How to disable the XP Synchronization Help
What is XP Synchronization?

The offline files method of file synchronization is much more flexible than the briefcase application, mainly because it can be used over the network. It is an extension of the Windows network file-sharing system, and requires that all files that are to be available offline, be placed in a network share.

A good example of how offline files could be used would be: An office has a document server where all documents important to the company are stored. Employees can access the documents over the network from their own computers, via file shares or network drives. Since most employees use laptops and often work at home, updating the files each person has changed while at home can be a real pain for both the employees and sysadmin.

Often the employees forget to update their documents on the server with the changes they made at home, leading to multiple copies of the same document floating around.

In this situation, enabling offline files would allow the employees with laptops to always have editable copies of their documents. When they edit them at home and return to the office, their laptops will update the documents on the server automatically, preserving all changes and ensuring that there is only ever a single version of each document.

If you use a standard workstation on a domain with roaming profiles, this feature can be more of a nuisance than a help. Below you will find instructions on disabling it.

1) Right Click on the "Computer Icon" located next to the clock in the "Start" menu, and choose settings. You will then be greeted by a menu that looks similar to the one below.

2) Uncheck the "Enable Offline Files" as in the picture below:

3) Click on the "Apply" button and that will take of it.