With Windows XP there was a Group Policy that excluded certain file types from being offline file cached. It did NOT restrict them or stop them from being saved to the Network Share with offline caching enabled, it just prevented them from being put in the Offline File Cache.
Computer Config-Admin Templates-Network-Offline Files-"Files not cached"
With Windows 7 the above group policy doesn't apply. There is a new Group Policy called "Exclude Files from being Cached".
You would expect that this does the same thing. Unfortunately it does not. If enabled it PREVENTS the user from creating the file at ALL in ANY folder that is set to be made available offline. "A user will then be unable to create a file of this type in the folders that have been made available offline" (quote from Group Policy)
The problem is that we have numerous Database file types, required to be stored in users Network Home Directories, that hang if they are added to Offline File Caching. For 12 years with Windows XP the Database File was just excluded from Offline File Caching and it worked just fine being stored in their Home Directories but just not offline file cached.
With Windows 7, Microsoft has disabled this functionality. I have no idea why this function was taken away? Disabling Offline File Caching of Home Directories with Laptops means users have no access to their data at home. However, they need to have access to these Databases while at work and so they have to be stored on their H:\ for it to work.
So does anyone know of a hack to make Windows 7 handle offline file caching exclusions like it's 12 year old predecessor did famously?
I cannot believe I am the only one who has this issue.
We have even run into issues with Sharepoint Server 2010 Calendars because it automatically creates PST files which are stored on the users Home Directories which are offline file cached, causing Outlook 2010 to crash too.
lforbes