For the longest time I have stayed away from Windows XP feature Offline Files. Not for me, but for my clients. It’s lightly documented and there seems to be more troubles than success stories of people using it. However, one of my clients needs this feature, not a generic solution, to move seamlessly while traveling.

There are a myriad of issues to get the configuration correct, especially when using Group Policy via Active Directory, but they’ll sort themselves out. What always puzzled me was how Windows managed the synchronization of files between the client and server. Let me describe how it works.

For the purpose of demonstration we’ll use a home directory from the server (aka: My Documents). In my case all of the user files are at \\server\users\johndoe and Roaming Profiles are already in use and working properly.

To make My Documents available offline, right-click the folder and select Make Available Offline. What happens next:

• Windows will create a hidden system folder in \WINDOWS\ called CSC
• The files and folders inside My Documents are copied into CSC and a tracking database is created

To access your files, connected to the network or not, simply open the My Documents folder. Whatever you modify will be copied to the server when you connect and sync next. If the file was modified on the server, the updated copy will copy to your computer. Whether you sync during login/off, at idle, or manually is your choice.

Safety Net

When working offline, Windows will not let you delete a file or folder. In fact, you’re told that you must be connected to the server to delete files. This should save you from erasing anything by mistake.

If a file has been modified on the server and client since the last sync, you’re asked which one is valid to use. I don’t recall the specifics but you may be provided an Ignore or Make a Copy option as well. This, too, saves you from inadvertently destroying files.

The only way you can lose files is by removing them from the server when you’re online.

Although you can access a folder called Offline Files, this is simply an aggregation of everything you have synced. You don’t need to access the files this way. Using My Documents as an example, just open My Documents in whatever folder tree you want and use your files.

There are things that can break but if configured properly and not fooled with, Offline Files should work properly and seamlessly without any data loss.

Related posts:

• Install Windows MSI files using RunAs and no Registry hacks
• BlueHarvest automatically removes PITA Mac files from your “not a Mac”
• Final Cut Pro: converting MP3 files to AIFF for render-free editing
• Final Cut Pro projects won’t open when files are inaccessible
• Moving DFS from one Windows server to another

Trackback URI | Comments RSS