How to Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Windows
Offline Files is a feature of Sync Center that makes network files available to a user, even if the network connection to the server is unavailable.
Users can use offline files (if enabled) to make their network files always available offline to keep a copy of the files stored on the network on your computer. This allows users to work with them even when they are not connected to the network or a server is unavailable. The next time the user connects to the network or the server is available, their offline files on your computer will automatically sync to the network files on the server to update.
Offline files for all users on the computer are stored in the protected C:\Windows\CSC folder by default.
The size and number of your offline files determine how much hard disk space your offline files use. This includes the space used by automatically cached files and files that are specifically made always available offline. Files can be automatically cached if the user accesses a file on an automatic caching network share.
Files that were cached automatically are removed on a least-recently used basis if the maximum cache size is reached.
Files that were cached manually (always available offline) are never removed from the local cache. When the total local cache size limit is reached and all files that were cached automatically have already been removed, you can not make files available offline until you specify a new limit or delete files from the local cache by using the Offline Files control panel applet.
By default, Windows limits the space that offline files occupy to 25 percent of the total space on the drive where the Offline Files cache (ex: "C:\Windows\CSC") is located. The limit for automatically cached files (temporary files) is 100 percent of the total disk space limit.
If you like, you can specify the disk space limit (in megabytes) for offline files and also specify how much of that disk space can be used by temporary files (automatically cached files) for all users on the computer.
See also:
- Folder Redirection, Offline Files, and Roaming User Profiles overview | Microsoft Docs
- Work Folders and Offline Files support for Windows Information Protection | Storage at Microsoft
- The Offline Files Disk Usage Limits settings do not reflect the settings that are defined in the GPO in Windows 7 | Windows Support
This tutorial will show you how to view and change the maximum Offline Files disk usage limits for all users in Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.
You must be signed in as an administrator to change the offline files disk usage limits.
In Windows 7, the offline files feature is only available in the Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.
In Windows 8, the offline files feature is only available in the Pro and Enterprise editions.
In Windows 10, the offline files feature is only available in the Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions.
Contents
- Option One: Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Sync Center
- Option Two: Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits via Policy in Local Group Policy Editor
- Option Three: Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits via Policy using a REG file
1 Open the Control Panel (icons view), and click/tap on the Sync Center icon.
2 Click/tap on the Manage offline files link on the left side of Sync Center. (see screenshot below)
3 Click/tap on the Disk Usage tab, and click/tap Change limits button. (see screenshot below)
4 Adjust the sliders for Maximum amount of space all offline files can use and Maximum amount of space temporary files can use to the maximum percentage of total space on the drive you want, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
You can click/tap on a slider and use the left and right arrow keys to make fine adjustments.
If you adjust the offline files percentage lower than the current temporary files percentage, the temporary files percentage will automatically be adjusted to be the same as offline files.
If you adjust the temporary files percentage higher than the current offline files percentage, the offline files percentage will automatically be adjusted to be the same as temporary files.
5 Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
If specified, this option will override Option One.
1 Open the Local Group Policy Editor.
2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of the Local Group Policy Editor. (see screenshot below)
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Network\Offline Files
3 In the right pane of Offline Files in Local Group Policy Editor, double click/tap on the Limit disk space used by Offline Files policy to edit it. (see screenshot above)
4 Do step 5 (specify) or step 6 (default) below for what you would like to do.
A) Select (dot) Enabled. (see screenshot below)
B) In Options, enter a number in MB (Megabytes) for the Total size of offline files you want to specify.
If you specify a total size limit greater than the size of the drive, the total size limit is automatically adjusted downward to 75 percent of the size of the drive.
If you specify a total size limit less than the amount of space currently used by the Offline Files cache, the total size limit is automatically adjusted upward to the amount of space currently used by offline files.
C) In Options, enter a number in MB (Megabytes) for the Size of auto-cached files (temporary files) you want to specify.
If you specify an auto-cached space limit greater than the total size limit, the auto-cached limit is automatically adjusted downward to equal the total size limit.
D) Click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below.
A) Select (dot) Not Configured or Disabled, click/tap on OK, and go to step 7 below. (see screenshot below)
Not Configured is the default setting.
7 When finished, close the Local Group Policy Editor.
If specified, this option will override Option One.
1 Press the Win + R keys to open Run, type regedit into Run, and click/tap on OK to open Registry Editor.
2 Navigate to the key below in the left pane of Registry Editor. (see screenshot below)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetCache
If you do not have the NetCache key, right click on the Windows key, click/tap on New, click/tap on Key, type NetCache for the name, and press Enter.
3 Do step 4 (specify) or step 5 (default) below for what you want to do.
A) In the right pane of the NetCache key, double click/tap on the CacheQuotaLimit DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)
If you do not have a CacheQuotaLimit DWORD, right click on an empty area in the right pane of the NetCache key, click/tap on New, click/tap on DWORD (32-bit) Value, type CacheQuotaLimit for the name, and press Enter.
B) Select (dot) Decimal, enter a number for how may MB (Megabytes) you want for the max Total size of offline files, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
If you specify a total size limit greater than the size of the drive, the total size limit is automatically adjusted downward to 75 percent of the size of the drive.
If you specify a total size limit less than the amount of space currently used by the Offline Files cache, the total size limit is automatically adjusted upward to the amount of space currently used by offline files.
C) In the right pane of the NetCache key, double click/tap on the CacheQuotaLimitUnpinned DWORD to modify it. (see screenshot below step 2)
If you do not have a CacheQuotaLimitUnpinned DWORD, right click on an empty area in the right pane of the NetCache key, click/tap on New, click/tap on DWORD (32-bit) Value, type CacheQuotaLimitUnpinned for the name, and press Enter.
D) Select (dot) Decimal, enter a number for how may MB (Megabytes) you want for the max Size of auto-cached files, click/tap on OK, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)
If you specify an auto-cached space limit greater than the total size limit, the auto-cached limit is automatically adjusted downward to equal the total size limit.
A) In the right pane of the NetCache key, select (highlight) both the CacheQuotaLimit and CacheQuotaLimitUnpinned DWORDs. (see screenshot below step 2)
B) Right click on the selected DWORDs, and click/tap on Delete.
C) Click/tap on Yes to confirm, and go to step 6 below. (see screenshot below)
6 Close Registry Editor.
7 Restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn
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Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Windows
Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in Windows
How to Change Offline Files Disk Usage Limits in WindowsPublished by Shawn BrinkCategory: Network & Sharing
24 Aug 2020
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