How to Create an Offline Files "Sync Center" Shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8

   Information
Sync Center allows you to check the results of your recent sync activity if you've set up your computer to sync files with a network server (often called offline files). When you sync with a network server, you can access files by keeping synced copies of those files on your computer, even when the network server is unavailable. Sync Center can tell you if the files synced successfully or if there are any sync errors or warnings.

This will show you how to create or download a Sync Center shortcut in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

   Note
In Windows 7, offline files is only available in the Windows 7 Professional, Ultimate, and Enterprise editions.

In Windows 8, offline files is only available in the Windows 8 Pro and Windows 8 Enterprise editions.


EXAMPLE: Sync Center
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-sync_center.jpg




OPTION ONE

To Download the "Sync Center" Shortcut


1. Click on the download button below to download the file below.
Sync_Center.zip


Download

2. Save the .zip file to your desktop.

3. Open the .zip file and extract the Sync Center shortcut to the desktop.

4. Right click on the Sync Center shortcut, and click/tap on Properties, General tab, and on the Unblock button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the shortcut is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 5.
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-unblock.jpg
5. In Windows 7, you can now Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

6. In Windows 8, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

7. When done, you can delete the downloaded .zip file if you like.




OPTION TWO

To Manually Create the "Sync Center" Shortcut


1. Right click or press and hold on an empty area on the desktop, and click/tap on New and Shortcut.

2. Copy and paste the location below into the location area, and click/tap on the Next button. (see screenshot below)
%windir%\explorer.exe shell:::{9C73F5E5-7AE7-4E32-A8E8-8D23B85255BF}
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-step1.jpg
3. Type Sync Center for the name, and click/tap on the Finish button. (see screenshot below)
NOTE: You can name this anything you would like though.
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-step2.jpg
4. Right click on the new Sync Center shortcut on the Desktop, and click/tap on Properties.

5. Click/tap on the Shortcut tab, then click/tap on the Change Icon button. (see screenshot below)
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-step3.jpg
6. In the line under "Look for icons in this file", copy and paste the location below, and press Enter. (see screenshot below)
%SystemRoot%\System32\SyncCenter.dll
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-step4.jpg
7. Select the icon highlighted in blue above, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot above)
NOTE: You can use any icon that you would like instead though.

8. Click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
Sync Center Shortcut - Create-step5.jpg
9. In Windows 7, you can now Pin to Taskbar or Pin to Start Menu, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.

10. In Windows 8, you can Pin to Taskbar on desktop, Pin to Start screen, add to Quick Launch, assign a keyboard shortcut to it, or move this shortcut to where you like for easy use.
That's it,
Shawn




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