How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune

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Key Takeaways

  • Helps to manage the offline files.
  • This policy setting determines whether the Offline Files feature is enabled.
  • Offline Files saves copies of network files to the user’s computer.
  • This policy controls whether users can access network files without an Internet connection.
  • The user can access the network or shared files using this setting.

Let’s learn about how to manage offline files feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune. This policy setting determines whether the Offline Files feature is enabled. Offline Files saves copies of network files to the user’s computer for use when the computer isn’t connected to the network. Changes to this policy setting do not take effect until the affected computer is restarted.

Table of Contents

What are the Advantages of this Policy?

How to Manage Offline File Features using Microsoft Intune

The main purpose of this policy is to manage or access files without an internet connection. It also gives administrators control to manage or restrict offline access. This policy also helps to:

1. Enhances the security and protection of sensitive data.
2. Reduces network dependency and downtime.
3. Enhance data security by allowing admins to disable offline caching when needed.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune

This policy improves productivity for remote and mobile users. When it is disabled, offline caching is blocked, ensuring files are accessed only through the network; otherwise, you can access the file even when you are offline. 

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How to Create this Policy

You can quickly configure this policy for your organisation. To start the policy creation, open the Microsoft Intune admin center. There go to the Devices>Configuration. Click on the down arrow of the create option and choose new policy. To create a policy, you must specify the profile type and platform. From this window, you can select:

  • Platform – Windows 10 and later.
  • Profile type – Settings catalog.
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.1
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.1

Basics Tab for Name and Description

On the basics tab, give an appropriate name for the policy. Here, I have given Allow or Disallow use of the Offline Files Feature. This is an important step that allows you to know more about this policy and can be easily accessed. Also, giving a description is optional. After adding this, click on the Next button to continue.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.2
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.2

How to Configure the Offline Files Feature

On the configuration settings, when you click the add settings a settings picker will open. There, you can search or select the policy; here, I selected the category as Administrative Templates\Network\Offline files and select allow or disallow offline files features.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.3
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.3

Disabling this Policy

By default, the policy will be disabled. If you disable this policy setting, Offline Files is disabled, and users can’t enable it. Ensuring that shared data can only be accessed when connected to the network. Click Next to continue.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.4
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.4

Enabling this Policy

If you enable this policy setting, Offline Files is enabled, and users can’t disable it. You can enable it by swiping the icon to the right side, and then the icon turns blue. If you don’t configure this policy setting, Offline Files is enabled on Windows client computers and disabled on computers running Windows Server, unless changed by the user. After enabling, click Next to continue.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.5
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.5

 Purpose of Scope Tags

A scope tag in Intune is used to control visibility and access to Intune resources based on administrative roles. Scope tags are not mandatory. You can add the scope tag using the select scope tags button. Click Next to continue.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.6
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.6

Assignments Tab to Assign Group

On the assignment tab, you can add which users or devices get this policy. User includes groups. You can add a group by clicking on the Add group. There, you can search and select the group that you need to add. Here, I added the group HTMD- Test Policy. Then click Next to continue.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.7
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.7

Finalising the Policy

At the final Review + Create step, we see a summary of all configured settings for the new profile; after reviewing the details and making any necessary changes by clicking Previous. We click Create to finish, and a notification confirms that the policy “Allow or Disallow use of the Offline File Features created successfully”.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.8
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.8

Device and User Check-in Status

To view a policy status, go to the Devices > Configuration in the Intune portal, select the policy (Allow or Disallow use of the Offline Files features). Check whether the status has shown succeeded (1). Use manual sync in the Company Portal to speed up the process.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.9
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.9

Client-Side Verification

To confirm if a policy has been applied, use the Event Viewer on the client device. Go to Applications and Services Logs > Microsoft > Windows > Device Management > Enterprise Diagnostic Provider > Admin. From the list of policies, use the Filter Current Log option and search for Intune event 814.

MDM PolicyManager: Set policy string, Policy: (Pol_Enabled), Area: (ADMX_OfflineFiles), EnrollmentID requestinq merqe: (EB427D85-802F-46D9-A3E2-D5B414587F63), Current User:(Device), Strinq: (<disabled/>), Enrollment Type: (0x6), Scope: (0x0).

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.10
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.10

Windows Configuration Service Provider (CSP)

The Policy Configuration Service Provider (CSP) is a feature used by organisations to manage and control settings on Windows 10 and 11 devices. It explains what each policy does, what settings or values can be used, and how it connects to older Group Policy settings (Group Policy Mapping details).

Description framework properties: The following list shows the description framework properties of the Offline Files Feature policy.

Property Name and Property value:

  • Format – chr(string)
  • Access type – Add, Delete, Get, Replace

Group Policy Mapping (Group Policy Analytics) in Microsoft Intune assists in transitioning existing Group Policy Objects (GPOs) to cloud-based management. The Scope, Edition, and Applicable OS are given in the table below.

NameValue
NamePol_Enabled
Friendly NameAllow or Disallow use of the Offline Files feature
LocationComputer Configuration
PathNetwork > Offline Files
Registry Key NameSoftware\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\NetCache
Registry Value NameEnabled
ADMX File NameOfflineFiles.admx
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Table.1
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.11
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.11

How to Remove the Assigned Group from the Offline Files Feature

Sometimes, we need to remove a group from a policy assignment for security updates. Open the policy from the Configuration tab and click on the Edit button on the Assignment tab. Click on the Remove button on this section to remove the policy. Click Review + Save after making the change.

For detailed information, you can refer to our previous post – Learn How to Delete or Remove App Assignment from Intune using by Step-by-Step Guide.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.12
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.12

How to Delete the Offline Files Feature Policy from Intune

To delete an Intune policy for security or operational reasons. First, search for the policy name in the configuration section. When you find the policy name, click on the 3-dot menu next to it and tap the delete option.

For detailed information, you can refer to our previous post – Learn How to Delete or Remove App Assignment from Intune using by Step-by-Step Guide.

How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune - Fig.13
How to Manage Offline Files Feature in Windows using Microsoft Intune – Fig.13

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Author

Anoop C Nair has been Microsoft MVP from 2015 onwards for 10 consecutive years! He is a Workplace Solution Architect with more than 22+ years of experience in Workplace technologies. He is also a Blogger, Speaker, and Local User Group Community leader. His primary focus is on Device Management technologies like SCCM and Intune. He writes about technologies like Intune, SCCM,  Windows,  Cloud PC, Windows, Entra, Microsoft Security, Career, etc.

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