Resolve synchronization conflicts before offline files can be disabled

Summary

MFCF has discontinued the use of the offline files feature in Windows.  This feature is stale and no longer provides performance improvements or data integrity.

The offline files feature has not been updated since Windows 8.1.  It is an old technology that has been replaced by other file synchronization methods.  Issues such as not seeing all your available folders on the S: drive are caused by offline files synchronization conflicts.

The following instructions reduce and resolve synchronization conflicts.  If you are confident about following them, you can reduce the time spent with MFCF when we disable offline files.  If you are not confident about following the instructions, leave it for us to do.

Reducing sync conflicts on a daily basis

  • Log on and don’t open any applications
  • Wait 5 minutes for the sync to start
  • Use the Search function to open Control Panel
  • Change “View by” to small icons
  • Open Sync Center
  • You can see the sync status in the top region
  • Make sure the sync has completed before opening applications
  • Log off daily to trigger a synchronization

Clear sync conflicts

  • Log on and don’t open any applications so no files are open
  • Wait 5 minutes for the sync to start
  • Use the Search function to open Control Panel
  • Change “View by” to small icons
  • Open Sync Center
  • You can see the sync status in the top region
  • Make sure the sync has completed
  • Click on the conflicts to see the full list
  • Resolve the conflicts in small groups or individually
    • Highlight one or a few conflicts
    • Right click to see options to resolve
    • Usually, the best choice is the newer file. If the files are the same size and time stamp, pick the one on files.math
    • Files in the AppData folder are just application configuration files so they are not crucial.
    • Files on the Depts share or personal Documents folder are crucial and need to be examined carefully. Make sure the latest copy is preserved.
    • Some conflicts are not resolved on the first attempt but are on a second attempt. Refresh the view in Sync Center (F5) before trying again.