Windows 7 Offline Files

Printable View

Show 25 post(s) from this thread on one page

26th January 2010, 09:43 AM
AIT

Windows 7 Offline Files

Has anyone successfully got offline files to work with windows 7.

Here is my problem. Currently all our (roaming laptops) (windows xp) sync the re directed start menu, desktop and home folder. This works perfectly under xp.
Offline folders are disabled in user policy and enabled in the one computer policy for the laptops.

So i have just bought some new laptops (windows 7). Dropped them into the same ou as the xp's and offline files don’t work at all.

Am i missing something silly?
26th January 2010, 09:55 AM
AIT

the rsop results of offline files

http://www.advanceditservices.co.uk/rsop.jpg

here is my rsop result for offline files.
26th January 2010, 10:11 AM
jsnetman

It depends what is in some of those settings for instance "administratively assigned offline files" and "action on server disconnect", they could be having a negative effect. Basically if you have any redirected my docs folder it will sync by default without having any settings applied in machine or user GP.
26th January 2010, 10:26 AM
AIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by jsnetman

It depends what is in some of those settings for instance "administratively assigned offline files" and "action on server disconnect", they could be having a negative effect. Basically if you have any redirected my docs folder it will sync by default without having any settings applied in machine or user GP.

administratively assigned offline files

%HOMESHARE%
\\venice\profiles\office
\\venice\profiles\staff

action on server disconnect

enabled and action work offline
26th January 2010, 01:00 PM
AIT

sorry i should probably should have said:

Windows xp works perfectly with the settings above. i am interested to know if anyone else has experienced difficulty or has got windows 7 working with offline files.

Thanks in advance.. a very stressed out man
26th January 2010, 02:27 PM
box_l

Both of your user and computer section in the GP have an exclamation mark against them.

can you look to see what these mean? there may be more to this RSOP than we can see.

BoX
26th January 2010, 02:35 PM
AIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by box_l

Both of your user and computer section in the GP have an exclamation mark against them.

can you look to see what these mean? there may be more to this RSOP than we can see.

BoX

it only has an exclamation mark against the user the initial one is to state there is an exclamation mark on the policy.

This is because i have removed any user policy’s to make sure it wasn’t that interfering.
26th January 2010, 02:42 PM
strawberry

might be worth using amdx templates for any 7 clients as they dont always play nicely with adms.
26th January 2010, 02:44 PM
AIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by strawberry

might be worth using amdx templates for any 7 clients as they dont always play nicely with adms.

this should be an admx template. as it was generated on 2008 r2 server.
26th January 2010, 02:47 PM
SYNACK

I have got it working on Vista and 7 for laptops, used a seporate GPO for them though as using the XP ones is begging for trouble. WMI filters on the user policies allow for this quite easily.

Vista and 7 are much more rigerous with the settings than XP was as half of the XP ones only worked partially. I ended up configuring the offline files in the per user GPOs as otherwise it attempts to machine sync them with machine credentials. It also seemed to wait for a user to trigger a sync directly because of this so that it had credentials that would work.

I setup the Admin Offline Files on the user GPOs and then Enable offline files in the machine GPO for laptops. As I have it disabled for workstation this means that they can log on to either and get the desired behaviour.

Because these are triggered under user credentials it means that it only syncs there files, not anyone who has logged ons files like XP and it also sets up the sync propperly rather than leaving it un synced.

I also set the sync at logon and sync at logoff options in the user policy as because Vista and 7 both use fast sync it does not take long and enforces the sync. Oh I also enforce "Economical application of admin assigned files" in the laptops machine config for fast sync.

Works quite well with way less hassle than XP.
26th January 2010, 02:49 PM
AIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYNACK

I have got it working on Vista and 7 for laptops, used a seporate GPO for them though as using the XP ones is begging for trouble. WMI filters on the user policies allow for this quite easily.

Vista and 7 are much more rigerous with the settings than XP was as half of the XP ones only worked partially. I ended up configuring the offline files in the per user GPOs as otherwise it attempts to machine sync them with machine credentials. It also seemed to wait for a user to trigger a sync directly because of this so that it had credentials that would work.

I setup the Admin Offline Files on the user GPOs and then Enable offline files in the machine GPO for laptops. As I have it disabled for workstation this means that they can log on to either and get the desired behaviour.

Because these are triggered under user credentials it means that it only syncs there files, not anyone who has logged ons files like XP and it also sets up the sync propperly rather than leaving it un synced.

I also set the sync at logon and sync at logoff options in the user policy as because Vista and 7 both use fast sync it does not take long and enforces the sync. Oh I also enforce "Economical application of admin assigned files" in the laptops machine config for fast sync.

Works quite well with way less hassle than XP.

Thank you for your reply. i have read about "Economical application of admin assigned files"

however this does not apear in my group policy editor?
26th January 2010, 02:53 PM
SYNACK

Quote:

Originally Posted by AIT

Thank you for your reply. i have read about "Economical application of admin assigned files"

however this does not apear in my group policy editor?

Are you editing the policy on a 2008 server or Vista or higher level computer with RSAT? It only appears in the machine policy not in the user one so it has to be applied at the laptop OU level along with the enabling of offline files for that group of computers.
26th January 2010, 02:56 PM
AIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYNACK

Are you editing the policy on a 2008 server or Vista or higher level computer with RSAT? It only appears in the machine policy not in the user one so it has to be applied at the laptop OU level along with the enabling of offline files for that group of computers.

yes edeting on 2008 r2 server.
or edeting on windows 7 with rsat. and i cant see the policy.
26th January 2010, 03:03 PM
SYNACK

1 Attachment(s)

You sure you are in the machine level policies and the ADMX ones rather than the Classic Administrative Templates area. If you do not have an up to date central store for GP Templates maybe it is defaulting back to the old ones. Anyhow it is weird, shows up on mine under r2 as attached:
26th January 2010, 03:08 PM
AIT

Quote:

Originally Posted by SYNACK

You sure you are in the machine level policies and the ADMX ones rather than the Classic Administrative Templates area. If you do not have an up to date central store for GP Templates maybe it is defaulting back to the old ones. Anyhow it is weird, shows up on mine under r2 as attached:

ok i feel really stupid now!!!!!!

I have been looking for this setting for quite some time (not that it will solve the problem of the policy not working) but wanted to find it..

I have not seen it.. (Just looked now it’s there clear as day)

Apologies for wasting peoples time on that problem. Any more suggestions why the policy isn’t working would be greatly appreciated

:getmecoat:
:getmecoat:

Show 25 post(s) from this thread on one page