The "Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' for these files and folders" Group Policy setting does not remove the "Always available offline" check box on a Windows Vista-based computer

In an Active Directory domain environment, you configure the "Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' for these files and folders" Group Policy setting to prevent domain users from making files or folders available offline. When this Group Policy setting is applied to a Windows Vista-based client computer, the Always available offline check box is still visible in the Properties dialog box of the network share.

However, when a user tries to make the network share available offline, the action fails. Additionally, the user receives the following error message:Note The Group Policy setting successfully removes the Always available offline check box on a Windows XP-based client computer.

A hotfix is available to resolve this problem. After you apply this hotfix on the Windows Vista-based client computer, the Always available offline check box is removed from the Properties dialog box when the "Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' for these files and folders" Group Policy setting is applied.

Hotfix information

A supported hotfix is available from Microsoft. However, this hotfix is intended to correct only the problem that is described in this article. Apply this hotfix only to systems that are experiencing this specific problem. This hotfix might receive additional testing. Therefore, if you are not severely affected by this problem, we recommend that you wait for the next software update that contains this hotfix.

If the hotfix is available for download, there is a "Hotfix download available" section at the top of this Knowledge Base article. If this section does not appear, contact Microsoft Customer Service and Support to obtain the hotfix.

Note If additional issues occur or if any troubleshooting is required, you might have to create a separate service request. The usual support costs will apply to additional support questions and issues that do not qualify for this specific hotfix. For a complete list of Microsoft Customer Service and Support telephone numbers or to create a separate service request, visit the following Microsoft Web site: Note The "Hotfix download available" form displays the languages for which the hotfix is available. If you do not see your language, it is because a hotfix is not available for that language.

Prerequisites

There are no prerequisites for installing this hotfix.

Restart requirement

You must restart the computer after you apply this hotfix.

Hotfix replacement information

This hotfix does not replace a previously released hotfix.

Registry information

To use one of the hotfixes in this package, you do not have to make any changes to the registry.

File information

The English version of this hotfix has the file attributes (or later file attributes) that are listed in the following table. The dates and times for these files are listed in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). When you view the file information, it is converted to local time. To find the difference between UTC and local time, use the Time Zone tab in the Date and Time item in Control Panel.

Windows Vista, x86-based versions

Windows Vista, x64-based versions

Windows Vista, IA64-based versions

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section.

To configure the "Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' for these files and folders" Group Policy setting, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type gpedit.msc in the Open box, and then click OK.
2. Expand Computer Configuration, expand Administrative Templates, expand Network, and then expand Offline Files.
3. Double-click Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' for these files and folders, and then click Enabled.
4. Click Show, click Add, and then enter the UNC path of the file or the folder that you do not want the users to access offline.

After the "Prohibit 'Make Available Offline' for these files and folders" Group Policy setting is applied to a client computer, the NoMakeAvailableOffline registry entry is added in the following registry subkey:This value of the NoMakeAvailableOffline entry is set to 1.

For more information about this registry entry, visit the following Microsoft Web site:For more information about software update terminology, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: