How to use the MyOffice Windows Desktop version offline
Under normal circumstances, the MyOffice Windows Desktop version connects to the
MyOffice servers, and obtains it data from there. However, as anyone who's used
the internet for more than a few weeks will know, internet connections aren't necessarily
the most reliable things in the world, and sometimes we're left with no connection.
Because of this, the MyOffice client can be used without an internet connection,
to get you through those times when, for whatever reason, you just can't connect.
When to use Offline mode
As a rule, it's always best to use the Windows client normally, connect to the servers,
and work online. Although this may sound like an obvious point, if you're not working
online, other users in your account won't see any changes you've made to your appointments,
contacts, tasks, emails, etc. when you make them. Consequently, if you can connect,
it is always desireable to do so. Furthermore, if you suspect the reason you can't
connect to the servers is actually a problem relating specifically to MyOffice (99%
of the time this will be an over-zealous software firewall), then we strongly advise
that you sort out the underlying problem, rather than use MyOffice offline for an
extended period and elect to solve the underlying problem at a later date.
Whilst it's desirable to use the Windows client online whenever possible, offline
is certainly extremely useful in the following situations.
Temporary loss of internet connection
As mentioned earlier, everyone who makes even the most trivial use of the internet
will have experienced connection outages. ISPs have occasional maintenance periods,
infrastructure hardware can fail, and any number of software issues can disrupt
consumer internet connections. It's generally pretty easy to tell when this is the
case, as you'll be unable to browse the web, or perform any internet-related functions.
As long as you've ruled out any problems with your system (DSL routers can fail
from time to time, needing a reset), then running MyOffice offline until the problems
are resolved is a very good idea.
Working away from internet connectivity
Whilst it's fair to say that wireless access to the internet is spreading it's way
around the world pretty rapidly, there are still a good number of areas where there's
either no coverage, or coverage is either poor, or very expensive. Furthermore,
if you only want to take a quick look at your data, it's not exactly desirable to
have to go through the signup process for the local wireless access, collect receipts,
and remember passwords. It's certainly true that it can be hard to justify
paying for access at a given location when all you really wanted to do was check
up on a customer's address, or confirm exactly when it was you were supposed to
meet them. Under these circumstances, where getting connected isn't really an option,
using MyOffice offline is definately recommended.
MyOffice server maintenance
Thanks to the way we've configured our servers, we can perform virtually ongoing
maintenance tasks without the need to take any of our data servers offline. However,
from time to time, it is necessary for us to perform tasks that involve short service
outages. Whilst we make every effort to ensure these outages occur during the lowest
usage periods, and are of the shortest possible duration, it's entirely possible
that you may find yourself wanting to use MyOffice while we're working on the particular
part of the server cluster that your data is held on. Using offine while the servers
are unavailable is highly recommended.
How do I start MyOffice offline?
Before we cover how to start MyOffice offline, there is one important item that
must in place. In order for a given user to run MyOffice offline on a given PC,
that user must have previously connected to MyOffice from that PC, and the offline
files must not have been deleted in the mean time. This is because, quite logically,
MyOffice must have been able to create a copy of the user's data on the PC in question
in order for it to be visible without retreiving it from the servers.
To start MyOffice offline, either go through the normal startup process, and when
MyOffice finds itself unable to connect, chose the "Work Offline" option when it
is offered. If you know you definately have no internet connection, then it can
be a lot quicker to start MyOffice offline by selecting the "MyOffice.NET (Offline)"
option from your "Start" menu. This is quicker because it skips the process where
the MyOffice client attempts to find the servers it needs to work online, and simply
goes straight into offline mode.
How do I know if MyOffice is running Online or Offline?
When you start up MyOffice in offline mode, you will be presented with the following
message.
This message exists not to put you off using offline, but to make sure you don't
run offline accidentally without realising.
If you are already using MyOffice, you can tell if you are running offline by looking
at the title bar of any of the main windows (Diary, Contacts, Tasks, Email, Today).
If you are running offline, then the window title will end with the word "OFFLINE".
If you are running online, the title will be as normal.
In addition to the word "OFFLINE" in the title bar, in the bottom right corner of
each main window, on the "Status Bar", the word "OFFLINE" will flash when you are
working offline. When running online, this area of the status bar remains blank.
What can I do when working offline?
When working offline, you can work normally with Appointments, Contacts, Tasks,
and the Today window as per normal. These can be updated, and added to just as you
can when you're working online. You can also view your emails in offline mode, although
you will not be able to receive them. Emails can, however, be composed whilst offline
in the usual way, but will not be sent until you next run MyOffice online.
In offline mode, you cannot perform admin functions. Specifically, you cannot create,
edit, or delete diaries, contact groups, task lists, and email folders. If you wish
to perform these functions, you must be connected online.
What data do I see when I'm working offline?
When working offline, the data you will see is the last data you had when you last
shut down MyOffice. In other words, if you ran MyOffice online on Tuesday, shut
it down at 5pm, then started it again on Wednesday at 9am offline, the data you'd
see would be up to date as of 5pm Tuesday.
It is extremely important to consider this data age situation when working offline.
If, for example, you're part of an account where diaries are rapidly and constantly
updated, then you'll need to factor this in to your thinking when viewing data offline,
as it's entirely possible that what you're looking at might have changed quite radically
since you were last online. From the other extreme, you might be looking at your
private contact data, which because only you can change it, you can be sure that
the data in question hasn't changed since you were last online.
If MyOffice isn't connected to the servers, how does it update my data?
Whenever you make an alteration to your data whilst running offline, MyOffice keeps
a record of this on the PC on which you made the change. These changes are stored
until you next connect online, at which point they are applied to the servers. This
means, obviously, that any changes you make whilst running offline cannot be seen
by other users in your account until you next run MyOffice online.
Changes made offline may also not be applied to the server in their entirety. This
is because the server copy of the data is always considered to be the master copy
(it's much safer for all concerned this way). Changes will not be applied if it
is, for some reason, not possible to apply the change correctly. For example, if
you have deleted an appointment whilst running offline, but while you were offline
your system adminstrator altered the permissions on the diary in which the appointment
was saved so as to remove your access to the diary, the appointment cannot be deleted.