Offline files and folders is a great way to help ensure that you never lose any data.

Offline files and folders enables you to keep 2 copies of each file, one stored locally on your computer and the other stored on a network or external storage device.

It’s a very good and easy to implement backup solution.

If you travel around and use a laptop, XP offline folders provides you with an easy way to do this, once you setup offline folders if you make any changes to files stored on the laptop once you connect to your network or external storage device the files are automatically synchronized either at system start-up or shutdown, meaning no chance of you forgetting to do this.

Setting up Offline File and Folders – Windows XP

Make sure Fast User Switching is Disabled
Control Panel – User Accounts – Change the way users log on or off – Un-tick Use Fast User Switching

Now you can enable offline files and folders
Go to My Computer – Tools Menu – Folder Options – Offline Files tab

choose your options

After ticking the Enable Offline Files check box decide on what else you need, I normally check both Synchronize boxes so the files are sync’d as soon as I login, plus any changes I make during the day are also sync’d when before logging off.

It’s also handy to have a desktop shortcut so enable this as well for ease of use, but remember this shows files without the directory structure.
Now copy any files you want to sync onto your network or external storage device – once done right click on the directory containing them and select Make Available Offline – follow the prompts through to finish.

If you check on the folder you choose to sync you will see it now has two blue arrows

which signify its setup as an offline folder, also check on the desktop to make sure you have the offline folder shortcut.

once you disconnect from your network or external drive data storage device you will find you can still access the offline files and folders.

Notes
If you try and view the network location where your files are stored and you can only see the files you have setup to view offline this means you are not connected to the network source of external drive.

Usually if you go to my computer and click on the network connection after a few seconds it will open up as an online resource, but if not check your network or external data storage for connectivity.

To access any offline folders simply go to the external data source or network when you are not connected to it and you will see a local copy of it.

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