968w all in one fax stuck on preparing to send

Did you ever get this resolved . Mine just started the exact same thing 2 days ago.My fax will eventually send but at least 1 hour later.

Same problem with my 968 AIO ... anybody have a solution???

Yes.  It has something to do with the time change.  I had to go into the time in my pc and manually adjust (take off automatic daylight savings) the time.  Once you do this you need to restart your system.  That should take care of the issue. 

Brilliant answer!  But what a sorry state of affairs with Dell's software! -- my first real disappointment in all the years I've been a customer.

Does anyone know whether Dell reads these posts?  The 948 AIO was a bargain a year ago, but print cartridges last next to no time at all and cost a bundle to replace.  I could have lived with that until this software glitch came up.  Until RoyMc's answer I was tearing my hair out when faxes wouldn't send -- I'd have to print out the document and load it manually into the scanner.

I can't live with a manual override to daylight-time changes, and Windows-XP fax interface is even more brutally primitive than Dell's, so I'm looking for a software solution.  Naturally Symantec discontinued WinFax and didn't announce to the user community that XP needs 10.02 -- typical of Symantec.

Incidentally, you may not have to reboot to get Dell fax to work -- after disabling auto-daylight and manually setting local time, just launch Windows Task Manager and end any process that starts with the letters "DLD".

Bottom line:  the Dell AIO fax software application, like its scanner application, is clumsy and primitive, with few options that can be saved permanently and a nonintuitive menu.  It would have been OK if not for the fact that you simply cannot send any fax during the months of Daylight Time unless you override your Operating System's default and try to remember to change back to standard time.

I imagine all the other AIOs they ship have the same software with the same problems.  They do not offer any techsupport link to upgrades to my version that shipped with the 948 last April.

By the way, if you've tried to install their "firmware upgrade" from A03 to A04, you'll probably have found as I did that it doesn't work -- first it tried to update firmware on my HP printer, then (after I turned off the HP printer) it simply aborted with no action.

I'm looking for another AIO with real support and better features -- anyone have any thoughts?

My question is, did anyone here install the latest firmware for the 968 printer? It contains an update about the fax feature not working when in the sleep mode. Maybe there was something else added as well making everything right, again.

Rick

Incidentally, my own problem is with the Dell 948 printer, not the 968w.  As I said, it's a fax software issue not a printer issue.

...plb

Rick, per my post:

By the way, if you've tried to install their "firmware upgrade" from A03 to A04, you'll probably have found as I did that it doesn't work -- first it tried to update firmware on my HP printer, then (after I turned off the HP printer) it simply aborted with no action.

So you could say I gave it my best shot.  If you know how to get the firmware upgrade to work, please let me know.  Dell "information" on the upgrade still refers to it as being the A03 firmware, so I doubt they gave it their full attention.

However, I think it's not a firmware issue, although the sleep-mode coma of A03 is certainly annoying.  The problem is that the fax software doesn't send anything to the printer so long as auto-daylight is on.

...plb

OK, here's a not-so-elegant workaround that actually works without having to disable your auto-daylight update:

Just reinstall the printer driver.  In my case it's the R166486.exe from their website, but you probably have one on your installation disk that came with the printer.

Actually, first I deleted my "Fax AIO..." printer, but I don't think that's necessary, since it's really the fax software that's the problem.

...plb

This workaround was successful for me. However, I need a permanent solution. Anyone know if there is an update to the fax software? Thank for posting the solution Roy!

RoyMc,

This issue has been sent to the Dell Product Group for resolution. I will post back here when I hear back with information.

Jesse - would you also please pass on the issue of how to run the A04 firmware update for the 948 AIO, per my March 14 post:

By the way, if you've tried to install their "firmware upgrade" from A03 to A04, you'll probably have found as I did that it doesn't work -- first it tried to update firmware on my HP printer, then (after I turned off the HP printer) it simply aborted with no action.

Thanks.

...plb

Those of you whose 968 AIO printers would get stuck waiting to fax will probably find them working ... I believe the printers used the old daylight savings time change dates (as did my Brinks Security System) ... it changed times this weekend per the old dates ... Feds changed date about a year ago ... in any case mine now works

Jesse ... mine now works ... appears 968 AIO (and other DELL printers) use the old daylight savings which changed this weekend ... I also posted this info to the community

it probably works now ... see my posting

JSERGO