Configure offline settings for a shared resource

Applies To: Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2003 R2, Windows Server 2003 with SP1, Windows Server 2003 with SP2

To configure offline settings for a shared resource

Open Computer Management.
In the console tree, click Shares.

Where?
- Computer Management/System Tools/Shared Folders/Shares
In the details pane, right-click the shared resource that you want to configure offline settings for, and then click Properties.
On the General tab, click Offline Settings.
In the Offline Settings dialog box, click the option that you want, and then click OK.

Note

To open Computer Management, click Start, click Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools, and then double-click Computer Management.

Open Windows Explorer.
Right-click the shared folder or drive that you want to configure offline access for, and then click Sharing and Security.
On the Sharing tab, click Offline Settings.
In the Offline Settings dialog box, click the option that you want, and then click OK.

Note

To open Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Windows Explorer.

Value	Description
net share	Manages shared resources.
sharename	The network name of the shared resource in drive:path format. To display information about a shared folder, type net share with only the share name.
/cache:manual	Allows users to manually select which documents and programs are stored offline.
/cache:documents	Automatically stores documents offline.
/cache:programs	Automatically stores documents and programs offline.
/cache:none	Prevents users from storing any files offline.

Notes

To open a command prompt, click Start, point to All programs, point to Accessories, and then click Command prompt.
To view the complete syntax for this command, at the command prompt, type:

net help share

Important

When you create a new shared resource, offline access is allowed by default, which means that secure shared resources can be stored offline on potentially insecure computers. For best security, do not allow users to store files offline. If you do, be sure to set permissions appropriately by using either share permissions or access control on the NTFS file system. For more information, see "Set permissions on a shared resource" and "Set, view, change, or remove permissions on files and folders" in Related Topics.

Notes

You must be logged on as a member of the Administrators group, Server Operators group, or Power Users group to complete this procedure. If your computer is connected to a network, network policy settings might also prevent you from completing this procedure.
For more information about offline files, see Related Topics.
For information about how to connect to another computer, see Related Topics.
File sharing options and offline access may be limited if simple file sharing is enabled. For more information about simple file sharing, see article Q304040, "Description of File Sharing and Permissions in Windows XP," in the Microsoft Knowledge Base.

Your server might function differently based on the version and edition of the operating system that is installed, your account permissions, and your menu settings. For more information, see Viewing Help on the Web.