My machine is running Windows 7 Ultimate (I've seen the issue on Business as well), on a Windows Server 2003 domain. The OU it is in has a group policy enforced on it that sets: Computer Configuration (Enabled) - Allow or Disallow use of Offline Files feature: Enabled - Subfolders always available offline: Enabled User Configuration (Disabled) My username is in an OU that has another Group Policy Object enforced, with the following settings: Computer Configuration (Disabled) User Configuration (Enabled) - Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetCache\AssignedOfflineFolders\\\[domain]\projects\office(note I replaced the name of my domain with [domain] in the above string) ...and several other folders such as \\[domain]\projects\detail, \\[domain]\projects\projects When I first installed Windows 7, I pre-created the computer account in the correct OU, then joined it to the domain with no issues. Upon restarting, other policies had indeed already taken effect (for instance, not requiring Ctrl+Alt+Del to login), but though I waited several days and even clicked the "Sync All" button a few times in the Sync Center, the offline files never showed up as available offline. Finally, I went into the local policy settings (gpedit.msc) and set the folders I wanted to be always available offline in user configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Offline Files under "Administratively Assigned Offline Files". After a gpupdate and reboot, I saw the offline files get cached. After a few days however, I noticed some bad behavior in the offline files even though I'd never actually taken the computer offline from the network; some files I would open (usually AutoCAD files) would be deleted from the server, but I didn't know it, because the offline files would still show up in the directory on my machine. Syncing all files or just that folder did not restore the files to the server. Checking the file properties for those files under the Offline Files tab show that they are being made available to me in offline mode. Sync center (when I check it) reports a conflict on those files that they were changed on my computer and deleted from the server. Choosing to resolve the conflict by keeping the file and copying it to the "other location" does not restore the file to the server, and it remains in offline mode on my machine. I have to copy-n-paste the files from the mapped DFS share to the UNC path to the share to get the files back onto the server, then resync my machine to get the files to show as being online again. Which only lasts until I modify the files again, then they're deleted from the server and only offline on my machine again. When I saw that happen, I changed my local policy settings back to "not configured" for the offline files, wiped out my offline files database and rebooted, assuming that the files would go back to only being online, and not available offline. However, it seems once offline files started working, they kept working, because the files were cached for offline use again (finally obeying the domain policy). Thinking that possably the two identical policies were conflicting somehow, I left it that way for a few days before finding the same issue was happening again. Another side effect I notice is a large number of temp files named "sav" followed by 3-4 hex digits (0-F) and a ".tmp" extension. These files only show up in the folders where drawings have disappeared from the server, and I can only see them from my machine if I use the UNC path. The mapped DFS share (which shows me the offline files that don't exist on the server), does NOT show me those tmp files. I saw this issue during the Beta and RC phases of Windows 7, but wrote it off as a pre-release bug (and reported it). The fact that it's still around however, is forcing me to put my computer into an OU without offline files and do without that feature entirely! I'm trying to find out if this is any kind of a known issue or if anyone has seen it before - searching online didn't turn up any related issues that I could see. I'm willing to try things if someone has any ideas as to what could cause it, but that's a slow troubleshooting process since sometimes it takes a couple of days to cause issues again. Thanks for your patience in reading through all this, and any assistance you can give! Let me know if I need to clarify anything- I've tried to be as detailed as possible regarding my setup and symptoms to assist in running down the issue.

Same problem here. Windows 7 x64 and SBS 2003. On XP workstations everything worked just fine. Did you find any solution? Thanks.

Same problem here. Windows 7 x64 and SBS 2003. On XP workstations everything worked just fine. Did you find any solution? Thanks.

Same problem here. Also seems to be an AutoCAD problem. We have one (1) Windows 7 x32 machine which causes the problem - all of our XP machines are fine. Has there been a solution? Thanks.

Same problem here. Also seems to be an AutoCAD problem. We have one (1) Windows 7 x32 machine which causes the problem - all of our XP machines are fine. Has there been a solution? Thanks.

We just recently started migrating to Windows 7 (forced to by new hardware), and I'm slowly starting to see something very similar to this. I am now up to users having experienced this problem. They don't appear to have any of the problems mentioned with synchronization, but they are having files mysteriously disappear from both their offline cache and the server! Which is really bad when one of them, a regional manager, had a PowerPoint presentation vanish after having worked on it all day. My users are beginning to lose faith in my department with regard to protecting their data. If anyone has figured out the problem/solution, please let me know as soon as possible.

We just recently started migrating to Windows 7 (forced to by new hardware), and I'm slowly starting to see something very similar to this. I am now up to users having experienced this problem. They don't appear to have any of the problems mentioned with synchronization, but they are having files mysteriously disappear from both their offline cache and the server! Which is really bad when one of them, a regional manager, had a PowerPoint presentation vanish after having worked on it all day. My users are beginning to lose faith in my department with regard to protecting their data. If anyone has figured out the problem/solution, please let me know as soon as possible.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2434932 resolves the problem with files being replaced with .TMP files. You should also be resolve the conflicts from the machine that has the file cached. Installing SP1 also fixes as this patch is rolled into it.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2434932 resolves the problem with files being replaced with .TMP files. You should also be resolve the conflicts from the machine that has the file cached. Installing SP1 also fixes as this patch is rolled into it.

FWIW, I'm still having this problem. In fact, though I'm not sure why I wasn't getting updates when people posted on this thread, I only came across this again when trying to find a solution again. Since posting, we've upgraded from AutoCAD 2008 to AutoCAD 2012, which seemed to help my machine (the Win7 Ultimate one), but another machine running Business continues to have issues, and has even seen a few non-AutoCAD files have the same issue. So yes, I'm still looking for a solution. :-( Edit: Both Win7 machines have SP1

FWIW, I'm still having this problem. In fact, though I'm not sure why I wasn't getting updates when people posted on this thread, I only came across this again when trying to find a solution again. Since posting, we've upgraded from AutoCAD 2008 to AutoCAD 2012, which seemed to help my machine (the Win7 Ultimate one), but another machine running Business continues to have issues, and has even seen a few non-AutoCAD files have the same issue. So yes, I'm still looking for a solution. :-( Edit: Both Win7 machines have SP1

We still have this problem on 2003 server shares, despite the patch I listed above. That patch (rolled into SP1) did seem to reduce the problem at first, but it still happened on a regular basis. The only way I've found to actually eliminate this, is to upgrade the back end to 2008. This to me indicates that this whole problem is to do with Windows 7 not communicating with the older SMB1 Servers correctly. 2008 servers speak to Windows 7/Vista machines using SMB2, and the problem does not appear (at least for us). If you watch a file saving to a network share from the server, you'll see this hex named TMP file being created as the original is destroyed on the network, then if it works successfully, the file receives a further hex .TMP name then gets it's original name back. If it fails, the file stays on the local machine, and you get a sync error if you manually sync after the file was created. On a side note, to try and clear up from this mess, you can see who's created the tmp file by looking at it's owner. This will help you trace any files that are stuck on machines.

We still have this problem on 2003 server shares, despite the patch I listed above. That patch (rolled into SP1) did seem to reduce the problem at first, but it still happened on a regular basis. The only way I've found to actually eliminate this, is to upgrade the back end to 2008. This to me indicates that this whole problem is to do with Windows 7 not communicating with the older SMB1 Servers correctly. 2008 servers speak to Windows 7/Vista machines using SMB2, and the problem does not appear (at least for us). If you watch a file saving to a network share from the server, you'll see this hex named TMP file being created as the original is destroyed on the network, then if it works successfully, the file receives a further hex .TMP name then gets it's original name back. If it fails, the file stays on the local machine, and you get a sync error if you manually sync after the file was created. On a side note, to try and clear up from this mess, you can see who's created the tmp file by looking at it's owner. This will help you trace any files that are stuck on machines.

I am having the exact same types of problems with offline files/ syncing from a win2k3 r2 server to win7 x64 clients. These client machines are all running AutoCAD. The files will simply get removed from the server as well as various other file level syncing problems (like files are not made available offline; machines that go offline, are removed from the office, brought back in and reatttached to the network will appear to sync, but the share shows all files and folders with grey X until the machine is REBOOTED while connected to LAN; and MANY other problems). I had LONG suspected it was a problem with SMB2 on the client vs SMB1.x on the file servers, but couldn't articulate, formulate, document, reproduce the problem. Thanks for your work in documenting. Now, WTF Microsoft. fix this shit!DLovitt

If any of the above posters would like to share any real ANSWERS to this problem, I'd love to know the solution. I'm tempted to start a case with Microsoft but lately, that has been a terrible experience. THEY ARE CLUELESS and don't seem to find root causes aymore, just guesses.DLovitt

sorry to keep posting, but lastly, if i wanted to use a product that relied on community driven troubleshooting and community driven answers, I'd use an open source, community driven product. I pay WAY too much for Microsoft products to have these types of problems and no answers from the temple mount. SHEESHDLovitt

I'm still having the problems. SP1 has not fixed it, and unfortunately, the symptoms are sporadic and difficult to reproduce, so I can't really add any additional information. I agree with you that this is a very real problem though and needs to be addressed. I've had three managers now lose several documents because of this issue.

I'm still having the problems. SP1 has not fixed it, and unfortunately, the symptoms are sporadic and difficult to reproduce, so I can't really add any additional information. I agree with you that this is a very real problem though and needs to be addressed. I've had three managers now lose several documents because of this issue.

I am having the exact same types of problems with offline files/ syncing from a win2k3 r2 server to win7 x64 clients. These client machines are all running AutoCAD. The files will simply get removed from the server as well as various other file level syncing problems (like files are not made available offline; machines that go offline, are removed from the office, brought back in and reatttached to the network will appear to sync, but the share shows all files and folders with grey X until the machine is REBOOTED while connected to LAN; and MANY other problems). I had LONG suspected it was a problem with SMB2 on the client vs SMB1.x on the file servers, but couldn't articulate, formulate, document, reproduce the problem. Thanks for your work in documenting. Now, WTF Microsoft. fix this shit!DLovitt

If any of the above posters would like to share any real ANSWERS to this problem, I'd love to know the solution. I'm tempted to start a case with Microsoft but lately, that has been a terrible experience. THEY ARE CLUELESS and don't seem to find root causes aymore, just guesses.DLovitt

sorry to keep posting, but lastly, if i wanted to use a product that relied on community driven troubleshooting and community driven answers, I'd use an open source, community driven product. I pay WAY too much for Microsoft products to have these types of problems and no answers from the temple mount. SHEESHDLovitt

I support 2 different buildings independent of each other, one with server 08 x64 and the other server 08 R2. All of my windows 7 laptops at either building have this exact same sync/offline files problem as the 'documents' folders are redirected in goup policy. i have to disable offline files on the laptops to be able for them to write files directly to the server where they're backed up, but then they can't work on stuff at home which is the point of a laptop. This has to be a simple solution the MS is ignoring, and it's RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I support 2 different buildings independent of each other, one with server 08 x64 and the other server 08 R2. All of my windows 7 laptops at either building have this exact same sync/offline files problem as the 'documents' folders are redirected in goup policy. i have to disable offline files on the laptops to be able for them to write files directly to the server where they're backed up, but then they can't work on stuff at home which is the point of a laptop. This has to be a simple solution the MS is ignoring, and it's RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This topic has been hybernating for a while, but I thought I'd put in my recent discoveries. In my environment at least, the largest problem was and still is with AutoCAD DWG files that are taken offline and then disappear at some point in the offline/work offline/sync process. There is a huge post (44 pages) at Autodesk's forum about this issue (with some off-point posts) that is describing the issue very well. It turns out that at least with the.dwg files that disappear, the problem is acknowledged and is "being worked on" by Autodesk. This was acknowledged to my directly by an Autodesk engineer after I opened a case with them. I don't know the details exactly, but it centers around the manner in which Autodesk opens and saves a file and the Sync Center in Win7. FWIW, it's something like this: AutoCAD doesn't open a .dwg file to work on it, but instead, creates a copy of the file first, opens the copy and then works from the copy. At save, it renames the original to .bak (or something like this) and saves the opened copy back to the original location with the original name... And then Sync Center comes along and pukes all over the mess and saves .tmp files, deletes files, and causes file sync conflict notifications. Thx,DLovitt