Re: Offline files and Sync

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Without a specific reason for feeling this way, I'm not crazy about deleting
the CSC files. Now that you've gotten the Offline Files tab back, I'd go
into that and click Delete Files. At the same time, you can un-check the
"Enable Offline Files" box on that tab, which should solve your immediate
problem. I'd just let the workstations sync the files for which the Caching
option is set on the server, of course after going in and confirming that
the Company directory is not set to cache. It appears that Company is not
set for automatic caching by default, but double-check - my SBS has been
upgraded and maybe caching is set on Company in a clean install.

In a perfect world, I'd recommend putting everything back to its defaults
and let it operate as intended - let the users select files they want to
cache manually, and let the server initiate the caching of the redirected My
Docs folders, after turning off everything that seems to have been turned on
outside your intentions. I'm not sure how much work that would be (you'll
have to do it in every user profile), but it might be worth it to have
certain files available offline in case of a server problem, if you can find
the time to get it all working. BTW, my workstation is set to allow 1% of
the drive for offline files, which has got to be the default since I don't
remember ever setting it.

There's probably a way to clear all user-created sync settings and return
everything to the defaults, maybe with a GPO or a reg edit. If I get a
chance to look into this, I'll let you know what I find. If you want, you
could check support.microsoft.com or scan through the group policies on your
SBS.


"Pat Horridge" <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:dgbqtc$cn7$1$8300dec7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Ok it's all going horribly qrong here.
> I have workstations dropping like flyes with their C: drives full to
> busting.
> It seems all the workstations are trying to Sync the whole of the company
> shared folder (which is re-directed to my documents for all users)
> This is depspite the share on the server having the cache option turned
> off.
> I've managed a workaround by setting the % space to 0.5% of the C: drive
> and setting it to delete all cache files on logoff.
> Logoff now takes an age but at least on logon I have space on the effected
> WS. (other WS have large C: drives so are ok but slow due to massive file
> syncing)
> I've re-enabled offline controls so can see to the offline tab now (Hadn't
> realised that GPO had admin and user settings)
>
> So the question. How do I kill off offline files once and for all so
> nothing happens full stop.
> Can I delete the massive (4G) CSC folder at my system root.
> Am considering locking permissions to it to thwart the OS filling it in a
> desperate attempt to stem the network flow of syncing files.
> Poor server is on it's knees right now.
>
> "Pat Horridge" <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:dgbhue$6qc$1$830fa795@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>> So now I have lot's of folders with the sync icon but no way of
>> controlling the sync of them.
>>
>> "Pat Horridge" <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>> news:dgbhia$1gd$1$8300dec7@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>> Yes strange. I re-enabled all the offline sync options in GPO yesterday
>>> and today all workstations show sync arrows but no workstations have the
>>> offline files tab so I'm unable to investigate it.
>>> Really weird.
>>> Generally I've avoided offline files as in the past users had small
>>> internal HDs (better now)
>>> Also not sure how it deals with syncing back up file sthat may have been
>>> used by more than one user.
>>>
>>> "Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]" <gwdibble@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>>> message news:O2%23xMDUuFHA.444@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>I believe that items that sync due to the Caching setting are only
>>>>synched to the local PC after the user has accessed them. Not 100% sure
>>>>on this, but I think if you have 50 files in a share and the user
>>>>accesses 10 of them, only 10 files will be cached. You can see what's
>>>>being cached by going to Windows Explorer Tools -> Folder Options ->
>>>>Offline Files tab -> View Files.
>>>>
>>>> FWIW, I've got the blue arrow sync icon on files I set to synchronize
>>>> myself, but not those that are synched due to the Caching setting on
>>>> the server. Not sure why you don't have that tab in Tools -> Folder
>>>> Options, but I assume you're right that it's the GPO. It might take a
>>>> couple of reboots for the policy change to apply, or you can go to the
>>>> workstation command prompt and type "gpupdate /force" without the
>>>> quotes. Even then you might have to log out and back in or reboot to
>>>> see the tab.
>>>>
>>>> I hate to say it at this point, but why not allow synchronization? If
>>>> nothing else, if your SBS ever goes down, having the files available
>>>> offline will keep the users busy working instead of glaring at you
>>>> while you fix it.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> "Pat Horridge" <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>> news:dg93rf$2dj$1$8302bc10@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>
>>>>> Won't know for a day or so if that has fixed the syncing on logoff
>>>>> issue as I'll have to wait for feedback from users.
>>>>> I'm still getting strange results from the 3 new PC's
>>>>> My company folder shows up when browsing the network with two blue
>>>>> arrows in the lower left of the icon (looks like a sync indication)
>>>>> All the subfolders in Company also have this icon.
>>>>> But non of the old PC's show the folders this way.
>>>>> All have Windows XP SP2 with office XP installed.
>>>>> Why are the PC's showing the folders that way?
>>>>> Other network shares on that same server don't have that sync icon.
>>>>>
>>>>> Also the help suggests that offline sysnc is controlled via Tools
>>>>> folder options Offline files tab.
>>>>> I don't have that tab on the workstations. Even if I re-enable the GPO
>>>>> to allow them.
>>>>>
>>>>> "Pat Horridge" <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>> news:dg8nrb$5rf$1$830fa17d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>> Yes I'd redirected users "my documents" to the Company share.
>>>>>> When checking the company share it was set to manual caching.
>>>>>> I disabled it and will see what that does.
>>>>>> Strange that only new PC's picked this up and older ones ignored it.
>>>>>> Anyway such is life.
>>>>>> Thanks
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Dave Nickason [SBS MVP]" <gwdibble@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in
>>>>>> message news:uqMc54IuFHA.1032@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>> Hi Pat - just an educated guess here. There are two ways of setting
>>>>>>> files to be available offline. The user can go into the Windows
>>>>>>> Explorer interface and set files to be available offline. Or, the
>>>>>>> server directory in which the files are stored can be configured to
>>>>>>> always make the files available offline. My guess is that the GPO
>>>>>>> prevents the users from configuring synchronization, but that files
>>>>>>> set on the server to be available offline on the workstations are
>>>>>>> not effected by the GPO setting.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> In the properties of a server share, go to the Sharing tab and click
>>>>>>> Caching to see what I'm referring to. I believe that, for example,
>>>>>>> redirected My Docs folders are automatically set for sync to prevent
>>>>>>> a down server from denying access to all that user data. I have
>>>>>>> other files that I turn on caching for as well, for the same reason
>>>>>>> and also for laptop use out of the office.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Pat Horridge" <pat@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:dg6kup$pls$1$830fa17d@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>>>>>>>>I have some new PC's that I've added to the domain that are
>>>>>>>>attempting to Syncronise offline files.
>>>>>>>> I've set the Group Policy to disable offline files but these
>>>>>>>> machines seem to ignore that.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>


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