WIN7/GPO: Offline Files, Transparent Caching

Suddenly you have 30GB on Offline Files on laptops under Windows 7? Someone may have set the new Server 2008R2/W7 Option “Transparent Caching” in GPO. This caches most used files IF the LAN/WAN is ever slow.

You have to strictly handle this per drive or Share and disable “Offline”. Otherwise Windows 7 will cache those files automatic as he thinks via “Offline” mechanisms from Windows 7 and you can’t disable or handle/Turn off those syncs.

By default this options is disabled. People often think they get better performance; which they do but at the end run into large trouble with Sync issues. The day heomeworkers come BACK into office and you have this options on you are in a mess.

This is how the offline status looks and you wonder why certain files are there. Maybe you even think it’s has something to with APPV since some APPV used ICONS from shares are listed 😉

Transparent caching is disabled by default. To enable it, use Group Policy, as shown below.

1. Use the Group Policy Management console to open the Group Policy Object that will be used to set the policy. Make sure it’s linked to the OU/site/domain that contains the clients that should use transparent caching.
2. Navigate to Computer Configuration, Policies, Administrative Templates, Network, Offline Files.
3. Double-click Enable Transparent Caching.
4. Set it to Enabled and set the network latency that will be considered a slow connection. When the system experiences that much latency, it will use transparent caching.

   

5. Click OK
6. Refresh group policy on the machines

Links:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ff633429(WS.10).aspx

http://blogs.technet.com/b/netro/archive/2010/04/09/how-the-synchronization-in-windows-7-offline-files-works.aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd637828(WS.10).aspx

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd637828(WS.10).aspx