Fax Function was Locked

[FeedTagger]

Hi,

We have an HP PageWide 577. It's original purpose was mostly for printing, but now we want to use it to fax as well. Appearantly the fax function was locked when I set it up. Now it won't let me unlock it. 

I updated the firmware and that left me enable the fax module. But it only works if you scan the documents. We would like to use the PC Fax feature which will save us a little paper and time.

When we try to fax to the printer driver the installer set up it gives the following error message on a pop up on the computer.

Title: Fax function was locked on the Printer

Message: The fax function was locked when this printer was setup. For more information, contact your network administrator or the person who set up the printer.

I am the person who set up the printer and I don't know how to change it.

I went on the EWS and enable the fax options under adiminstrator settings.

I found similar posts on this forum but the answers were given with Private Message.

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Printer-Software-and-Drivers/How-to-enable-fax-function/m-p/7048265#M1...

https://h30434.www3.hp.com/t5/Scanning-Faxing-and-Copying/Unable-to-Fax-from-PC/td-p/6370905

Thank you,

Quentin

[Repairatrooper]

I see that you say you went into the EWS and changed the settings but I wanted to confirm this is what you did. If it does not work I suggest that you perform a factory reset and start over. 

Restore defaults is on the same page. Sometimes it is the only way to get disabled features to activate.

[FeedTagger]

Yes, I have tried turning that setting off then click apply. Then turn it back on and click apply. 

Tried enable all which is at the top and clicking apply. 

Also tried restoring fatory defaults (don't have any custom settings to loose).

All to no avail.

[Repairatrooper]

Do you have an admin password programmed into the unit? It is possible that you need a password to enable some features. Also if you are connecting via network, you could try the Universal Fax drivers that HP makes.

Failing that: I would try an NVRAM reset if you have not tried that yet. Check YouTube, should be a video on how to do that with this machine.

[FeedTagger]

I have set no administrator password. The factory reset is supposed to clear that anyway.

Looked on Youtube for reset video and found one for a similar printer. I  presume they are the same for reset. It brought screen up with 4 or 5 options, one of which was REFLASH. I pressed that. The screen turned green with the numbers 12345 in white. Not sure what that means, guess I'll leave it go for an hour and see if it does anything.

I downloaded the universal fax driver. I may try that later. 

[FeedTagger · Accepted solution]

Waited an hour. The printer did nothing. So I got the advanced menu again.

1. Hold power button about 30 seconds till the 3 buttons to the left of the touchscreen light up.

2. Press Home, Back, Home, Home on the 3 buttons

3. Select Menu, then next about 4 times to  'Full Reset'

4. Press okay.

5. Printer starts and gives original factory set up menus. Set date and time and answer a bunch of HP set up questions. The print wastes about 6 sheets of paper and a lot of ink.

6. Try sending a fax from a computer.

7. Lo and Behold the good ol' HP fax window comes up. 

We had a OfficeJet X 476, but decided to move that one to another location and only have PageWides here. Couldn't get the fax to work on the 577 so we were using a Dell Laser printer. But their fax control interface isn't very nice. I was considering trying a Brother printer. We have several of those. This go around hasn't won any Kudos for HP.... but we will keep using them for now.