Disable Offline Files

1. Open the Control Panel from the Start menu.

2. Open Sync Center in the Control Panel.

3.

Note: If Sync Center is not available, change View by to Large icons at the top right
of the Control Panel.

4. Click Manage offline files in the left column of the Sync Center window.
5. Click Disable Offline Files in the Offline Files window.
 6. Click OK in the Offline Files window.
7. Click Yes when asked if you want to restart the computer so that all Offline Files
services and settings can be disabled.

How To: Prevent Use Of Offline Files In Windows 7 Or In

Windows Vista
About Offline Files In Windows Vista/Windows 7:

Offline Files is a very useful feature in Windows operating systems including Windows Vista
and Windows 7.This maintains a local cache of remote files and folders on your Windows
computer, so that they are available to you when you are working offline, improving the
experience for mobile (laptop) users. You continue to access these files in the same way that
you accessed them when you were online because the shared network resource paths and
name spaces are preserved. When your network connection is restored, any changes that you
made while working offline are updated to the network by default.

Now, with Microsoft’s Windows Vista and Windows 7 operating systems, there is a button
right in the Explorer tool bar called “Work Offline” that automatically forces the transition
to offline mode. When you click that button again, it changes from “Work Offline” to
“Work Online” so that you can force the transition back.

Because of security reasons, it is better to disable offline folders in your network or simply
to avoid the problems that will inevitably crop up when users try to take advantage of offline
folders. This feature sometimes cause a large delay in logon process in Windows Vista or in
Windows 7.

Prevent use of Offline Files in Windows Vista or in Windows 7:

 Click on Windows Vista/Windows 7 Start menu button and type gpedit.msc in the search box
and press Enter key.
 In the Local Group Policy Editor click to expand the folder

Local Computer Policy\Computer Configuration\Administrative

Templates\Network\Offline Files

 Settings as follows:

Allow or disallow use of offline files feature: Disabled

Prohibit user config: Enabled
Sync all offline files when logging on: Disabled
Sync all offline files before logging off: Disabled
Sync offline files before suspend: Disabled
Remove ‘Make offline’: Enabled
Prevent use of Offline Files folder: Enabled
  Click Apply and then OK button.
 Close Local Group Policy Editor window and restart your computer.

Note:

 Offline files, available only in Windows Vista Business and Enterprise editions.
 The Offline files feature is similar to Folder Redirection (FR), currently available within
Windows XP.