Working With Offline files

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I posted in the Cadd Managers group without any responses so I'm going to try here:


I'm having problems with the offline files feature in windows xp and wondering if anybody else has come accross this. After setting up the files that I want available offline and disconnecting the laptop from the network it won't recognize the offline files. Here is what I got so far.

1. make files available offline

2. disconnect laptop and start it up- not connected to network.

3. if I start Autocad up at this point the network menus won't load and Autocad gives me a file not found error that it is looking on the network f: drive for the menu.

4. First Work around - if I go down to windows taskbar and double click on the offline files icon, it will display the "offline files status" box. There are no files displayed at this point, this is the reason Autocad can't find the menus when starting it up. But if I hit the view files buttton and exit both "view files" window and "offline files status" box and open the "offline files status" box again the files are now there.

5. Second Work around - if I go to explorer and click on the drive I'm trying to access, I will get an error message saying the files aren't accessible. But if I right click on the drive and go to properties and then exit out of the properties window the files are now available like in step 4

6. Is this how the offline files feature is supposed to work? Do I tell my laptop users that they have to try and access the drive and make sure the files are displaying before they start AutoCAD? This hasn't worked the way I was hoping and I know that some of you have been working with laptops this way. Any help would be much appreciated.

[TravisNave]

Aaron,

No, that is not how offline files should work. They should just be available... just as if you were connected to the network. Any chance you have a loopback adapter or any other network device that is connected that is making Windows think that you are not offline?

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I still haven't been able to find a fix for my problem. IT and myself have explored everything we can think of.

After making files available offline and syncronizing, I shut down laptop. Undock the laptop from the docking station. Restart the laptop, unconnected.

1. Go into windows explorer to see if files are available. I get error message 1.

2. Thru windows explorer if you right click of the f:drive and go to properties, then access the f:drive the files are there? See picture 1 and 2.

If I try to start autocad before doing these steps it won't find the network menu file. Any ideas, I've playing with this way too long. Thanks

[TravisNave]

Still very strange. Why not actually try adding the Microsoft Loopback Adapter so that there is always a 'live' network connected to that computer (virtually.) I have been able to get around weird offline problems by doing this.

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Installed the Microsoft Loopback Adapter . Still getting the same results. Very frustrating.

[TravisNave]

Aaron,

Okay, try this. I am attaching a hotfix that is supposed to be part of XP SP3. It is supposed to fix issues where offline files are a problem. Also included is a registry key that will assist with offline files.

The registry key is only adding registry keys, not changing anything, so if it doesn't work you can simply remove them. However, the settings should actually have any ill effects. Furthermore, the hotfix is only available by special request and will be released as part of SP3.

Please try these and let me know the results.

Thanks,

Travis

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Travis,

I didn't get a chance to install the hotfix yet but I was wondering. Would logging off as opposed to shutting down make a difference for the offline files to be available?

[TravisNave]

I doubt it. However, I guess it would depend on if by logging off the domain account would still be cached in a way that shutting off wouldn't.

I'd be interested in hearing if the hotfix works.

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The hotfix didn't work. Still getting the exact same results. However at the end of the day I thought of something that works (i think) in a round about way. If I add the offline files shortcut in the startup folder of the laptop, it will open this folder which then makes the files available "at startup". I will look at it more today and post back.

We are also looking at mapping the drive to be as a computer instead of DFS? Not sure of the exact terms (not my cup of tea) but we are going to try that as well today. Message was edited by: Aaron Cunningham

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Mapping the drive seems to have fixed the problem. I removed the shortcut for the offline files folder from the startup. I then disconnected the laptop from the network and restarted "unconnected" and files were available at startup. I will see if I get the same results from another laptop.

[TravisNave]

Ha!!! I just assumed your drives were already mapped and you were making them available offline.

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OK not sure if I follow you. The drives were mapped but they were mapped for DFS? the path looked like this.
\\ba-inc.com\BA-Drvs\F\AutoCad

We then remapped to look like this
\\file-1\F\AutoCad

As you can tell I'm in over my head and don't really understand what was wrong with the setup we had. Is this a known issue with offline files? Can you shed some light on the problem. Anyway I think we "fixed" the problem.

[TravisNave]

Yeah, I see what you mean now. Hey, if remapping it works, then more power to you. I won't get upset for staying on the phone with Microsoft for a half hour to get that SP3 fix. Ha.

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Didn't know you went through all that. Thanks for your help, I really appreciate it.

[TravisNave]

As long as you're fixed, that is all that matters.

[Anonymous]

Aaron Cunningham wrote:
> OK not sure if I follow you. The drives were mapped but they were mapped for DFS? the path looked like this.
> \\ba-inc.com\BA-Drvs\F\AutoCad

I've been trying to avoid DFS because of this:
http://usa.autodesk.com/adsk/servlet/ps/item?siteID=123112&id=2874506&linkID=2475323

Jason