Answering machine is turned off...phone rings at length, somehow the answering machine kicks on, takes call, never hear or know called was recorded.how do you turn it off completely, and just have it ring

Answering system settings Number of rings before the unit answers calls You can change the number of times the phone rings "Ring count" before the unit answers calls. You can select 2 to 7 rings, or "Toll saver". The default setting is "4". "Toll saver": The unit's answering system answers at the end of the 2nd ring when new messages have been recorded, or at the end of the 4th ring when there are no new messages. If you call your phone from outside to listen to new messages , you will know that there are no new messages when the phone rings for the 3rd time. You can then hang up without being charged for the call. 1 {MENU} i {#}{2}{1}{1} 2 {V}/{^}: Select the desired setting. i {Save} i {OFF}

It may be similar to the problem I had on wireless home phone with answering machine not taking messages when had the answering machine set to 12 rings before answering. Found the sim card (my wireless system) auto response would answer first. Fixed it by reducing time to 6 rings and answering machine now comes on first.

Looks like the basic functions of the phone are correct. Remain the answering machine. Are you sure it can act as an answering machine?
If it can act as answering machine the reason it is not doing so may be the following.

1. Answering function is turned OFF
2. Answering function may be ON but the number of rings before it answers is set too high.

I suggest you try the following
Call you phone. Let it ring at least 10 times. If it can act as an answering machine it will pick up the phone and read the welcome message, because most answering machines (the recent ones at least) answer after 10 rings even if answering function is turned OFF.

The phones that can be answering machines usually do have a display that shows the number of incoming messages, or a LED that flashes to let you know that you have new recorded messages.

I established that my telephone answering system started after 6 rings, by reducing this to only four rings the answering system operated prior to the fax tone kicked in - now it all works fine

you more than likely have "short rings" turned on, in the options of that phone. you'll have to go into the options menu, and look for setting that pertain to ringing and / or rings or ring length.....DON'T change DTMF tones though, that'll get annoying, as thats what you hear when you are calling someone else. hope this helps.

This is the time that love cannot help with. Buy yourself a new home phone where the massages will pile up. erase all massages on your mobile phone. It is time to buy a cell phone which will record all masseges that you've received.

I can't seem to get the security code entered.  It won't change.  None of the numbers will change when I try to set it up.

Our phone decides to call screen people so the answering machine goes on after 2 rings. We can't find the manual.

buy a new answering machine, this one is toast

Press the 'Change' button
Press the 'Setup' button until you hear the voice say "Number of rings"
Then use the "Skip" and "Repeat" buttons to change the number.
Press the "Change" button to finish.