Working with Offline Files

Offline Files is a feature of Windows 7 Professional, Enterprise, and Ultimate Edition operating systems that allows users to access files stored in shared folders on network file servers even when those shared folders are unavailable, such as when a network problem occurs or when a file server is offline. The Offline Files feature has been around since Windows 2000 and provides several advantages for corporate networks:

• Users can continue working with files stored on network shares even when those file servers become unavailable because of network interruption or some other problem.
• Users in branch offices can continue working with files stored on file servers at corporate headquarters when the WAN link between the branch office and headquarters fails, becomes unreliable, or becomes congested.
• Mobile users can continue working with files stored on network shares when they are traveling and unable to connect to the remote corporate network.

Some common deployment scenarios for Offline Files include the following:

• Using Folder Redirection Implementing Offline Files with Folder Redirection provides a robust solution for ensuring that users can access their files when disconnected from the corporate network. This scenario also enables administrators to ensure that users' data files are backed up centrally from network servers.
• Working on cached drives By using logon scripts to map network drives to server message block (SMB) shares on network file servers and then making these network drives available for offline use, users can open and work on files in the network drive even when their computers are disconnected from the corporate network.
• Pinning remote shares or specific files By making an individual network share or a file within a share available for offline use, users can open and work on that file or the files in that share when their computers are disconnected from the corporate network.

Windows Vista included numerous enhancements to Offline Files, and Windows 7 builds on these earlier enhancements by providing additional Offline Files functionality. The sections that follow summarize the improvements made to Offline Files, first in Windows Vista and later in Windows 7.