How To Install Windows Fax And Scan.

Windows has its own built in scanner program called Fax & Scan. It works great even with modern scanners and multi function printers.

The only issue is that it isn’t installed by default in either Windows 10 or Windows 11. The good news is that you can easily add Windows Fax & Scan to your PC.

How to install Windows Fax & Scan - Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Table Of Contents

How To Install Fax And Scan In Windows 10.
How To Install Fax And Scan On Windows 11.

How To Install Fax And Scan In Windows 10.

To install Fax & Scan on a Windows 10 computer, click the Start button and then type “manage optional features“.

Click Manage Optional Features (System Settings).

Searching Windows 10 for Manage Optional Features. — Search for Manage Optional Features.

Add A Feature.

On the Optional Features page you’ll see an alphabetical list of all the optional programs and services that have already been installed on your PC.

If Windows Fax and Scan isn’t in the list, click the Add A Feature button at the top of the page.

Add a feautre button is marked to install Fax and Scan on Windows 10. — Click the Add a Feature button.

Scroll down the list and select Windows Fax and Scan.

Then click the Add button.

Windows Fax and Scan selected from features list. The Add button is also marked. — Select it and then click the Add button.

You’ll see Fax & Scan being installed onto your computer. It might take a short while because it often has to be downloaded.

You might need to do a restart to finish the installation.

Progress bar indicator. — The progress so far.

You’ll Find It In The Windows Accessories Folder.

After installing, and possibly restarting, you’ll find Fax & Scan inside the Windows Accessories folder in the Windows 10 Start Menu.

If you’re planning on using it more than once, it’d be a good idea to pin it to either Start or the taskbar.

Windows Fax and Scan indicated on Windows 10 Start menu. — Fax and Scan is now installed on your Windows 10 PC. Brilliant.

How To Install Fax And Scan On Windows 11.

Fax and Scan has been removed as a default installed program in Windows 11. It’s now what is known as an optional feature.

So if you want to use it, you’ll need to add it to Windows 11. That’s easy to do and I’ll show you how.

To install Fax and Scan in Windows 11, click the Start button and then type “optional features“

Click on System Component Settings (System Settings), which will probably appear at the top of the search list.

Searching for Optional Features in Windows 11 to install Fax and Scan. — Click on Optional Features.

Add A Feature – Windows 11.

The Optional Features page will display a list of all the extra programs and services that’re already installed on your computer.

To install Fax & Scan on Windows 11, click the View Features button.

View Features button indicated. — Click the View Features button.

Scroll down the list of available optional features and select Windows Fax and Scan.

Then click the Next button.

Windows Fax and Scan selected and Next button indicated. — Select it and click Next.

You’ll see and confirmation screen appear. Click the Add button.

Add button marked. — Click the Add button to start installing Fax and Scan in Windows 11.

You see the progress bar appear as Fax and Scan is downloaded and installed. It often takes a little longer that you’d expect to finish installing, so just give it a few minutes.

When the installation is complete you should be able to find it by searching for it. Note that you might need to do a restart before it shows up as being installed.