Tips to open FAX file

Can't open the FAX file? You are not the only one. Thousands of users face similar problems every day. Below you will find tips on how to open FAX files as well as a list of programs that support FAX files.

FAX file extension

File Name Fax Document
File Category Raster Image Files

The FAX file is supported on 3 operating systems. Depending on your operating system, you may need different software to handle the FAX files. Below is a summary of the number of programs that support and open the FAX file on each system platform.

Operating systems
  • 4
  • 2
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

What is FAX file?

The file with the extension FAX is the Raster Image Files file type. In addition to this file, the Raster Image Files category includes 522 related files. Fax Document is supported by 3 operating systems. Although it can be found with greater or lesser success on any operating system, it will only be useful on , Mac OS, Windows. Alternatively, you can use 7 other programs. The XnView, Image viewer, Windows Photo Viewer, MightyFax programs will also handle the file when the Apple Preview program does not fulfill its role.

How to open FAX file?

The main problem with Fax Document is that the FAX file is incorrectly associated with programs. Thus, when you open FAX, the program selection wizard or some other program starts. How to solve such a problem?

The first thing you should do is just "doubleclick" on the FAX file icon you want to open. If the operating system has an appropriate application to support it and there is also an association between the file and the program, the file should be opened.

Step 1. Install Apple Preview

The first step is to check if the computer has the Apple Preview program installed. This can be achieved by typing Apple Preview into the operating system search engine. If we do not have this program, it is worth installing it, as it will help you automatically associate the file FAX with Apple Preview. Below you will find a list of applications that support FAX files.

Step 2. Create association of Apple Preview with FAX files

If, despite the installed application, the FAX file does not start in the Apple Preview application, you must create a file association. This option is available from the level of Properties of a specific file available in the context menu. Information about the file and the program that the file is associated with are available here. Changes can be made using the "Change" button. If there is no software on the list, simply select "Browse" and manually select the directory where the application is installed. The "always use the selected program ..." field will set the Apple Preview application as the default for handling the FAX file.

Step 3. Update Apple Preview to the latest version

If, despite the association of the Apple Preview program with the Fax Document file, the file still does not open, check the program version and possibly update it to the newest version.

Step 4. Check for the following problems with the FAX file

If the above steps do not help, you can assume that the file itself is not correct. This could be due to the file itself, the cleanest issues are:

The FAX file may be unusually small compared to the original file. Usually this applies to FAX files downloaded from the Internet in case the download did not finish properly. Downloading the file again should fix the problem.
The operating system may be infected with a computer virus. A virus scan using an up-to-date antivirus program should fix the problem. Alternatively, you can use the scanners available online. For the best results, we will scan the entire operating system, not just our FAX file. Sometimes virus-infected FAX files cannot be recovered, so make a backup in advance.
A typical compatibility error - the program does not support the older version of the FAX file. Help should be sought from the software developer, as they usually recommend using free file converters or installing an older version of the program.
There can be many reasons for the failure. Depending on the type of file, it is necessary to repair it accordingly. Some programs offer the option of recovering data from damaged FAX files.
The program can also signal the fact of encryption. The encrypted FAX files cannot be played on other computers than the one on which they were encrypted, they must be decrypted before using on another device.
Some operating systems do not allow file operations in certain locations, eg in system directories or directly on the system drive. These directories are write-protected to them and it's very hard to fix this problem. If possible, you can try to move the FAX file to another location.
This problem usually affects more complex files. In this case, the FAX file is blocked by the first application to open it. Just close unnecessary programs. Sometimes you have to wait for the session to the file FAX to close. Some anti-virus or backup software may occupy the FAX file for a certain period of time. If nothing helps, please reset the device.