Windows 7 / Getting Started

Managing Offline Files Using Group Policy

A number of aspects of Offline Files can be configured using Group Policy, These policy settings are found in the following locations:

  • Computer Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Offline Files
  • User Configuration\Policies\Administrative Templates\Network\Offline Files

Some policy settings for Offline Files can apply to both computers and users; other settings apply only to computers. See Table below for more information about which policy settings are per user and which are per machine.

Windows Vista introduced several new policy settings for managing Offline Files. These policy settings are described in the section titled "Offline Files Policy Settings Introduced in Windows Vista" later in this tutorial. Windows 7 also introduces additional new policy settings for managing Offline Files. These additional policy settings are described in the section titled "Additional Offline Files Policy Settings for Windows 7" later in this tutorial.

Note that some policy settings for Offline Files used by earlier versions of Windows, such as Windows XP and Windows Server 2003, no longer apply to Windows Vista and later. Table below summarizes which Offline Files policy settings apply to Windows Vista and to Windows 7.

Offline Files Policy Settings for Windows Vista and Windows 7

Name of Policy SettingPer MachinePer UserApplies to Windows VistaApplies to Windows Vista
Action On Server Disconnect✔✔
Administratively Assigned Offline Files✔✔✔✔
Allow Or Disallow Use Of The Offline Files Feature✔✔✔
At Logoff, Delete Local Copy Of User's Offline Files✔
Configure Background Sync✔✔
Configure Slow-Link Speed✔
Configure Slow-Link Mode✔✔ (replaces Configure Slow-Link Speed policy)✔
Default Cache Size✔
Enable Transparent Caching✔✔
Encrypt The Offline Files Cache✔✔✔
Event Logging Level✔✔
Exclude Files From Being Cached✔✔
Files Not Cached✔
Initial Reminder Balloon Lifetime✔✔
Limit Disk Space Used By Offline Files✔✔ (replaces Default Cache Size policy✔
Non-Default Server Disconnect Actions✔✔
Prevent Use Of Offline Files Folder✔✔
Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' For These Files And Folders
Prohibit User Configuration Of Offline Files✔✔
Reminder Balloon Frequency✔✔
Reminder Balloon Lifetime✔✔
Remove 'Make Available Offline'✔✔✔✔
Subfolders Always Available Offline✔
Synchronize All Offline Files Before Logging Off✔✔
Synchronize All Offline Files When Logging On✔✔
Synchronize Offline Files Before Suspend✔✔
Turn Off Reminder Balloons✔✔
Turn On Economical Application Of Administratively Assigned Offline Files✔✔✔
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In this tutorial:

  1. Managing Users and User Data
  2. Understanding User Profiles in Windows 7
  3. Types of User Profiles
  4. User Profile Namespace
  5. User Profile Namespace in Windows XP
  6. User Profile Namespace in Windows Vista and Windows 7
  7. Application Compatibility Issue
  8. Disabling Known Folders
  9. Windows 7 Understanding Libraries
  10. Working with Libraries
  11. Including Indexed Folders in a Library
  12. Adding Nonindexed Remote Locations to a Library
  13. Creating Additional Libraries
  14. Managing Libraries
  15. Implementing Corporate Roaming
  16. Understanding Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection
  17. Understanding Roaming User Profiles in Earlier Versions of Windows
  18. Understanding Folder Redirection in Earlier Versions of Windows
  19. Enhancements to Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection Previously Introduced in Windows Vista
  20. Additional Enhancements to Roaming User Profiles and Folder Redirection Introduced in Windows 7
  21. Improved First Logon Performance With Folder Redirection
  22. Implementing Folder Redirection
  23. Configuring the Redirection Method
  24. Configuring Target Folder Location
  25. Configuring Redirection Options
  26. Configuring Policy Removal Options
  27. Folder Redirection and Sync Center
  28. Considerations for Mixed Environments
  29. Additional Group Policy Settings for Folder Redirection
  30. Troubleshooting Folder Redirection
  31. Implementing Roaming User Profiles
  32. Creating a Default Network Profile
  33. Configuring a User Account to Use a Roaming Profile
  34. Implementing Mandatory Profiles
  35. Implementing Super-Mandatory Profiles
  36. Managing User Profiles Using Group Policy
  37. Working with Offline Files
  38. Enhancements to Offline Files Introduced Previously in Windows Vista
  39. Additional Enhancements to Offline Files Introduced in Windows 7
  40. Understanding Offline File Sync
  41. Modes of Operation in Offline Files
  42. Managing Offline Files
  43. Managing Offline Files Using Windows Explorer
  44. Managing Offline Files Using the Offline Files Control Panel
  45. Managing Offline Files Using Sync Center
  46. Configuring Offline Files on the Server
  47. Managing Offline Files Using Group Policy
  48. Offline Files Policy Settings Introduced in Windows Vista
  49. Additional Offline Files Policy Settings for Windows 7