If you disable the folder redirection then you need to redirect that back to the local pc. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732275.aspx Policy Removal option Selected setting Result Redirect the folder back to the user profile location when policy is removed Enabled The folder returns to its user profile location.The contents are copied, not moved, back to the user profile location.The contents are not deleted from the redirected location.The user continues to have access to the contents, but only on the local computer. Redirect the folder back to the user profile location when policy is removed Disabled The folder returns to its user profile location.The contents are not copied or moved to the user profile location. Note If the contents of a folder are not copied to the user profile location, the user cannot see them. Leave the folder in the new location when policy is removed Either Enabled or Disabled The folder remains at its redirected location.The contents remain at the redirected location.The user continues to have access to the contents at the redirected folder.

The question is where are the contents copied from - the server the folder was previously redirected to, or from the offline cache (with any changes synched by Sync Center presumably)? And what process is responsible for ensuring this happens - Sync Center? What is going on under the hood? As far as i know: The files are copied from the server the folder was previously redirected to. Syn Center would only be part of it if you are also making the files available offline in additon of being redirected.

Anybody know exactly what happens when you disable a GPO that redirected folders (e.g. My Documents) to a network location, with the 'restore contents' option (i.e. to copy back to the c: rather than just leave the data where it is on the network). Does the data all get copied down to the c:\users\<username> dir again from the network location, or does it copy from the offline cahe first, then sync changes between the offline cache and the network location (or similar in a different order?). In each case the amount of traffic transferred up or down will vary considerably, and some users this affects may be on slow links, hence the question. Can't find anything online which goes to that detail, so would appreciate a steer if anyone knows... ThanksTim

If you disable the folder redirection then you need to redirect that back to the local pc. http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/cc732275.aspx Policy Removal option Selected setting Result Redirect the folder back to the user profile location when policy is removed Enabled The folder returns to its user profile location.The contents are copied, not moved, back to the user profile location.The contents are not deleted from the redirected location.The user continues to have access to the contents, but only on the local computer. Redirect the folder back to the user profile location when policy is removed Disabled The folder returns to its user profile location.The contents are not copied or moved to the user profile location. Note If the contents of a folder are not copied to the user profile location, the user cannot see them. Leave the folder in the new location when policy is removed Either Enabled or Disabled The folder remains at its redirected location.The contents remain at the redirected location.The user continues to have access to the contents at the redirected folder.

Thanks Brano, but I am aware of that, and am doing that, but the details of the mechanics used to do this was what I was looking for. I am choosing the 'restore contents' option - that is the "Redirect the folder back to the user profile location when policy is removed" option. That article says "the folder returns to its user profile location" and "the contents are copied ... back to the user profile location. The question is where are the contents copied from - the server the folder was previously redirected to, or from the offline cache (with any changes synched by Sync Center presumably)? And what process is responsible for ensuring this happens - Sync Center? What is going on under the hood? In testing, on a well connected network I find this works fine, but on a slow network (DirectAccess over the Internet) I find varying results - some successes, but often the folder contents get copied locally, but My Documents still points at the network. Another time it took me an hour to logon... Thanks, TimTim

Hi, Please refer to the reply posted by Brano. If you have further question on this, please feel free to let us know. Juke Chou TechNet Subscriber Support If you are TechNet Subscription user and have any feedback on our support quality, please send your feedbackhere.Juke Chou TechNet Community Support

Thanks but Brano's reply does not answer my question - the question is 'when the redirection policies are removed, and I have set the setting as per the article to copy data locally, *how* does this happen - copy from the offline cache or from the network? For remote clients there is a big difference and in my testing it is unreliable. Any help in understanding the detailed process is appreciated. Thanks, TimTim

Hi, As Brano said, this has nothing to do with Offline Files. The files should be copied from the server. Juke Chou TechNet Community Support

Hi, As Brano said, this has nothing to do with Offline Files. The files should be copied from the server. Juke Chou TechNet Community Support

OK thanks. The files are available offline - redirecting document libraries to a network share for users who are out in the field wouldn't work without it. It would be nice if (when they connect the next time after the policy ceases to apply and folder redirection policy removal is processed) it would use that offline copy to populate the c:\users\<username> location with data, then just sync any changes with the network-held copy of those files. But if it doesn't, it doesn't. Thanks for your replies. Thanks, TimTim

Hi, You are welcome. I will mark the thread as "Answered", If you have further question, please feel free to let me know. Juke Chou TechNet Community Support