How to work offline with TFS

Our TFS server has some temporary connectivity issues right now, and as such VS has gone unresponsive, leaving 50+ developers unable to work!

Is it possible to switch TFS into an offline mode in the event of such an issue?

See this reference for information on how to bind/unbind your solution or project from source control. NOTE: this doesn't apply if you are using GIT and may not apply to versions later than VS2008.

Quoting from the reference:

> To disconnect a solution or project > from source control > > 1. In Visual Studio, open Solution > Explorer and select the item(s) to > disconnect. >
> 2. On the File menu, click Source > Control, then Change Source Control. >
> 3. In the Change Source Control dialog > box, click Disconnect. >
> 4. Click OK.

The 'Go Offline' extension adds a button to the Source Control menu.

https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/6e54271c-2c4e-4911-a1b4-a65a588ae138

plundberg: The "disconnect" button is only available for the TFS provider starting in VS 2008. Even then, I'm not sure if it's officially supported. The recommended way to use the Go Offline feature is to [re]open the solution.

Martin Pritchard: if you get stuck mid-operation, you can force VS to timeout by pulling the network plug (literally) or running ipconfig /release.

Once you're marked offline, here's a step by step guide to working in that mode: http://teamfoundation.blogspot.com/2007/12/offline-and-back-again-in-vs2008.html

More detailed info on tweaking the behind-the-scenes behavior: http://blogs.msdn.com/benryan/archive/2007/12/12/when-and-how-does-my-solution-go-offline.aspx http://blogs.msdn.com/benryan/archive/2007/12/12/how-to-make-tfs-offline-strictly-solution-based.aspx

There are couple of little visual studio extensions for this purpose:

1. For VS2010 & TFS 2010, try this
2. For VS2012 & TFS 2010, use this

In case of TFS 2012, looks like there is no need for 'Go offline' extensions. I read something about a new feature called local workspace for the similar purpose.

Alternatively I had good success with Git-TF. All the goodness of git and when you are ready, you can push it to TFS.

Depending on which tool windows you have open, VS may or may not try to hit the team server automatically when it starts up.

For best results try this:

1. Close all instances of visual studio
2. Open an empty visual studio (no project/solution)
3. See which windows are opened by default, if source control explorer or team explorer or any other windows that use team are opened (and activated) by default, close them or switch them to a background tab.
4. Close visual studio

You should notice now that you can start visual studio without it trying to hit the TFS server.

I know its just an aside to your problem, but I hope you find this helpful!

If you have a solution open, and TFS is down, you might have trouble going into offline mode. If you close and reopen your solution, a nice little dialog will appear asking you if you want to Go Offline.

Alternatively if you don't want to close/reopen the solution, (as suggested by Bernie) you can install the TFS Go-Offline plugin, then click:

TEAM -> Go Offline

Simply, change the root folder name for your solution in your local machine, it will disconnect automatically.

I just wanted to include a link to a resolution to an issue I was having with VS2008 and TFS08.

I accidently opened my solution without being connected to my network and was not able to get it "back the way it was" and had to rebind every time I openned.

I found the solution here; http://www.fkollmann.de/v2/post/Visual-Studio-2008-refuses-to-bind-to-TFS-or-to-open-solution-source-controlled.aspx

Basically, you need to open the "Connect to Team Foundation Server" and then "Servers..." once there, Delete/Remove your server and re-add it. This fixed my issue.

If the code has already been checked out by the user that if offline and they have the latest version on their local hd, then they just need to browse to the solution location and open the solution by double clicking sln file. The solution will open in disconnected mode.