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Question
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 7:19 PM
I posted a question a few days ago abut the fact that the green icon was not appearing in file explorer on folders on a network drive that is "available offline" via Briefcase. Instead, the normal tan icon appears instead.
The only reply had me register a dll, which didn't change anything.
Is there anyone actually using 10 and briefcase together who can tell me if the behavior I see is "just the way it works now"?
Thanks
All replies (15)
Thursday, September 3, 2015 1:46 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote
Sync Center is still there, Briefcase is not. You can still synchronise files between computers, but you do not use Briefcase.
See this Microsoft article.
http://windows.microsoft.com/en-AU/windows-vista/When-would-I-use-Briefcase-instead-of-Sync-Center
Note: That was back in Vista days!
Bill
Thursday, September 3, 2015 1:07 PM ✅Answered
All I know is that briefcase was completely working in 8.1 and it works in 10. The correct icons show up everywhere except on the details in file explorer. The briefcase folder is set up and working. Syncing with SkyDrive or with a Microsoft account would be useless for me. I have nearly 1TB of synced data and I am often either connected to the internet via a very slow, metered connection or not connected at all.
No one's telling you to use OneDrive. If you're just trying to make a network folder available even when you're offline, just use Offline Files. When you're in a network share, you'll see the option in the right click menu to make the folder "Always available offline" -- screenshot below:
Using that option will automatically start the sync process, and basically do the same thing as Windows Briefcase. It just goes by a different name. But Windows Briefcase itself is deprecated, if not entirely removed, so you can't expect much help for something that's been replaced.
Hope that helps!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 8:08 PM
Windows Briefcase was deprecated in Windows 8, which probably means the feature has been fully removed in Windows 10.
You could try the steps outlined here to attempt to get it back, but there's no guarantee they'll work.
Hope that helps!
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 8:25 PM
What you said does not apply. It worked in windows 8. It works in windows 10. The green icon that shows the fact that a folder is available offline simply does not appear correctly in the file explorer details.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 8:29 PM
Actually it is true
You may or may not know about the old "Briefcase" feature which was removed from Windows 8.
Wanikiya and Dyami--Team Zigzag
Wednesday, September 2, 2015 8:33 PM
If it was removed, why is there a "sync center" app in the control panel on windows 8.1 and windows 10 machines?
Thursday, September 3, 2015 2:59 AM
All I know is that briefcase was completely working in 8.1 and it works in 10. The correct icons show up everywhere except on the details in file explorer. The briefcase folder is set up and working. Syncing with SkyDrive or with a Microsoft account would be useless for me. I have nearly 1TB of synced data and I am often either connected to the internet via a very slow, metered connection or not connected at all.
Friday, November 18, 2016 12:49 AM
I upgraded from Windows 8 to 10, and had a Briefcase that became somewhat unstable. When editing a Word Document in that Briefcase, I couldn't save it to that same briefcase, as an error would show saying "Briefcase open on another computer".
I started a 2nd briefcase, and then I could save a doc in the other, but I had to rename it, or later I would find two different files.
I do enough documents that the clouds are not enough space, and the briefcase was a very useful tool for the past years.
I just purchased a new Intel i7 Gaming computer to handle the amount of documents, Cad drawings, spreadsheets, etc. and trying to get the two briefcases to "sync" now on a 32 GIG thumb drive, to move them to the new computer.
Thinking I will just be saving future items in "Documents" for the above reasons.
Friday, March 17, 2017 5:12 PM
FYI: went from Win7 to Win10 with the free upgrade. Doing "available offline" is great, but I still have a Briefcase that doesn't provide the ability to "orphan" folders as it once did. So I'm afraid to just delete the briefcase itself on the chance that it may threaten the original files on another PC.
Any suggestions on the safest way to get rid of Briefcase?
Tuesday, July 25, 2017 11:32 PM
It seems that Windows 10 Creator update has eliminated the Windows Briefcase function. That installed on my laptop, but not my desktop. When I put my jump drive into the laptop, it won't see the briefcase as a briefcase, just as a folder. And the update function is gone on the right click. I tried to bring a freshly made win xp briefcase over on a jump drive . . . same problem: Creator's update on Win 10 won't work with the Briefcase.
Does anyone know what Windows recommends as a replacement?
(I don't know why Microsoft doesn't help their customers, not make their life more difficult).
Terry
Friday, July 28, 2017 5:27 PM
Wow, I thought Briefcase was deprecated back in Windows XP! Never knew it even still existed.
I've HEAVILY relied on Offline files for over a decade, and it's great. I have two desktops, a tablet and laptop that all sync around the clock (as long as they're on the local network). I run a home business and Offline Files has been a huge time saver.
It's a cool feature because all of my files (including files on the desktop) sync extremely fast between my devices/computers. If I save a file to the desktop, for example, it appears on all of the other device desktops within seconds. Or if I work on something on my laptop outside of the office, it automatically syncs across everything as soon as it's in range of the local network.
I hope Microsoft doesn't get rid of Offline Files at any point. I know a lot of companies/enterprises still uses it too.
Friday, August 25, 2017 5:18 PM
I was using Briefcase on a USB drive to carry a few folders to use on another PC. I have no connection between the two PCs. I want to be able to sync a few folders between my PC and a USB. I have Windows 10 at home and Windows 7 on the other PC. Doing a sync between the two computers is not an option and not possible. My personal OneDrive may not be available on the W7 computer.
What is the best option for this?
Monday, December 18, 2017 11:39 PM
They were working up through summer of 2017, then Microsoft did an update and all my briefcases stopped working. So I deleted update and am staying where I am at. screw an update that takes away a critical item. Microsoft is so incredibly STUPID to remove briefcases. They actually worked, unlike their stupid sync center.
Sunday, March 11, 2018 10:08 PM
Hello everyone,
Is there any other workarounds in this matter? Since the registry tweak doesn't work anymore both on my laptop and desktop. I know this thread is pretty old already but I don't want to waste time creating a new one.
Hoping someone lurking around has an idea to revive Briefcase.
Regards.
Sunday, March 11, 2018 10:33 PM
I don't think that briefcase is still available in Windows 10 and I never used it.
No, Yes, I used it once in Windows XP i think.