How Windows Synchronizes Your Files

By default, your offline files and folders are synchronized when you log off your account and synchronized again when you log back on. This means that your work is current when you leave the office, and your server is brought up to date when you return. When you synchronize, Windows XP performs the following operations for each offline file:

• If you have changed the file while offline and the server-based copy has not been changed, Windows updates the server copy with your changes.

• If you have not made changes to your offline copy but the server copy has been changed, Windows updates the copy in your cache.

• If both the server copy and your offline copy have changed, a dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 15-5. You can keep your client version, the server version, or both. (Click the View buttons if you’re not sure.)

  
  

  Figure 15-5. When synchronization reveals file conflicts between server and cache, you can keep either version—or both.
  

• If either the offline copy or the server copy of a file is deleted, the file on the other computer is deleted as well, as long as it wasn’t changed while you were offline.

• If the server copy has been deleted and you changed your offline copy, a dialog box appears. You can save your version on the server or delete your offline copy.

• If you delete your version and the server copy has been changed, a dialog box asks whether you want to delete the server copy or use the server copy. If you decide to use the server copy, the server version appears in your offline cache.

• If a new file has been added on the server to a folder that you have marked for offline availability, that new file is copied to your cache.