You can use Microsoft Office Access 2007 to work offline with data that is linked to a list on a Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 site. This can be helpful, for example, if you need to be away from the office or need to continue working when a server isn't available.

• Overview

• Take SharePoint list data offline

• Synchronize your offline lists with data from the server

• Resolve data conflicts

• Reconnect the linked tables after you work offline

• Work offline features are unavailable when you use earlier database file formats

Overview

Do you need to enter list data when you are disconnected from a server? Or create a report, form, or query that is based on a list? For example, perhaps you need to provide a parts catalog to a client while you are on the road. If you have linked your SharePoint lists to Access tables, you can take your data offline.

Before you work offline with data from a SharePoint site, first you must create links between the Access tables and SharePoint lists.

You can then take the lists offline to update or analyze them by using Access. When you reconnect, you can synchronize the data, so that the database and lists are updated. If your database has queries and reports, you can use them to analyze the data. For example, you can use a report in Access to summarize the data.

If you update any data while you are offline, you can update your changes on the server when you connect to the server again. If conflicts occur — for example, if someone else updates the same record on the server or while that person also is working offline — you can resolve the conflict when you synchronize.

You can link Access tables to lists by using several methods. For example, you can move your database to a SharePoint site, which also links the tables in the database to the lists on the site. Or you can export data from a list in datasheet view on a SharePoint site to an Access table. Find links to more information about linking to lists in the See Also section.

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Take SharePoint list data offline

To perform this procedure, first you must link your Access tables to SharePoint lists.

 Note   If you have a database that is already published on a SharePoint site, first you must save a local copy of the database and then take the lists offline.

1. Open the database that is linked to SharePoint lists.
2. On the External Data tab, in the SharePoint Lists group, click Work Offline.

 Note   If the Work Offline button is not available, either your tables are not linked to SharePoint lists, or you already took the list data offline.

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Synchronize your offline lists with data from the server

1. Open the database that is linked to your SharePoint lists.
2. On the External Data tab, in the SharePoint Lists group, click Synchronize.

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Resolve data conflicts

If a conflict occurs over a change that you made offline and a change that someone made on the server, the Resolve Conflicts dialog box appears.

The dialog box displays information about the conflict, such as why the error occurred, and provides options for you to try to submit the data again or to discard your changes. If there are multiple errors, you can view the details of each error by clicking the Previous and Next buttons in the dialog box. Some errors can be resolved only by discarding your changes.

The details grid in the Resolve Errors dialog box displays all the columns in your current view. For the affected row, the details grid shows the change that you made. You cannot edit the values, but you can click each column to see more details.

• In the Resolve Errors dialog box, do one of the following:
  • If you want to keep the changes that were made on the server to a selected item, click Discard My Changes.
  • If you want to try to submit your changes again to a selected item, click Retry My Changes.

    Depending on the situation, you may need to wait until the issue is resolved. For example, if you cannot synchronize your changes because of a network connectivity problem, you should wait until you are connected again.

  • If you want to keep the changes that were made on the server to all items, click Discard All My Changes.
  • If you want to try to submit your changes again to all items, click Retry All My Changes.

    Depending on the situation, you may need to wait until the issue is resolved. For example, if you cannot synchronize your changes because of a network connectivity problem, you should wait until you are connected again.

 Notes 

• If the error can be resolved only by discarding your changes, the buttons for retrying your changes may not be available.
• You can close the dialog box without taking any action, but you will not be able to leave or update the list or make changes to a calculated column until you resolve the error.

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Reconnect the linked tables after you work offline

After you reconnect the linked tables, any changes that you make to the data or objects are synchronized.

1. Open the database that is linked to the SharePoint lists.
2. On the External Data tab, in the SharePoint Lists group, click Work Online.

 Note   If you want to discard the changes that you made offline, click Discard Changes in the SharePoint Lists group.

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Work offline features are unavailable when you use earlier database file formats

If the database that you are working with does not use the Access 2007 database file format (ACCDB, ACCDE), work offline features are unavailable. To use these features, convert your database to the Access 2007 file format.

For more information about converting your database to the Access 2007 file format, refer to the links in the See Also section.

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