Where to find the Work Online/Work offline button
Hello, My real problem is that I have offline files enabled. When I connect to the office with high bandwith VPN, I can sync all files, but when I connect through slower (HSPDA/UMTS) mobile connection, I just cannot make to sync files, thus I cannot see non-sync folders in my domain. In many artcles like this: http://www.tomstricks.com/how-to-prevent-use-of-offline-files-in-windows-7-or-in-windows-vista/ I can read that there has to be a Work Online button somewhere in the Explorer in Windows 7: "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." Q1: Where is that? I just cannot see it anywhere. Q2: Is there a good way to enable sync on slower mobile connection, too? Q3: XP used to be set up to ask if I want to sync files if VPN was connected. How can I do the same with Win 7 (Ultimate)? PS. our server is Win 2008 R2. Thanks a lot in advance!
September 10th, 2010 10:42am

Try pressing Alt, then click File, then click Work Offline.
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September 10th, 2010 8:23pm

Hi, Please refer to the following links: Working with network files when you are offline How the synchronization in Windows 7 Offline Files works http://blogs.technet.com/b/netro/archive/2010/04/09/how-the-synchronization-in-windows-7-offline-files-works.aspx Configuring New Offline Files Features for Windows 7 Computers Step-by-Step Guide http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff633429(WS.10).aspx Regards, Sabrina Please remember to click “Mark as Answer” on the post that helps you, and to click “Unmark as Answer” if a marked post does not actually answer your question. This can be beneficial to other community members reading the thread.
September 13th, 2010 8:55am

Sabrina I checked all the links you posted. Unfortunately there is no "Work Online" toolbar/button often times in offline folders even though I'm online on my home network. The "Work Online" button just disappears sometimes. My Windows 7 Ultimate laptop & Windows 7 Ultimate desktop are setup to use offline syncing of folders that reside on our Windows Home Server. All the machines are on our home’s local network. I can see the folders and files in question that need syncing on the laptop, desktop and Home Server. At times things get out of sync and the "Work Online" button often disappears and doesn't come back until a reboot which is annoying and cumbersome. I am syncing the User folders of My Documents & My Pictures between my two Windows 7 Ultimate machines with both pointing at a Windows Home Server where the User folders reside. I have this same configuration for my wife's User folders on her two Windows 7 Professional laptops pointing to the WHS for the folders. I also have both of my Windows 7 Ultimate machines setup to sync from our Windows Home Server's general large Music folder as well as my wife's User folder of Music (which is smaller) setup to sync to her two Windows 7 Professional laptops. (Her laptops see and can use the general WHS Music folder but don't sync to it due to size constraints.) All 3 of the Windows 7 laptops (1 Ultimate, 2 Professional) have this constant nagging issue wherein the "Work Online" button/toolbar randomly disappears. When looking at Sync Center's "Sync Partnership Details" from my Win7 Ultimate laptop it says that the folders Music (\\HPSERVER) & Users (\\HPSERVER) are "Disconnected" even though the laptops are online on the network (the server is online as well) and the button does not come back until after a reboot. Right clicking the Sync Center icon on the taskbar and selecting "Sync All" if the Sync Center reports the folders "Disconnected" (even though they are available) usually results in errors that can only be fixed with a reboot. (I have determined that folders are indeed available via connecting to to them using a Remote Desktop Connection at which point I can then see them with the differences and files that need to be synced.) In essence when the Sync Center reports the folders are "Disconnected" (even though they are online and available) and the "Work Online" button disappears the only way to fix what appears to be a Sync Center bug is to reboot the laptops in question. Judging from my searches online I think a fair share of other folks are having this same problem. I have noticed that sometimes Sync Center will say "Disconnected" and mention errors BUT the folders & files will eventually appear to be in sync upon me doing a visual comparison of the files and folders which is very confusing and makes me not confident our files are actually fully in sync. Since the days of MS Palmtop Windows CE 1.0...
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January 5th, 2011 7:30am

I have been experiencing these problems at work and after days of troubleshooting I just needed to tick a single box to get it working. I wrote about it on my blog Offline Files versus VPN a.k.a. The case of the missing “Work Online” button « Thom's HeadSpace http://bit.ly/ig55YD Thom McKiernan (UK) @thommck | thommck.wordpress.com | MCSA | MCTS
February 8th, 2011 6:07am

The Work Offline option is located under FILE, not the toolbars. You have been misinformed. Cheers.
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June 23rd, 2011 8:56pm

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