Free plans limit the pages per fax and faxes per day, and they add a branded cover page. Paid plans remove those limits and give you your own fax number for receiving faxes. The rest of this guide covers the Windows Fax and Scan method, which needs a fax modem and a phone line.

What You Need Before You Start

• A compatible fax modem and driver: a device designed to transmit faxes over a telephone connection. A broadband router, Ethernet adapter, or ordinary USB cable is not a fax modem.
• A working analog phone connection: connect it to the modem’s telephone-line jack. Internet phone service, or VoIP, needs explicit fax support; a normal voice connection may not work.
• The recipient’s fax number: confirm the number and any outside-line prefix or long-distance dialing requirements before sending.
• The document: open the file first and check that its text and pages are readable. Scan paper documents before attaching them.

Check older modems first: some legacy modem drivers no longer load on fully updated Windows. USRobotics, for example, reports that its USR5638 modem no longer works with the January 13, 2026 Windows update or later. Check your modem maker’s support page before buying or reusing one.

Step 1: Connect and Check the Fax Modem

1. Connect the modem to the PC as its manufacturer directs, and connect the phone line to the modem’s line jack.
2. Install any required driver from the manufacturer’s official website for that exact model and Windows version. Restart if the installer requests it.
3. Search Start for Device Manager and open it. Expand Modems and check that your modem is listed without an error.

If the modem isn’t listed, or shows a yellow warning icon, reinstall its driver before you continue. Windows Fax and Scan can’t send anything until Windows sees the modem. StarTech’s fax-modem troubleshooting guidance also calls out modem detection, phone-line compatibility, and dialing rules as separate checks.

Step 2: Open Windows Fax and Scan

Open Start, search for Windows Fax and Scan, and open it. If it opens in Scan view, select Fax in the lower-left corner.

If the app is missing, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features > Turn Windows features on or off. Expand Print and Document Services, check Windows Fax and Scan, and select OK. You need administrator rights. Microsoft’s fax-driver installation instructions note that the feature isn’t available in every Windows edition.

Step 3: Create the Fax Account

1. In Windows Fax and Scan, select Tools > Fax Accounts, then Add.
2. Select Connect to a fax modem for the modem attached to this PC.
3. Give the connection a recognizable name and select Next.
4. Choose whether and how to receive incoming faxes, then finish setup. The account should appear in the account list.

Shared phone line? If the fax modem answers automatically, it can pick up your voice calls and block voicemail. You don’t need automatic answering to send faxes, so leave it off unless the line is fax-only.

At work, your organization may use a fax server instead of a modem. In that case choose Connect to a fax server on my network and ask IT for the server name and permissions. Microsoft’s legacy fax-server documentation describes this account type.

Step 4: Prepare Paper Documents if Needed

Skip this section if you already have a readable digital file. For paper, use a scanner and the Windows Scan app. On Windows 10, scanner setup is under Settings > Devices > Printers & scanners.

In Windows Scan, choose the scanner, source, and file type, then select Scan. Use View to see the result. Scans are saved to Pictures > Scans unless you change it under Show more. See Microsoft’s scanner instructions and select the Windows 10 section. Scanning creates a file; it doesn’t send a fax.

If you have moved to Windows 11, our Windows 11 scanning guide covers its different Settings path and scanned PDF preparation.

Step 5: Compose and Send the Fax

1. Select New Fax. A composition window should open for the configured fax account.
2. Enter the confirmed fax number in To, using the dialing format your line requires. Fill in Subject and any cover-page message you need.
3. Use the paperclip attachment control to choose the file. Check the selected document and page order before proceeding.
4. Review the recipient number and contents, then select Send.
5. Watch the transmission status and review the result. If the fax remains queued or fails, troubleshoot it before assuming it arrived.

The account and message screens are shown in StarTech’s fax-modem manual, including the message you see when a fax sends successfully. A fax sitting in the Outbox hasn’t been delivered yet. A successful send means the receiving fax machine accepted it, not that someone has read it.

If the Fax Won’t Send

• No modem found: check Device Manager, whether your modem model works with your version of Windows, its connection, and its official driver. A setup that used to work can stop working after updates.
• No connection or repeated failure: check the modem’s phone-line cable and active line. Confirm that any VoIP service supports faxing.
• Busy or wrong destination: confirm the recipient’s number and the line’s dialing rules, including any outside-line prefix. Retry later if the receiving machine is busy.
• A print dialog opens instead of New Fax: confirm you opened Windows Fax and Scan and selected the fax command. Check your modem vendor’s instructions or ask IT on a managed PC. Don’t delete system files to force the dialog to change.
• An attachment cannot be processed: make sure the file opens in its normal app and try a format your fax software supports. Not every PDF, Word document, or image will attach on every setup.

Other Ways to Fax From the Computer

A fax-capable printer may offer its own computer fax software. For example, HP’s instructions for PageWide Pro 750 and MFP 772/777 models use the fax controls in HP Printer Assistant. Follow the instructions for your specific printer, supported operating system, and telephone connection; a scanner-only printer cannot gain a fax function just by installing Windows Fax and Scan.

If you don’t have a fax modem and phone line, use an online fax service as described at the top of this guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I fax using only Wi-Fi?

You can reach an internet fax service over Wi-Fi. Windows Fax and Scan’s local-modem method needs the modem and telephone connection; Wi-Fi alone does not replace them.

Is Windows Fax and Scan free?

Yes. Windows Fax and Scan comes with Windows 10. You still pay for the fax modem, the phone line, and any long-distance charges, or for an online fax plan if you use one.

Can the computer receive faxes too?

Yes, with a working fax account, modem, phone connection, and an appropriate receiving setting. The computer and modem must be available when the fax arrives. Check shared-line behavior before enabling automatic answering.

Does a scanner count as a fax modem?

No. A scanner turns paper into a digital file. A fax modem sends over a phone line. Some all-in-one devices do both, but check that your model actually has a fax function.