How To Configure Offline Files to Synchronize When a Particular Network Connection Becomes Active (312171)

SUMMARY

This step-by-step article describes how to configure Offline Files to synchronize when a particular network connection becomes active. You can make any shared folder on a network available offline so that you can use the files that are inside of that folder when you disconnect from the network. Normally, synchronization happens automatically whenever a network connection becomes active. However, you can configure your synchronization settings to specify the offline files that are synchronized when a network connection becomes active.

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Configure Offline Files with the Synchronization Manager

The Offline Files feature is designed for users that take their computer away from the network (for example, with a notebook computer), or that connect to the network periodically from a remote location. You can mark any shared folder that is available on the network or any Web page to be made available offline. The contents of these shared folders or pages are copied to a temporary folder on the hard disk on your local computer. When you disconnect from the network, you can work on any of these files. When you reconnect to the network, the files are synchronized with the originals.

By default, all files that were made available offline by using a particular network connection are synchronized whenever that connection becomes active. For example, if you make shared files on your company network available when you are connected to that network by using a standard LAN connection, those files are synchronized when that connection becomes active. They will not necessarily be synchronized when you connect to that same network by using another network connection, such as a dial-up networking or wireless connection.

You can use the Synchronization Manager to control what files and Web pages are synchronized when any network connection becomes available.

To configure offline files to synchronize when a network connection becomes active:

1. Click Start, point to All Programs, point to Accessories, and then click Synchronize.
2. In the Items to Synchronize dialog box, click Setup.
3. In the When I am using this network connection box, choose the connection for which you want to specify offline Web pages and files to be synchronized.
4. All offline Web pages and offline files are displayed in the Synchronize the following checked items window. Check the items you want to be synchronized when the network connection becomes active.
5. Repeat steps three and four until you have configured the synchronization settings for each of your network connections.
6. Specify whether you want items to be synchronized when you log on or log off Windows.
7. Click OK.
8. Click Synchronize to complete the synchronization immediately, or click Close to close the Items to Synchronize dialog box.

Windows will now automatically synchronize your offline Web pages and offline files according to the new settings.

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