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Configuring offline files is a multistep process that begins with
appropriate settings in Group Policy, continues with configuring
specific offline folders, and ends with setting user options for working
offline. Although users who work offline primarily use laptops that
they take home or to other locations, all users can benefit from offline file configurations.
1. Understanding Offline Files
Offline files enable users to store network files on their computer
so that the files are available when the users are not connected to the
network or there is a network outage. Once offline files are configured,
Windows 8 automatically uses them whenever network files are not
available. This enables users to continue working on network files
without interruption. When the connection to the network is
reestablished, Windows 8 synchronizes the files on the user’s computer
with the files in the network folder.
The way that changes are applied depends on how they were made. If
multiple users make changes to a particular offline file, they can use
conflict resolution features to save their version of the file over the
existing version, keep the existing version, or save both versions on
the network. If a user deletes an offline file, the file is also deleted
on the network, except if someone has modified the file on the network
so that it has a more recent date and time stamp. In this exceptional
case, the file is deleted from the user’s computer, but not from the
network. If users change an offline file that someone else deletes from
the network, they can choose to save their version to the network or
delete it from their computer.
Windows 8 provides several features that affect the way that offline files are used, including:
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Change-only syncing
Windows 8 provides faster synchronization by syncing only the changed
blocks of files. Only the changed blocks are written back to the server
during synchronization. -
Unavailable file and folder ghosting
When part of the contents of a folder is made available offline,
Windows 8 creates ghosted entries of other files and folders to preserve
the online context. When you are not connected to a remote location,
you’ll see ghost entries for online items, as well as normal entries for
offline items. -
Offloaded Data Transfer
When copying or moving data within or between compatible storage
arrays, this transparent and automatically enabled feature of Windows
Server 2012 offloads the file transfer to the storage devices, bypassing
the host computers. As an example, if a user copies or moves a folder
from a shared folder from one file server to another and those servers
use compatible storage arrays (or the same storage array), the data
would be transferred directly, bypassing the host servers. -
Synchronization on costed networks By default, offline
files are not synchronized in the background on cellular and other
networks that may charge fees when roaming or near or over data plan
usage. Adjust the threshold for slow-link mode using Configure Slow-Link
Mode and configure background syncing using Enable File Synchronization
On Costed Networks. The related Administrative Templates policies for
Computer Configuration are located under Network\Offline Files. -
Caching of redirected folders
By default, special folders that are redirected to network shares are
available offline automatically. If you don’t want redirected special
folders to be available offline, you can exclude specific or all folders
from being cached offline using Do Not Automatically Make Specific
Redirected Folders Available Offline. The related Administrative
Templates policy for User Configuration is located under System\Folder
Redirection.
Both users and administrators have control over when offline
files are synchronized. Automatic synchronization can be triggered by
user logon and logoff and by computers entering the sleep or hibernate
modes. The exact settings for automatic synchronization depend on Group
Policy and user settings.
Users can initiate a sync of an entire network folder, a specific
folder and its contents, or a specific file by pressing and holding or
right-clicking the resource in File Explorer, selecting Sync, and then
selecting Sync Selected Offline Files.
You also can manually control synchronization through Sync Center. You can open Sync Center in several ways:
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In Control Panel, tap or click View By and then select either Large Icons or Small Icons. Next, tap or click Sync Center. -
In the Settings Search box, type Sync Center and then press Enter.
2. Making Files or Folders Available Offline
Shared network folders can be made available for use offline. By
default, all subfolders and files within the shared folders are also
available offline. If necessary, you can change the availability of
individual files and subfolders. To do this, you need to change the
availability of each individual file or subfolder. Keep in mind that new
files added to a shared folder that is designated for offline use are
not automatically distributed to users working offline. The offline
folder must be synchronized to obtain the updates.
You can configure offline files by using File Explorer or the
Computer Management console. Because Computer Management enables you to
work with and manage offline files on any of your network computers,
it’s usually the best tool to use. Making files or folders available
offline is a three-step process. First you share folders, then you make
those folders available for offline use, and finally, you have the users
specify the files and folders they want to use offline.
In the Computer Management console, you make a folder available for sharing by completing the following steps:
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Press and hold or right-click Computer Management in the console
tree, and then tap or click Connect To Another Computer. Use the Select
Computer dialog box to choose the computer you want to work with. -
In the console tree, expand System Tools and Shared Folders, and then
select Shares. The current shares on the system are displayed in the
Details pane. -
Press and hold or right-click Shares, and then tap or click New
Share. This starts the Create A Shared Folder Wizard, which can be used
to share folders.
Step 2: Make Folders Available for Offline Use
In the Computer Management console, you make a shared folder available for offline use by completing these steps:
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Press and hold or right-click Computer Management in the console
tree, and then tap or click Connect To Another Computer. Use the Select
Computer dialog box to choose the computer you want to work with. -
In the console tree, expand System Tools and Shared Folders, and then select Shares. -
Double-tap or double-click the share you want to configure for offline use. On the General tab, tap or click Offline Settings. -
In the Offline Settings dialog box, shown in Figure 1, select one of the following options:
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Only The Files And Programs That Users Specify Are Available Offline
Use this setting when you want users to specify any files that they
want to work with offline. This is the default option and is the best
choice when multiple users want to modify the same files within a
folder. Once configured for manual caching, files are automatically
downloaded and made available for offline use. If an older version of a
document was cached previously, the older version is deleted. When using
a file online, the server version always reflects that the file is in
use. With this option, you may also enable BranchCache. This allows
computers in a branch office to cache files that are downloaded from a
shared folder and then securely share the files to other computers in
the branch office. -
All Files And Programs That Users Open From The Shared Folder Are Automatically Available Offline
Use this setting for folders containing user data and programs. Opened
files and program executables are automatically downloaded and made
available for offline use. If an older version of a document was cached
previously, the older version is deleted from the local cache. When
using a file online, the server version always reflects that the file is
in use. Prompts are displayed if version conflicts occur.
With this option, you can also select Optimize For Performance to
enable expanded caching of programs. Expanded caching enables programs
that are shared over the network to be cached so that they can be run
locally, which improves performance.
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Tap or click OK twice.
Step 3: Specify the Offline Files and Folders to Use
Once you’ve created the shares and configured offline use of those
shares as appropriate, you can specify the files and folders to use
offline by following these steps:
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Map a network drive to a shared file or folder. -
In File Explorer, tap or click the location path selection button and
then tap or click Computer. This opens the Computer window. -
Create the offline file cache by doing one of the following:
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To copy the contents of a shared folder to the user’s computer and
make it available for offline use, under Network Location, press and
hold or right-click the shared location, and then tap or click Always
Available Offline. -
To copy only a selected folder (and its contents) or a selected file
to the user’s computer and make it available offline, use the Computer
console to locate a specific file or folder on the network share, and
then press and hold or right-click the file or folder and tap or click
Always Available Offline.
Designating files and folders for offline use creates a local cache
of the contents of the files and folders on the user’s computer. It also
establishes a sync partnership between the local computer and the
sharing computer or extends an existing sync partnership to incorporate
the additional shared files and folders. Sync partnerships can be
managed using Sync Center.
You are considered to be working offline whenever your computer is
not connected to the local area network (LAN). You know you are working
offline when you see a red X over Network Drives in the Computer window
or over the Network icon in the notification area of the taskbar. When
you work offline, you can work with network files in the same way you do
when you are connected to the network. You have the same permissions
when you work offline. Therefore, if you have only read access to a file
when you’re connected to the network, you will still be able only to
read the file, not modify it, when you’re working offline.
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