Using Offline Files

Consider this scenario: A certain document is stored on a Windows 2000 file server. During the day, four users access the file and make editorial changes to it. One user needs to work on the file in the evening using a laptop computer that will not be connected to the network. She simply downloads the file, makes any desired changes, and synchronizes with the server when she returns to work. The changes are recognized and incorporated. When other users access the file, they see the new changes. Offline Files is quick and easy and a great tool for collaborative work. Users do not have to keep up with which file is new and what changes have been made. Windows XP Professional can easily synchronize with the server without any input from the user. Virtually any type of file, from documents to web pages, can be made available offline.

First of all, files shared or stored on Windows 2000 or Windows XP Professional computers must be made available offline before you can use them as offline files. You can set this on the server by using the Caching Options feature on the file’s Properties pages. Windows XP Professional makes setting up offline files easy using a wizard tool that helps the user connect with the desired network file. The following steps show you how.

Secret 

Although typically easy to use, offline files are incompatible with Fast User Switching (which you can disable in the Users applet in Control Panel). Offline files are also not available when Remote Desktop is configured to allow multiple connections. See Chapter 11 to learn more about Remote Desktop.

Setting Up Offline Files

  1. Log on as a local computer administrator.

  2. Open Control Panel and open Folder Options. Click the Offline Files tab. If you see a message telling you that Fast User Switching is enabled, you’ll need to change the option in User Accounts so that Fast User Switching is disabled. Offline files are not compatible with Fast User Switching.

  3. On the Offline Files tab, click the Enable Offline Files check box, shown in Figure 3-5. You can then set some other offline file options:

    click to expand
    Figure 3-5: Offline Files tab

    • Synchronize all offline files when logging on.

    • Synchronize all offline files before logging on.

    • Display a reminder every few minutes. You specify the number of minutes.

    • Create an Offline Files shortcut on the desktop.

    • Encrypt offline files to secure data.

    By default, offline files use 10 percent of your hard drive’s disk space for storage. You can raise or lower this amount as desired by moving the slider bar.

    Using the Delete Files button, you can delete previously stored offline files. Using the View files button, you can view any currently stored offline files.

  4. If you click the Advanced button, you see an Advanced Settings window. This option tells Windows XP to notify you when a network connection has been lost so that you can begin working offline. A radio button option in this window enables you to specify that you will never go offline. You can also generate an exception list. For example, let’s say that you always want your computer to go offline if a network connection is lost, unless you are working with a particular computer. You can add that computer to your list so that you do not begin working offline in that particular case. Make any desired configuration changes and click OK.

  5. Now that Offline Files are enabled, you can now choose what file or folder you want to make available offline. Using My Network Places or any desired window, simply browse to the network resource, right-click it, and click Make Available Offline.

  6. The Offline Files Wizard appears. Click Next on the Welcome screen.

  7. The Synchronization window appears. If you want to synchronize an existing offline file automatically when you log off and log on, leave the check box selected and click Next. If not, clear the check box and click Next.

  8. In the final window, you can choose to enable reminders and create a shortcut to the desktop. Click Finish. The files are copied to your computer, as shown here.

    click to expand

Once you set up offline files, you simply use the file as desired. Depending on your settings, the file is automatically synchronized with the original file. You can manually enforce synchronization at any time simply by right-clicking the file or folder and clicking Synchronize. You can also further manage offline files by accessing the Synchronization tool.

Using the Synchronization Tool

To manage offline files using the Synchronization tool, follow these steps:

  1. Log on as an administrator.

  2. Click Start | All Programs | Accessories | Synchronize.

  3. The Items to Synchronize window appears, as shown next. As you can see, any current offline files or folders appear here. You can select any items that you want to synchronize manually and click the Synchronize button.

    click to expand

  4. You can also click the Setup button to display the Synchronization Settings window. You can change these settings at any time. As you can see in the image shown here, the window presents a Logon/Logoff tab, an On Idle tab, and a Scheduled tab. These tabs are self-explanatory, and you can use them to determine how and when synchronization occurs. Make any desired changes and click OK.

    click to expand

As you can see, offline files are easy to configure and use. Just remember the following:

  • Offline files are not compatible with Fast User Switching. To use offline files, you must disable Fast User Switching in the Users applet found in Control Panel.

  • The Synchronization tool only allows you to synchronize items and configure how they are synchronized; you cannot add new items from this location—that must be done with Windows Explorer or My Network Places.

  • You can cache data, such as web pages, from the Internet. Just add the desired site to your Favorites folder in Internet Explorer, then right-click the web page in Favorites and choose to make the page available offline. However, files with a .db?, .pst, .mdb, .ldb, .slm, or .mde extension cannot be cached. The largest file that you can cache is 2GB.




A+ Technician's on the Job Guide to Windows XP
A+ Technician's on the Job Guide to Windows XP
ISBN: 72226900
EAN: N/A
Year: 2003
Pages: 164

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