Last Wednesday Microsoft released the one and only preview release of Windows 8.1 in conjunction with the Microsoft Build conference which I attended. The one big change relating to file systems is the integration of SkyDrive into the Shell and its selection as the primary storage location for end user documents.
The SkyDrive integration adds shell recognition for files that are located in the locally sync'd copy of the SkyDrive directory tree but which have not been copied locally. Microsoft now represents these files with a new Reparse Point (Tag: 0x80000015) which is a "sparse file" and an "offline" file. The file will not be visible to applications that browse the directory from the command line but will be displayed in the Explorer Shell and Modern application views of the SkyDrive directory. The SkyDrive folder tree is stored in the user's profile at \Users\<username>\SkyDrive. When the profile is on NTFS this works fine. When the roaming profile is stored in AFS this is going to cause problems because at logout an error will be generated when attempts are made to copy this new reparse point to AFS. I urge organizations to begin testing Windows 8.1 Preview immediately and to file bug reports with Microsoft as soon as possible. This is a feature that will not be altered once Windows 8.1 RTM is cut. It is critical that Microsoft hear about issues that will effect their customers while there is time to make adjustments. Jeffrey Altman
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