Microsoft KB Archive/811525

= Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy does not force offline files to offline mode when a slow link is detected =

Article ID: 811525

Article Last Modified on 11/4/2007

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APPLIES TO

 Microsoft Windows XP Professional Microsoft Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition (Itanium) Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 1, when used with:  Microsoft Windows XP Professional

 Microsoft Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition (Itanium)  Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC Edition</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Advanced Server</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Server</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 1</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 1</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 2</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 3</li> Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional Edition</li></ul>

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Important This article contains information about how to modify the registry. Make sure to back up the registry before you modify it. Make sure that you know how to restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up, restore, and modify the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

256986 Description of the Microsoft Windows registry

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SYMPTOMS
When you use the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy, a network connection speed that is slower than the threshold that is specified does not force Offline Files to Offline Mode. As a result, redirected folders are still accessed over the network instead of the local offline copy being used.

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Service pack information
To resolve this problem, obtain the latest service pack for Windows XP. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

322389 How to obtain the latest Windows XP service pack

Prerequisites
To apply this hotfix, you must have Windows XP Service Pack 1 installed on the computer.

Restart requirement
You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information
This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information
The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows XP Professional <pre class="fixed_text">  Date         Time   Version          Size  File name -  26-Feb-2003  00:04  5.1.2600.112  393,216  Mrxsmb.sys 26-Feb-2003 00:04  5.1.2600.112  152,832  Rdbss.sys Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 1 <pre class="fixed_text">  Date         Time   Version           Size  File name --  25-Feb-2003  23:18  5.1.2600.1175  400,896  Mrxsmb.sys 25-Feb-2003 23:18  5.1.2600.1175  154,880  Rdbss.sys Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition (Itanium) <pre class="fixed_text">  Date         Time   Version            Size  File name ---  26-Feb-2003  00:05  5.1.2600.112  1,240,192  Mrxsmb.sys 26-Feb-2003 00:05  5.1.2600.1      481,792  Rdbss.sys Windows XP Professional 64-Bit Edition (Itanium) with Service Pack 1 <pre class="fixed_text">  Date         Time   Version             Size  File name 25-Feb-2003 23:19  5.1.2600.1175  1,259,392  Mrxsmb.sys 25-Feb-2003 23:19  5.1.2600.1175    489,216  Rdbss.sys

Windows 2000
To resolve this problem, obtain Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4. For more information, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

891861 Update Rollup 1 for Windows 2000 SP4 and known issues

Hotfix information
A supported hotfix is now available from Microsoft. However, it is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply it only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix may receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next Windows 2000 service pack that contains this hotfix.

To resolve this problem immediately, contact Microsoft Customer Support Services to obtain the hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Support Services telephone numbers and information about support costs, visit the following Microsoft Web site:

http://support.microsoft.com/contactus/?ws=support

Note In special cases, charges that are ordinarily incurred for support calls may be canceled if a Microsoft Support Professional determines that a specific update will resolve your problem. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for the specific update in question.

Prerequisites
To apply this hotfix, you must have Windows 2000 Service Pack 2 installed on the computer.

Restart requirement
You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information
This hotfix does not replace any other hotfixes.

File information
The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel. <pre class="fixed_text">  Date         Time    Version          Size  File name --  04-Jun-2003  17:18  5.0.2195.6752  407,792  Mrxsmb.sys 04-Jun-2003 17:18  5.0.2195.6752  168,496  Rdbss.sys

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STATUS
Microsoft has confirmed that this is a bug in the Microsoft products that are listed in the &quot;Applies to&quot; section. This problem was first corrected in Windows XP Service Pack 2.

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MORE INFORMATION
Warning Serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly by using Registry Editor or by using another method. These problems might require that you reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that these problems can be solved. Modify the registry at your own risk.This section describes improvements to the Offline Files feature of Windows XP and Windows 2000 that is included with this update.

With the new functionality that is included in this update, Offline Files can automatically go offline if a slow link to a server is detected. Additionally, Offline Files detects the actual throughput of the connection to the server as the connection speed.

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Overview of the &quot;Configure Slow Link Speed&quot; feature
In Windows XP and Windows 2000, there is a Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting to define a slow link speed for use with Offline Files. You can configure a threshold value that Offline Files recognizes as a &quot;slow&quot; network connection. Offline Files then recognizes any network connection speed that is slower than this value as a slow link. This policy prevents Offline Files from automatically reconnecting to the server when the server is detected.

However, the behavior of this policy in Windows XP Service Pack (SP) 1 and Windows 2000 SP4 is applicable only after you are already offline. That is, on a Windows XP or Windows XP SP1-based computer, this policy does not force Offline Files to offline mode when a slow link is detected. You must first use the Csccmd /disconnect command-line option to manually force Offline Files into offline mode.

The new behavior of Offline Files (after you install this update) permits Offline Files to automatically go offline if a slow link is detected. When Offline Files starts, it checks the SlowLinkSpeed setting that is configured either in the registry or in Group Policy. It compares each server that is in its database to the specified threshold value, and it individually marks each server that meets the criteria for a slow link to go into Offline Mode. You do not have to already be offline (or manually run the Csccmd /disconnect command-line option to go offline) for the Configure Slow Link Speed policy to apply on a Windows XP or Windows 2000-based computer that has this update installed.

Additionally, the new functionality of Offline Files permits Offline Files to detect the actual speed of the network connection to the server (instead of the speed of the network adapter of the client) as the connection speed.

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How to use the &quot;Go Offline on Slow Link&quot; feature
To use this feature, follow these steps. <ol> Enable and configure the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting by using the Group Policy snap-in.</li> <li>Add the following  entry to the Windows registry and assign it a value of 1:

To do so: <ol style="list-style-type: lower-alpha;"> <li>Click Start, and then click Run.</li> <li>Type regedit, and then click OK.</li> <li>Locate, and then click the following registry key:

</li> <li>On the Edit menu, point to New, and then click DWORD Value.</li> <li>Type GoOfflineOnSlowLink, and then press ENTER.</li> <li>In the right pane, double-click the GoOfflineOnSlowLink value that you created in step 2e.</li> <li>In the Value data box, type 1, and then click OK.</li> <li>Quit Registry Editor.</li></ol> </li> <li>Restart the computer.

If a slow link to the server is detected, Offline Files automatically goes offline.</li></ol>

Note To modify the value that defines a slow link, use the Group Policy snap-in to configure the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting with the value that you want, and then restart the computer.

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How to synchronize files
To synchronize files, click Client Side Caching in the notification area at the far right of the taskbar.

If the server is offline because of a slow link (where a connection is available to the server, but the connection is slow), your files are synchronized, but you remain offline. In this way, you can work offline and synchronize your files whenever you want to, even over slow links.

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How to return to online status
If the speed of the network connection to the server is faster than the value that is defined for the slow link, Offline Files no longer considers the network speed &quot;slow.&quot; To return to online status:
 * Perform a manual synchronization.

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 * The server automatically returns to online status if both of the following conditions are true:
 * No files were modified on the client when the server was offline.
 * There are no open handles to the server.

If you want to return to online status when a the network connection is still detected as a slow link, use the Group Policy snap-in to change the value that you set for the slow link in the Configure Slow Link Speed Group Policy setting, and then restart the computer.

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How to turn off the &quot;Go Offline on Slow Link&quot; feature
To turn off this feature, set the following registry value to 0:

To do so: <ol> <li>Click Start, and then click Run.</li> <li>Type regedit, and then click OK.</li> <li>Locate, and then click the following registry key:

</li> <li>In the right-pane, double-click GoOfflineOnSlowLink .</li> <li>In the Value data box, type 0, and then click OK.</li> <li>Quit Registry Editor.</li> <li>Restart the computer.</li></ol>

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