Offline files and N5200

[mtcsltd]

I've moved some files to the N5200, then on my WinXP Pro laptop I browsed the network to folder containing the files, went into properties for the folder and requested to make it available offline. The folder was made available offline, but Windows would not synchronise everything in the folder. The synchronise tool said that extended properties were not supported. All my office documents in word, excel, powerpoint etc would not synchronise - everything else did.
Any ideas why this is happening?
When I look at the properties of the folder on the N5200 it shows as 'Windows NT 4.9 Server'. Is this why I can't sync files on it?
I also tried making the folder available offline on a Vista 64 Ultimate PC, and no files were made available offline - it said every file was in use.

Is there a way I can make this work? Having files available offline, say when the N5200 is not available, or I'm away from the office using the laptop, would be very useful.

Would it be better to use something like Synctoy?

[ifr]

Ha Ha!!
Just try the SyncToy 1.4 from the Microsoft and found it is really a useful tool to synchronize file.....
I sync from my folder on WinXP SP2 to my office'N5200, with following 2 ways & working:

1. Map network deriver N5200 at z letter
Left Folder= d:\weekly_report
Right Folder= z:\ifr\weekly_report

2. From network path, if N5200 at 192.168.1.100
Left Folder= d:\weekly_report
Right Folder= \\192.168.1.100\ifr\weekly_report

My PC is WIN XP SP2 with latest update, N5200 firmware V1.00.08, and my XP didn't asking to made the folder properties available offline?

[mtcsltd]

My PC is WIN XP SP2 with latest update, N5200 firmware V1.00.08, and my XP didn't asking to made the folder properties available offline?

Making folders available offline is an option available in Windows XP Pro, but only if fast user switching is disabled. It's useful because once its setup, data is synchronised automatically, either when you logon to XP, or off, or both.

I guess I will have to contact Thecus.

[mtcsltd]

I posted a similar question to my original in a Microsoft Newsgroup and got a reponse asking if the the N5200 supports "oplock". I have no idea what this is, but it is a required function to support the ability for an Windows XP client PC to 'make available offline' files and folders that you can browse through the network.

Does the N5200 support "opclock" ?

Thanks.

[peterfu]

I'm using the offline folder functionality on the N5200 since FW 1.00.05 (as far as I remember that was the one it was shipped with) and had never any issues with it - I'm now on FW 1.00.10.
br
Peter

[mtcsltd]

I'm using the offline folder functionality on the N5200 since FW 1.00.05 (as far as I remember that was the one it was shipped with) and had never any issues with it - I'm now on FW 1.00.10.
br
Peter

Thanks Peter. Could I ask you to look at a few things?

When I look at the NAS and make a folder available offline in Windows XP Pro, some files are synchronized ok, but files like word and excel documents won't synchronize, each one failing saying 'extended properties not supported'.

Can you look at the folder properties on your N5200 and see if it says 'Windows NT 4.9 Server' like mine does.

Also, my N5200 shows the following server status:

AFP Status Stopped
NFS Status Stopped
SMB/CIFS Status Running
FTP Status Stopped
Media Server Running
Nsync Status Stopped
UPnP Status Running

....so I was wondering if this is any different to yours.

Thanks for your help.
Mike

[peterfu]

Hi Mike,
when I open the folder properties of the folder on my PC it says "Network Folder", Type "NTFS". Hmm, may be I'm looking at the wrong place I see no server type - could You post a screnshot of the properties window?

I have a german version of Windows XP Pro SP2 fully patched.

My N5200 server status is:
AFP Status Stopped
NFS Status Stopped
SMB/CIFS Status Running
FTP Status Running
Media Server Stopped
Nsync Status Stopped
UPnP Status Stopped

I've checked again the synchronisation an all files are synchronized.
br
Peter

[mtcsltd]

Hi Peter,

Here's what I do...

1. Startup 'My Network Places'
2. Under network tasks, click 'View workgroup computers'
3. Double click on the N5200 name to see the share names
4. right click on any of the share names
5. select properties, then you should see the Computer Type. Mine says Windows NT 4.9 Server.

I couldn't figure out how to attach a picture.

I think I'll start the FTP service. Maybe the architecture of the n5200 has the necessary functions for synchronisation built into that service?

Many thanks for your help. I hope to have this working soon!

[peterfu]

OK - here it says "Windows NT 4.9 Server"

FTP has nothinh to do with the synchronisation. Thats a samba function, but initiated and controlled from the client - in this case Your Windows XP Laptop.

I assume it's something on Your PC, cause only office files are not synchronized. For the N5200 office files are files like any other file. Something on Your PC prevents this file types to synchronize.

br
Peter

[mtcsltd]

Hi Peter,

I'd forgotten about this one!

I tried a small test. I copied a word document from my Vista PC to a share on the N5200 to which I have full access too.

On my Windows XP Pro laptop I browsed to the location of the file on the N5200 and tried to Sync it, and got the 'mounted file system does not support extended attributes' message.
Still on the same Windows XP Pro laptop I browsed to the file on the Vista PC and sync'd the word doc with out any problems.
From this I can conclude the problem is not with the laptop. I have two other WIndows XP Pro PC's, they both cannot sync files on the N5200, but have no problems syncing files from the Vista PC or from any of the other Windows XP Pro PC's.

The folders i've defined on the N5200 are a mixture of public and secured ones and all defined as browsable. Is the problem to do with NFS? I don't know much about this. I have not used NFS for any of them - perhaps that is the problem? I'm a bit wary about using it because I've heard of problems mounting multiple NFS shares at certain firmware versions. My N5200 is using Firmware Version 2.00.01.

Thanks for any advice.
Mike

[peterfu]

Hi Mike,
I also have FW 2.00.01 and no issues.
No, the NFS issue occures only if You mount the shares via NFS - for Windows based OS like Vista, XP Samba/CIFS is used.
As You are able to sync the files from Vista PC and some XP PC's, I'm still the opinion that a obscure setting on Your XP PC's - which are not able to sync - prevent the syncing. Why should the N5200 handle different PC's in a different way?
May be the security settings are different?
br
Peter

[mtcsltd]

Hi Peter,

I didn't explain it very well.....

My Vista PC can't sync some content from the N5200.
The WinXP PC's can't sync the same content from the N5200.

The Vista and XP PC's can all sync quite happily any content from any of the those PC's in my workgroup.

Apart from the laptop, they are all self build PC's using the OEM versions, which I set up myself. I've set myself as administrator (admin rights) on all machines, and setup share access so that I have full control on all those shares.

Where I said I can't sync some content from N5200, that content is office files such as word and excel files. Other files like JPEG's sync just fine. I haven't set up any policies on any of the machines to interfere with that, so i'm at a loss to understand why it is that some file types won't sync from the N5200 due to the 'mounted file system does not support extended attributes' error I get when syncing. It seems that XP and Vista is trying to determine what something about the origin of the file system before allowing content to be sync'd.

I just don't know where to look, but I'm sure it has to be an issue with the shares i've defined on the N5200. I'd be happy to be wrong about that! If only I knew what to look for.

cheers

Mike

[peterfu]

Hi Mike,
I've checked now the folder setting of the folder I use for offline synchronisation
Public : No
Browseable : Yes
Folderlimit : No
NFS : No mountpoint defined
ACL : recursive checked, writeable for the user I use to connect to this private folder

SMB/CIFS settings:
Sharing : enabled
File access chache : disabled

NFS Settings:
disabled

br
Peter

[mtcsltd]

Thanks Peter. My settings are identical.

I started to dig around within Windows looking at the shares on the n5200. When I do 'properties' for the folder, it shows a linux user, the user has full control - everything ticked, except for 'Special permissions' which is greyed out and presumably not applicable.

Completely stumped now.

Did a few tests. I found that any file or folder in the root share will fail to sync. Then I created a new folder in the share made it available offline and it sync fine. I then removed the sync for this folder, then added it back and now it says about the extended attributes again. very puzzling. I will continue to tinker!

Thanks
Mike

[scrutor]

Mike,

read this thread with interest as i'm experiencing exactly the same problem as you were/are.

did you manage to resolve this issue?

Thanks for any advice.

Chris

[mtcsltd]

Hi scrutor,

I haven't worked on the problem since the last post mainly because I'd setup remote access to my data so the need to have offline data is less of a priority now.

I recently upgraded to the V2.00.08 firmware. I'll give it a try and see how it performs. Will let you know.

Regards
Mike