Problem Statement

In the last year I have seen many strange problems when Offline Files and Redirected folders have been enabled on Windows 7. Many times the Group Policy Folder Redirection failed due to the folders were set to offline or automatic caching from the shares. To start with a clean user profile you can delete everything but still the Offline Files cache database is not reset. The offline files database is stored in C:\Windows\CSC. I have seen several different ways to initialize/reset the offline database on the Internet but this one has been tested and proved by me to be working for Windows 7 Enterprise client.

Requirements

• Before executing these steps make sure all critical files have been synced with Sync Center back the the redirected folder share. This will delete all local data in the cache. Unsynced files will be lost forever.
• Elevated permissions for RegEdit.exe or CMD.exe

There are three diffrent options to enable the FormatDatabase flag in the registry.

Option 1

Create a FormatDatabase.reg file with notepad and import that from command line. E.g. RegEdit.exe /s FormatDatabase.reg

  Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00  [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\CSC\Parameters] "FormatDatabase"=dword:00000001  

Option 2

• Start RegEdit.exe with elevated permissions
• Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\CSC\Parameters
• Create new REG_DWORD key with name FormatDatabase with value of 1

Option 3

• Start CMD.exe with elevated permissions
• reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\services\CSC\Parameters /v FormatDatabase /t REG_DWORD /d 1

It doesn’t matter which option you are using the result will be same. Reboot the client and log in with admin account. After reboot check “Offline Files” control panel by going to View your offline files

Open Computers which should contain 0 items.

Meaning the C:\Windows\CSC database folder is now empty and you can start with clean Offline Files Database.

References

• “Network or file permission” or “folder does not exist” error KB934160