Offline files and folders allow you to store the contents of your network share (X:\) on your notebook. You don’t have to ‘offline’ the entire share, you can select specific documents, spreadsheets, or folders to use when you are not connected to the network.
This is a great feature for those that travel with a laptop, or users wishing to occasionally work from home. Users can work with documents while disconnected from the network in the same manner they do when they're connected.
When the user connects the laptop back to the network, the files that have changed on the laptop are automatically synchronized so that the files in the network share (X) are up-to-date.
*NOTE: The hard drive in a desktop or laptop is commonly labeled the “C” Drive. Windows XP, by default will store your Offline folders on your C:\ drive. Please be aware that making a large amount of files available offline could cause the "C" drive to quickly fill up, leaving no space for the system to run properly causing serious problems for the overall computer.
Configuring Offline Files in Windows XP Professional
Three steps are involved in setting up your computer to use Offline Files:
Enable the Offline Files feature.
Configure Offline Files settings to control disconnection response.
Make one or more files or folders available offline.
1. ENABLING OFFLINE FILES
Before you can make any content available offline, you must enable the use of Offline Files on your computer.
Open My Computer or Window Explorer
From the menu select the Tools, Folder Options.
Select the Offline Files tab.
Check the box to Enable Offline Files.
2. CONFIGURE OFFLINE FILES SETTINGS
This page is also used to configure Offline Files settings, you can also specify:
Reminders , which will cause a notification balloon to appear over the system tray when a computer goes offline. Whether a shortcut icon for the Offline Files folder should be created on the desktop. (recommended)
Whether to encrypt offline files as an extra security precaution for the user who has sensitive data on his or her hard drive. The amount of disk space allocated for storing offline files.
This is a great feature for those that travel with a laptop, or users wishing to occasionally work from home. Users can work with documents while disconnected from the network in the same manner they do when they're connected.
When the user connects the laptop back to the network, the files that have changed on the laptop are automatically synchronized so that the files in the network share (X) are up-to-date.
*NOTE: The hard drive in a desktop or laptop is commonly labeled the “C” Drive. Windows XP, by default will store your Offline folders on your C:\ drive. Please be aware that making a large amount of files available offline could cause the "C" drive to quickly fill up, leaving no space for the system to run properly causing serious problems for the overall computer.
Configuring Offline Files in Windows XP Professional
Three steps are involved in setting up your computer to use Offline Files:
Enable the Offline Files feature.
Configure Offline Files settings to control disconnection response.
Make one or more files or folders available offline.
1. ENABLING OFFLINE FILES
Before you can make any content available offline, you must enable the use of Offline Files on your computer.
Open My Computer or Window Explorer
From the menu select the Tools, Folder Options.
Select the Offline Files tab.
Check the box to Enable Offline Files.
2. CONFIGURE OFFLINE FILES SETTINGS
This page is also used to configure Offline Files settings, you can also specify:
Reminders , which will cause a notification balloon to appear over the system tray when a computer goes offline. Whether a shortcut icon for the Offline Files folder should be created on the desktop. (recommended)
Whether to encrypt offline files as an extra security precaution for the user who has sensitive data on his or her hard drive. The amount of disk space allocated for storing offline files.
Other Settings:
Delete Files : Use this button to remove selected offline files from the local computer. (Versions on the network will not be deleted.)
View Files : Use this to view the contents of the Offline Files folder, which shows all files that have been made available offline, along with their type, synchronization information, availability, access, location, size in kilobytes, when last modified, and the status of the server.
Advanced: With this, you can choose what will happen if you’re working online (connected to the network) and the connection is lost. Your choices are to have the system notify you that you’re offline and allow you to continue working with network resources offline or to never allow the computer to go offline. (most users select the first choice – continue working offline)
Delete Files : Use this button to remove selected offline files from the local computer. (Versions on the network will not be deleted.)
View Files : Use this to view the contents of the Offline Files folder, which shows all files that have been made available offline, along with their type, synchronization information, availability, access, location, size in kilobytes, when last modified, and the status of the server.
Advanced: With this, you can choose what will happen if you’re working online (connected to the network) and the connection is lost. Your choices are to have the system notify you that you’re offline and allow you to continue working with network resources offline or to never allow the computer to go offline. (most users select the first choice – continue working offline)
3. MAKING FILES AND FOLDERS AVAILABLE OFFLINE
To select a file or folder for availability Offline simply navigate to the share (M: drive), highlight the files or folders names, then right-click the file or folder, and choose Make Available Offline. When you make files available offline, they are displayed in the "Shortcut to Offline Files" folder.
Once you’ve selected a file or folder to be available offline the Offline Files Wizard will step you through the process of configuring how the files from your offline and the network are synchronized.
We recommend that you match the settings in the following images:
NOTE for Database Users: The synchronization manager will refuse to allow you to make database files (*.slm, *.ldb, *.mdw, *.mde, *.db?, *.mdb or *.pst) available offline.
The files and folders that you have selected appear with a small symbol (similar to a shortcut). Notice that if you select a folder that Offline availability will include all subfolders and files within the folder you selected.
Some users create a separate folder on the network for folders and files they always want available offline and then create their own subfolders/data structure within this folder
WORKING OFFLINE – MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
If the Offline Files feature is configured to display a balloon notification when the network connection is broken, the user will see an Offline Files icon appear in the status area to the right of the taskbar buttons on the Windows XP taskbar.
Sychronization is Automatic . When the network connection is restored (for example, when you plug your laptop back into the docking station or plug a live Ethernet cable into its PC Card NIC), the status-bar information will change, and modifications that you have made to offline files since the disconnection will be updated to the network files automatically.
* To manually synchronize an individual file or folder :
Select the file and\or folder navigate to the file using Windows Explorer or My Computer
Right-click on the file or folder and select Synchronize.
UNDERSTANDING AND RESOLVING FILE CONFLICTS
A conflict in Offline Files occurs when you mark a file for offline usage, take the file home on a laptop computer, make changes to the file, return to work and reconnect to the office network, and find that you’ve also made changes to the network copy. When this occurs, you are prompted to make a decision regarding what version of the file to save:
Keep Your Version Of The File
Keep The Version On The Network
Keep Both Versions
If you elect to keep both versions, you’ll need to give your version a different name. Both versions will be saved to your local disk and the network server.
Jaydien Network Solutions - 877.561.6734 |
www.jaydien.com
If the Offline Files feature is configured to display a balloon notification when the network connection is broken, the user will see an Offline Files icon appear in the status area to the right of the taskbar buttons on the Windows XP taskbar.
Sychronization is Automatic . When the network connection is restored (for example, when you plug your laptop back into the docking station or plug a live Ethernet cable into its PC Card NIC), the status-bar information will change, and modifications that you have made to offline files since the disconnection will be updated to the network files automatically.
* To manually synchronize an individual file or folder :
Select the file and\or folder navigate to the file using Windows Explorer or My Computer
Right-click on the file or folder and select Synchronize.
UNDERSTANDING AND RESOLVING FILE CONFLICTS
A conflict in Offline Files occurs when you mark a file for offline usage, take the file home on a laptop computer, make changes to the file, return to work and reconnect to the office network, and find that you’ve also made changes to the network copy. When this occurs, you are prompted to make a decision regarding what version of the file to save:
Keep Your Version Of The File
Keep The Version On The Network
Keep Both Versions
If you elect to keep both versions, you’ll need to give your version a different name. Both versions will be saved to your local disk and the network server.
Jaydien Network Solutions - 877.561.6734 |
www.jaydien.com
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