Help with Offline files and redirect

[AnthonyAbbey]

Hello, new to the forums and new to server management so please bare with me. Although I plan on doing my MCSA's right now I have basic server knowledge.

The environment I am working in has offline files enabled on all desktop and laptop computers. I am pretty sure that it does not need to be enabled on desktop computers and it is causing some problems with one or two machines, so we have decided to disable offline files.

Now as im just getting used to the network environment I just wanted some help from anyone here who can confirm what I think is correct.

I have looked at the GPO enabled and Desktop redirection seems to be enabled.

If I disable Offline files, will everything my users save still be stored on the server?

They mostly work of a shared Excel document that is saved on the server so that will be fine, but I’m worried that if I disable offline files, anything they have in other folders around the PC are not going to be backed up.

Basically I want all files to be redirected to the server and offline files to only be enabled on laptops.,

Can anyone help?

Thanks for your time in advance.

P.S. SBS Server 2003 & XP Clients)

Edited February 9, 2009 by AnthonyAbbey

[submix8c]

I, too, am a noob at this BUT...

A quick read of serch-term "Offline" in Windows Help indicates that this is for continuing to work with a file COPY (?) that is on the server while disconnected from it. Synchronization must be correctly set up an all PC's in question (and the Server) in order for it to work (e.g. everyone gets the "current" copy after synchronization).

It may be similar to a problem of remote computers accessing a mainframe. Only one user should be updating at a given time (r.e. Mainframe CICS) and two or more users have that "copy" offline and continue to change it. Now when synchronization occurs, there is a discrepancy in the corrrect version. I would tend to think that if a particular file is to be updated by multiple persons that the file should be presented as "always update online" or "never update offline". How this could be done in this environment (not-mainframe) I couldn't say. I believe that "disabling" will disallow "floating copies". I notice also that in Internet Explorer Options (under "Advanced") there is a tick-mark for "Synchronize Offline on Schedule".

BTW, you don't mention exactly what problem occurs on just the 1 or 2 PC's.

HTH

(anyone smarter than either of us can chip right in there and make us smarter too)

[AnthonyAbbey]

Thanks for your reply.

Every now and then, one machine in particular gives an error mesasge that it failed to sync with "Steve". Now there is a desktop computer called "Steve" on the network so does it mean this?

As im new to the network im not sure if someone previously setup the computer to sync with that desktop for a few files.

When we click "View files" to see the files being synced, most of the files are coming from "sbs-server\users\Steve" (BTW the user logged in is called Steve)

Even when we untick the box to stop it from syncing with "Steve", next time the computer starts its back on with the same problem. (GP ? how can we check this?)

Anyway as offline files is only needed to work offline, we should be ok to disable it correct?

Edited February 9, 2009 by AnthonyAbbey

[submix8c]

Ok... here's from GPO Help (GPO is in the MMC Snap-In; appears you are using Active Directory; makes sense in business environment) -

In Group Policy Object Editor, you can use Folder Redirection to redirect certain special folders to network locations. Special folders are those folders, such as My Documents and My Pictures, that are located under Documents and Settings. Folder Redirection is located under User Configuration in the console tree of Group Policy Object Editor.

There are several basic options for Folder Redirection. For each basic option, there is an advanced version of that option. The advanced version provides for finer control by allowing redirection that is based on security group membership.

Application Data - A Group Policy setting controls the behavior of Application Data when client-side caching is enabled. Look in User Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Offline Files in the console tree of Group Policy Object Editor.

Desktop - Desktop can be redirected independently of all the other special folders.

So... somewere you may want to allow for the files/folder that you want to allow (or maybe not) for synching/multi-user-update. As for the Desktops, it appears that the point is to "back them up" on the server. Not sure. Check your server(s) for those items that are being synched. And FWIW check "Steve" Desktop; maybe there is a large folder or file placed there that's causing a long synch. I would surmise that maybe one PC may not be connected at the synch-time and cause an error. If I'm right in my assumptions...

Don't depend on my responses as a definitive answer. Others more knowledgeable may chime in soon. Read up in the Help (press F1 on server desktop - search GPO and go from there) under Concepts so you can make sense of what-you-have and what-you-want (what makes sense) and/or what-is-happening.

[AnthonyAbbey]

Thanks for your reply (only work part time so just read it know that I’m back in work)

I will try what you have said but am I right in saying that if I redirect all special folders to the server and disable offline files and disable people from saving to the C drive that this would be a better setup and not cause any problems ?

The Excel document that all users access is stored on a network drive so this wouldn’t be affected (would it?)

Thanks again.