Offline Files crap

[Rob J]

We recently replaced one of our servers with another one, and it hasn't
got all the shares set up on it yet that the old one has. Because of
this, when you log in on an XP machine that has previously had people
logged in on it whose shares don't exist on the server, Offline Files
claims the server is offline and will only give a cached view of the
server based on its own cache and not the actual live view.

What a load of crap this piece of software is, it should only show the
view for the current user, based on whether their share exists or not,
not throw a fit just because one or two user's shares no longer exist.

And then the most mind blowingly megalomaniac control freak tyranny of
all, if Offline Files decides based on its own warped stupid criteria
that the server is offline, no way will it let you see a live view of
the server. No way. If you try to access any server resource, Offline
Files proclaims the server cannot be viewed and will show you only the
contents of its own cache of the server, which of course, will be what
it looked like the last time you might have logged onto that particular
machine, if indeed you ever logged onto it before.

We spent hours trying to troubleshoot a machine, figuring there must
really be a network connectivity problem. Thing was, we could log in and
see the live view of the server for a few seconds, then as soon as
Offline Files kicked in and decided the server didn't exist, the view of
the server would change immediately to the offline view. In the end we
gave up and reinstalled Windows.

Now, if I disable Offline Files crap, this offline business disappears
and I can always see the live view of the server, just like I always
should be able to.

 

[Paul Smith]

It definitely needs work.

Drives me mad sometimes between my Tablet PC and my desktop box. I'm hoping
it will be massively improved in Vista - including performance checking for
changes, the system should just be able to record all the changes and then
the remote machine can just get the list of changes without having to scan
everything.

--
Paul Smith,
Yeovil, UK.
Microsoft MVP Windows Shell/User.
http://www.windowsresource.net/

*Remove 'nospam.' to reply by e-mail*

 

[Steve]

We recently replaced one of our servers with another one, and it hasn't
got all the shares set up on it yet that the old one has. Because of
this, when you log in on an XP machine that has previously had people
logged in on it whose shares don't exist on the server, Offline Files
claims the server is offline and will only give a cached view of the
server based on its own cache and not the actual live view.

Sorry but why is it online then? It isn't ready yet.

What a load of crap this piece of software is, it should only show the
view for the current user, based on whether their share exists or not,
not throw a fit just because one or two user's shares no longer exist.

No, a decent sysadmin should be managing this transfer.

And then the most mind blowingly megalomaniac control freak tyranny of
all, if Offline Files decides based on its own warped stupid criteria
that the server is offline, no way will it let you see a live view of
the server. No way. If you try to access any server resource, Offline
Files proclaims the server cannot be viewed and will show you only the
contents of its own cache of the server, which of course, will be what
it looked like the last time you might have logged onto that particular
machine, if indeed you ever logged onto it before.

We spent hours trying to troubleshoot a machine, figuring there must
really be a network connectivity problem. Thing was, we could log in and
see the live view of the server for a few seconds, then as soon as
Offline Files kicked in and decided the server didn't exist, the view of
the server would change immediately to the offline view. In the end we
gave up and reinstalled Windows.

Now, if I disable Offline Files crap, this offline business disappears
and I can always see the live view of the server, just like I always
should be able to.

Thing is, as soon as you have a computer which is accessed by more than
one person, you need people who actually know how to manage it.

 

[Rob J]

Sorry but why is it online then? It isn't ready yet.
No, a decent sysadmin should be managing this transfer.

Do you suppose that it is always straightforward to set up a new server,
particularly when the old one died the day the new one was delivered?

What happens if I delete some users and their home directories? offline
files will spew over that.

 

[Guest]

Basically, Offline Files (or Briefcases or other synchronizing gadgets)
should only be used on home folders (where one user has sole write-access)
and never on multi-user areas of a server. If two users make modifications to
the same file-set at the same time you could end-up with serious trouble.

 

[Lanwench [MVP - Exchange]]

In

We recently replaced one of our servers with another one, and it
hasn't got all the shares set up on it yet that the old one has.
Because of this, when you log in on an XP machine that has previously
had people logged in on it whose shares don't exist on the server,
Offline Files claims the server is offline and will only give a
cached view of the server based on its own cache and not the actual
live view.

What a load of crap this piece of software is, it should only show the
view for the current user, based on whether their share exists or not,
not throw a fit just because one or two user's shares no longer exist.

And then the most mind blowingly megalomaniac control freak tyranny of
all, if Offline Files decides based on its own warped stupid criteria
that the server is offline, no way will it let you see a live view of
the server. No way. If you try to access any server resource, Offline
Files proclaims the server cannot be viewed and will show you only the
contents of its own cache of the server, which of course, will be what
it looked like the last time you might have logged onto that
particular machine, if indeed you ever logged onto it before.

We spent hours trying to troubleshoot a machine, figuring there must
really be a network connectivity problem. Thing was, we could log in
and see the live view of the server for a few seconds, then as soon as
Offline Files kicked in and decided the server didn't exist, the view
of the server would change immediately to the offline view. In the
end we gave up and reinstalled Windows.

Now, if I disable Offline Files crap, this offline business disappears
and I can always see the live view of the server, just like I always
should be able to.

I don't use offline files. If you need to sync data (for a laptop or remote
user, for example) check out www.centered.com. It works a LOT better.

 

[Edmond Lo]

We had the same problem too when a server was replaced. At the end I had to
clear the Offline file caching and redo all the offline files.