Windows 10: Set or Unset Network Files as Always Available Offline in Windows

How to: Set or Unset Network Files as Always Available Offline in Windows

How to Set or Unset Network Files as Always Available Offline in Windows


Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.

Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.

See also:

• Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and Roaming User Profiles overview | Microsoft Docs
• Work Folders and Offline Files support for Windows Information Protection | Storage at Microsoft

This tutorial will show you how to set or unset network files as always available offline for your account in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

*note In Windows 7, the offline files feature is only available in the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 8, the offline files feature is only available in the Pro and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 10, the offline files feature is only available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.


CONTENTS:

• Option One: Make Network Files Always Available Offline
• Option Two: Make Network Files Not Always Available Offline Anymore

OPTION ONE [/i] Make Network Files Always Available Offline
1. While connected to the network, open File Explorer (Win+E), and browse to the network location of the network file or folder you want to make always available offline.

2. Right click or press and hold on the network file or folder you want to make always available offline, and click/tap on Always available offline to check it. (see screenshot below)



3. You will now briefly see a Completed preparing files so they are always available offline dialog before it automatically closes. (see screenshot below)



4. The network file or folder will now have a sync overlay on its icon to indicate it is always available offline. (see screenshots below)

*note Sometimes you may need to refresh (F5) the File Explorer window to see the sync overlay on the icon.













OPTION TWO [/i] Make Network Files Not Always Available Offline Anymore
1. While connected to the network, open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Sync Center icon.

2. Click/tap on the Manage offline files link on the left side of Sync Center. (see screenshot below)



3. Click/tap on the View your offline files button. (see screenshot below)



4. In your Offline Files Folder, browse to the network file or folder you want to make not always available offline. Right click or press and hold on the network file or folder, and click/tap on Always available offline to uncheck it. (see screenshots below)





5. You will now briefly see a Completed changing files so they are not always available offline dialog before it automatically closes. (see screenshot below)



6. The network file or folder will now no longer have a sync overlay on its icon to indicate it is no longer always available offline. (see screenshot below)

*note Sometimes you may need to refresh (F5) the File Explorer window to see the change.




That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Share Files and Folders Over a Network in Windows 10
• How to Enable or Disable Offline Files in Windows
• How to Add Sync Center Context Menu in Windows
• How to Encrypt or Unencrypt Offline Files Cache in Windows
• How to Create Offline Files Folder Shortcut in Windows
• How to Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Windows
• How to Manually Sync Offline Files in Windows
• How to Create New Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows
• How to Delete Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows
• How to Edit Offline Files Sync Schedule in Windows

:)

 

Laptop won't show list of available networks

We suggest checking the list of available Wi-Fi networks on your laptop.

Please follow these steps:

• Click the Windows logo.
• Go to Settings (gear icon).
• Select Network and Internet.
• Then Wi-Fi.
• Make sure the Wi-Fi radio button is On.
• Select Show available networks, then you'll be able to see the list of available Wi-Fi networks.

Update us with the outcome so we provide further assistance.

 

Offline files not syncing

Hi Ramsha,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community forums.



This could be due to the incorrect caching set for the network folder. You may want to try the steps listed below and check if it works.

• Open Share Properties
  of the network folder and click on Advance sharing.
  
• Choose Caching and select
  No files or programs from the shared folder are available offline.
  
• Save the changes and reboot the machine to see if it works.
  

Hope it helps.

Regards,

 

Microsoft enables offline play for Windows 10 games

Most Windows 10 games will support offline play, but you'll have to work at it.





"Larry Hryb, the man known to the world as Major Nelson, announced on Twittertoday that Microsoft has "made some backend updates to improve your experience playing @Windows 10 games offline." Basically, if you're going to be somewhere that lacks online coverage—on a submarine, for instance—it will still be possible to play your games. But there are some restrictions.

"Most games available in the Store on your Windows 10 device support offline play, but check the details of the game to make sure yours is supported by searching for your game at http://www.xbox.com," the Xbox support site says. "Most games with a campaign mode will be playable offline, but games with network co-op or multiplayer features will not work while you’re offline. While playing offline, some features, such as the ability to purchase additional items from the Windows Store, will not be available. Additionally, any leaderboards will be unavailable while you're offline."

Obviously, online features like buying stuff from in-game stores won't be available when you're offline, but the bit about "games with network co-op or multplayer features" not working while offline really isn't clear. We tested with Gears of War 4 and confirmed that the offline features like campaign and LAN multiplayer worked just fine when disconnected.

There are more caveats, though. You're limited to just one "designated offline device" at a time, and you can only change your designated offline device three times per year. Switching into offline mode isn't all that easy, either. First, you'll need to set your designated offline device:

• Make sure that you’re online.
• Check that your device has the latest Windows updates: Go to Start,Settings, Update and security, and then Windows Update and see if any relevant updates are available.
• Open the Store. You’ll be prompted to sign in if you haven’t already.
• Select the Me icon (this is your profile picture).
• Select Settings, and then under Offline Permissions, make sure that the toggle is set to On.

After that, you'll have to "prepare" your games by launching each one that you want to play offline while you're still online, and logging into your Xbox Live account. This is a bit like launching Steam into Offline mode while you still have an internet connection... but you'll have to prepare each individual Xbox game this way before going offline.

Once you've logged into the game while you're online, you can exit at any time and you'll be set. Of course, if you change your mind and want to play something you haven't properly prepared, you're out of luck.

The upside is that this only affects Windows 10 games, but it still seems wildly complicated and restrictive to me. Worse, while improved functionality is always welcome, I can't see how this does anything but beg for unflattering comparisons with Steam: When I want to play my Steam games offline, I set Steam offline, restart it, and I'm on my way—and I can do it as often as I want. Microsoft's implementation of offline play is an improvement, but only because it wasn't available at all previously. As a step toward becoming more competitive with Steam, though, it falls woefully short."

Microsoft enables offline play for Windows 10 games | PC Gamer

 

Windows 10 - available offline files

we have the following issue with the Windows 10 Pro ;

When we work outside of Active directory network, or offline, we can not see our redirected folders like My Documents , and Desktop,

and if we do VPN connection to our head office it is always asks to enter credentials to connect AD, then everything is working fine.

the same account with Windows 7 pro or Windows 8.0/8.1 Pro works like a charm, any suggestions ?

so far what I did is: 1. rejoin to Domain Controller

2. Control panel>Sync Center> Manage Offline Files > Disable and Enable Offline files

3. gpudpate /force and all other options

one more think in windows 10 pro : when we navigate to sync folder (state shows online), and then easy access all options there are gray ("Always available offline", "Sync", "Work Offline"), expect "Map as a Driver"

Any suggestions ??? Thanks

 

sync - where are offline files, folders disappear when offline?

I have sync set up, between 2 PCs, and made some 'always available offline' They are in the 'manage offline files' window., - but where are the offline files in explorer, when offline?

I could find them in "network" in the folder pane when connected, but when the connection is broken, the pc containing the shared files disappears from the network list!

How to I access offline files to edit them, and offline folders to save new files?

Thanks

The PC I am trying to find the offline files on is using Win 10 professional, the other 8.1 professional