Windows XP [Electronic resources] : Visual Quickstart Guide, Second Edition

Making Network Files and Folders Available Offline

The Offline Files feature isn't available in Windows XP Home edition. Home-edition users can synchronize files with Briefcase, inherited from Windows 98/Me. It's not as easy to use as Offline Files, but it works. Search for

briefcase in Help and Support Center.

Offline Files is designed for travelers who work with a laptop computer that's often disconnected from the network. When you make a file or folder available offline, Windows makes a temporary copy of it on your laptop; you can work with this copy as you would the original. When you reconnect to the network, Windows

synchronizes your laptop documents with the network originals so you have up-to-date versions in both places.

Tip

You can't use Fast User Switching and Offline Files at the same time. To turn off Fast User Switching, choose Start > Control Panel > User Accounts > Change the Way Users Log On or Off, uncheck Use Fast User Switching, and click Apply Options.

To turn on offline files:

1. In Windows Explorer, choose Tools > Folder Options > Offline Files tab (Figure 5.56 ).

2. Check Enable Offline Files.

3. Check Synchronize All Offline Files Before Logging Off to be sure that you have the latest versions of offline files on your laptop when you log off.

4. Click OK (or Apply).

To make a file or folder available offline:

1. In My Network Places (on your laptop), right-click the files or folders that you want to be available offline; then choose Make Available Offline.

The first time you do this, the Offline Files Wizard helps you configure your settings.

2. If you select a folder that contains subfolders, specify whether to include the subfolders.

Tips

Instead of using My Network Places, you can double-click a shared network drive icon in My Computer.

If My Network Places or My Computer contains no network drive icons, choose Tools > Map Network Drive to assign a local drive letter.

You

must log off or shut down to effect synchronization. If you simply disconnect from the network, Windows won't have time to synchronize files.

You open offline files as though you were working with them online, but Windows displays a special icon () to remind you that you're working offline.

Synchronization is at Windows' discretion by default. If you've turned off that feature, you can synchronize manually when you're connected to the network: Choose Start > All Programs > Accessories > Synchronize.

To view a list of available offline files, choose Tools > Folder Options > Offline Files > View Files.

To make an item

un available offline, right-click it; then choose Make Available Offline again to uncheck it.

I've covered only the basics here. For a complete description of offline files, search for

offline files in Help and Support Center.