Fast Ring gets access to Offline OneDrive files early through UWP app

By Jon Martindale October 5, 2016

Living in the fast lane might be dangerous, but it has its advantages, too. If you’re part of Microsoft’s Windows Insider program and happen to reside on the bleeding-edge Fast Ring, you now have access to the offline files feature for Microsoft OneDrive’s Universal Windows Platform app.

Although the idea of having files locally might seem rather retro in the context of a cloud storage system, in actuality being able to download oft-accessed files, or ones that you want to take with you to an area of poor connectivity, makes a lot of sense. It’s a feature that has been available on the Android and iOS versions of OneDrive for a while now, but it looks like Windows users are now finally getting access as well.

Related: Microsoft updates OneDrive with automatic ‘Pokémon detection’

Not everyone can play with it just yet, though. As with many of Microsoft’s software updates released over the past couple of years, the firm wants to put it through its paces first; that’s why it’s going to the Insiders before anyone else. Microsoft is also leveraging its Ring system to limit the rollout of the offline files feature to a restricted Fast Ring to start with, with the Slow Ring set to come aboard shortly after.

And then the rest of us can get a chance to play with it sometime in the near future.

Access to offline files was actually a feature that was supposed to show up with the original release of the OneDrive Universal Windows Platform app, but for one reason or another it never made its appearance on Windows. At least now, when we’re hitting version 17.15.5 (thanks WinSuperSite), we will all be able to use it.

The projected eventual full rollout is slated to occur some time before the end of 2016, but we wouldn’t expect Microsoft to wait until the final moment to push it live to the rest of us, barring some catastrophic bug discovery in the meantime.

It will make an appearance on the mobile app too, but in a much looser 2017 time frame.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

Computing Coordinator

Jon Martindale is the Evergreen Coordinator for Computing, overseeing a team of writers addressing all the latest how to…

Computing

Power up your tech game this summer with Dell’s top deals: Upgrade for a bargain

Dell Techfest and best tech on sale featured.

One of the best times to upgrade your tech stack, be it your desktop, a new laptop, or some high-resolution monitors, is when great deals are to be had. Well, I'm here to share that thanks to Dell's top deals, you can power up your tech game and have most of the summer to make it happen. Maybe you're happy with your current system or setup. That's excellent, but you're likely considering upgrading somewhere, and that's precisely what these deals are all about. Dell has a smorgasbord of deals on laptops, desktops, gaming desktops, monitors, accessories, and so much more. We'll call out a few of our favorite deals below, but for now, know that you should be shopping this sale if you're interested in anything tech-related.

What summer tech should you buy in Dell's top deals?

Computing

I love the MacBook Pro, but this Windows laptop came surprisingly close

Apple MacBook Pro 16 downward view showing keyboard and speaker.

There are some great machines in the 15-inch laptop category, which has recently been stretched to include the more common 16-inch laptop. The best among them is the Apple MacBook Pro 16, which offers fast performance for tasks like video editing and the longest battery life.

The Lenovo Yoga Pro 9i 16 is aimed not only at other 16-inch Windows laptops but also at the MacBook Pro 16. It offers many of the same benefits but at a lower price. Can it take a place at the top?
Specs and configurations

Computing

How to set an ‘Out of Office’ message in Microsoft Teams

Person using Windows 11 laptop on their lap by the window.

Many people use Microsoft Teams regularly to communicate with colleagues both inside of the office and remotely. It is considered one of the most efficient ways to ensure you can stay in contact with the people on your team, but what if you need to let people know you’re not readily available? Microsoft Teams has a method for you to set up an "Out of Office" status for your profile to let staff members know when you’ll be gone for the afternoon, for several days on vacation, or for an extended period.
Where do I go to set up my ‘Out of Office’ status for Teams?
It is important to note that your Microsoft Teams and Outlook calendars are synced. This includes your out-of-office status and automatic replies. So, whatever you set up in Microsoft Teams will reflect in Outlook. Similarly, you can set up your out-of-office status in Outlook, and it will be reflected in Teams; however, the former has a more straightforward instruction.

First, you can click on your profile icon in Teams and go directly to Schedule an out of office, as a shortcut. This will take you to the settings area where you can proceed. You can also click the three-dot icon next to your profile icon, then go to Settings > General, then scroll down to the bottom of the page. There, you'll find out-of-office settings and click Schedule.