Attachments When Offline

[DEP/dodo]

Hello, All:

Almost a year ago, you helped me with Gmail on my new laptop when I was offline.  My understanding was that when I was online and had synchronized my messages, including all attachments, that I would be able to access all such e-mails (and attachments) when I was offline.  That has never happened.  While I can open the messages, I cannot open the attachments.  In offline settings, I have selected "all attachments" where instructed to specify maximum attachment size.  Can you help?  ~Dodo

[Marko Vukovic]

On Sat, Apr 2, 2011 at 10:24 PM, DEP/dodo <depf...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hello, All:

Almost a year ago, you helped me with Gmail on my new laptop when I was offline.  My understanding was that when I was online and had synchronized my messages, including all attachments, that I would be able to access all such e-mails (and attachments) when I was offline.  That has never happened.  While I can open the messages, I cannot open the attachments.  In offline settings, I have selected "all attachments" where instructed to specify maximum attachment size.  Can you help?  ~Dodo

Hi Dodo

What browser and version?

Try click the link that says 'go to the troubleshooting page' in the offline settings, and then click 'Run database diagnostics' and run it. 

Regards
--
Marko

[Dodo]

Hi, Marko--

Thank you for responding. I'd forgotten to initiate my post here on
the group's site and therefore wasn't signed up to get e-mail
responses.

To answer your question, I use only Chrome for my Gmail on the
laptop: version 10.0.648.134.

Have I been correct to believe that I should be able to view
attachments after they are downloaded and synchronized on the laptop?
I am not computer-savvy with diagnostics and such. I was hoping for a
quick fix with nice clear steps. I'll try your suggestion when I
build up a little more courage.

On Apr 2, 4:33 pm, Marko Vukovic <marko.vuko...@gmail.com> wrote:

[DEP/dodo]

Okay, I got brave and did the deed!  It was extremely fast (1-2 seconds), and I got this message:

Database Diagnostics and Fixes

Fix Completed. You should reload mail and see if the problem still exists. If it is, you will have to to disable and re-enable offline access. This will cause you to resynchronize your local store. You should make sure all your outstanding sent and saved messages have been sent to the server.

How do I "reload mail"?  Is that just synchronizing while online prior to our next car trip when I will go offline?  I figured that's when I would know if this worked or not.  If you've a sooner way to see if the fix worked, tell me please.  Thanks for your help.

~Dodo

On Sun, Apr 3, 2011 at 7:47 PM, Dodo <depf...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hi, Marko--

Thank you for responding.  I'd forgotten to initiate my post here on
the group's site and therefore wasn't signed up to get e-mail
responses.

To answer your question, I use only Chrome for my Gmail on the
laptop:  version 10.0.648.134.

Have I been correct to believe that I should be able to view
attachments after they are downloaded and synchronized on the laptop?
I am not computer-savvy with diagnostics and such.  I was hoping for a
quick fix with nice clear steps.  I'll try your suggestion when I
build up a little more courage.

[Jeff Grossman]

You can always just disconnect your internet connection from your computer to see if you can read attachments while in offline mode.

--
You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gmail-Users" group.
To post to this group, send email to gmail...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to gmail-users...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-users?hl=en.

[Marko Vukovic]

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 2:54 PM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

You can always just disconnect your internet connection from your computer to see if you can read attachments while in offline mode.

I think that is what she said Jeff. She could read the emails but no attachments were available when offline. 

--
Marko

[Jeff Grossman]

I was referring to her point about waiting until she travels again to see if the database fix worked or not.  I was stating she could disconnect her internet so she doesn't have to wait until she travels again. 

[DEP/dodo]

Hi, Jeff--

 

Ummm, I hate to ask this, but how do I disconnect from the Internet?  The only way I've done it is to physically go someplace else (to go somewhere, not for the purpose to specifically disconnect!) with the laptop where I'm not automatically connected.

I feel like my nickname is really appropriate here.

[DEP/dodo]

Same question I just asked:  How do I "disconnect" from the Internet?  ~Dodo

 

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 2:54 PM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

You can always just disconnect your internet connection from your computer to see if you can read attachments while in offline mode.

Marco:  I think that is what she said Jeff. She could read the emails but no attachments were available when offline. 

 

Jeff:  I was referring to her point about waiting until she travels again to see if the database fix worked or not.  I was stating she could disconnect her internet so she doesn't have to wait until she travels again. 

[Jeff Grossman]

Depends on how you connect to the internet.  It sounds like you have a wireless connection to a wireless router.  There should be a way for you to turn off the wireless adapter on your laptop.  The problem is they are different for each laptop.  Some have switches on the front or the side, some have a button on the keyboard.  Without being in front of your laptop it is hard for me to answer that question.

[DEP/dodo]

You are correct, Jeff--it is a wireless connection.  Regarding your last sentence, it's hard for me to know what to do when the laptop is right in front of me.  Also, I vaguely recall running into the topic of where some switch was on the laptop when I was speaking to tech support a very long time ago.  Looks like I will have to wait until I really am offline.

[DEP/dodo]

My husband found it!  It's a setting where it shows the wireless network connection.  When I click on my router connection, disconnect is offered as an option!  It's so easy, and I never would have found it!  Now I have to enable offline again and synchronize, and I don't know if that's working now based on what was going on last night that motivated me to wipe everything and start fresh.

One more related question:  Is there any reason not to have offline capability with both Chrome and IE?  I realize if either is working properly, the other isn't necessary, but sometimes I just like to know things out of curiosity.  

Fingers crossed that I can get offline and successfully sync.  I am going to start it now and will report back after it (hopefully) is a done deal, after which  I can check out the attachments with my new ability to disconnect from the Internet w/o having to drive anyplace!  I may not be able to report until tomorrow the earliest, because I recall the first sync took a very long time.  I have a lot of old, unread e-mails and during my insanity of last night (plus wanting a fresh start), I decided to let everything go that had been on the server when I previously had offline enabled.

I am signing off hopefully and nervously!  ~Dodo

On Mon, Apr 4, 2011 at 2:22 PM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

[DEP/dodo]

It started out encouragingly with the bar visibly moving as sychronization progressed.  I left the room to check on it later.  When I did return, the computer was hibernating per its settiing.  When I woke it, the bar movementy was "frozen," as it was last night when I bailed, although it says it is synchronizing.  But I think it is not working plus note the words "still working"; I wasn't able to compose from Gmail in Chrome.  This one is coming via IE.  Now what?

[DEP/dodo]

I closed and then opened Chrome Gmail again.  The synchronization icon is spinning as it does under normal circumstances when I first open Chrome, but there is no bar line or written progress now.  I am able to get into settings again, but a short time ago for an extended time the cursor was spinning and there was another "spinner" at the top where one of the e-mail tabs is.  These have now stopped.  Any thoughts?

[DEP/dodo]

Synchronization continues with that icon and that message--synchronizing/starting.  The Help button again is non-responsive as it was 24 hours ago.  I am twitching to stop long enough to disconnect from the Internet and see if anything's actually been synced.  But I'm afraid to know and it's getting late.  I don't want another almost all-nighter.  Finally, is syncing still occurring when the computer is hibernating?  Common sense suggests not.  

Okay, I'm going to disconnect and see what, if anything, is going on offline.  Don't go away please.

Good news:  Synchronization appears to be occurring because last night I did disable offline mail and deleted (or whatever) all mail and attachments that made it to the server (or wherever).

Bad news:  See below.  This has been my problem from Day #1 of enabling offline capability almost a year ago.  Is it possible messages are downloaded first and then Gmail deals with attachments?  ~Downhearted Dodo

[DEP/dodo]

This will be brief.  To summarize:  synchronization is still ongoing, attachments aren't being downloaded, and I just got that plug-in crash notification again.  (Was it fixed until now?)  Without signing out, I exited Gmail and then went right back in.  Now the plug-in crash notification is gone.  I remain on the old interface and still cannot access Help.

All I can think to do now is enable offline via IE rather than Chrome.  Before I do, any advice?  If I do, should I first clear everything synced/downloaded via Chrome (again)?  Thank you.  ~Dodo

[Marko Vukovic]

Bad news:  See below.  This has been my problem from Day #1 of enabling offline capability almost a year ago.  Is it possible messages are downloaded first and then Gmail deals with attachments?  ~Downhearted Dodo

It sounds to me like you are not giving it a chance to fully sync. Turn off the hibernate setting on your computer and try it again. My guess is that the connection is interrupted before the sync is complete.

--
Marko

[Zack (Doc)]

Actually,  since they're both "Gears" would it actually have a separate storage?  I ask, since I don't know, and perhaps someone knows definitively.  It's not like your browser's normal cache, right?

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 02:28, Marko Vukovic <marko....@gmail.com> wrote:

One more related question:  Is there any reason not to have offline capability with both Chrome and IE?  I realize if either is working properly, the other isn't necessary, but sometimes I just like to know things out of curiosity.  

The cost will be disk space as each one will maintain a separate store of all your offline email.

 

--
Marko

[Marko Vukovic]

One more related question:  Is there any reason not to have offline capability with both Chrome and IE?  I realize if either is working properly, the other isn't necessary, but sometimes I just like to know things out of curiosity.  

The cost will be disk space as each one will maintain a separate store of all your offline email.

 

--
Marko

[JohnW]

The location used by each OS (XP, Vista, and OSX) and browser (i.e. Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc) to store the data is indeed different, and there is no common location!! 

See the Help page http://gears.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=79850&topic=13192 which shows where (for each OS) and browser used.

Having said that, they are all in the individual users "private" area - which should therefore be protected by the users individual login/password system. [This is what prevents any other users of the PC being able to read 'your mail' offline!!]

Thus, if you have two browsers (as Dodo appears to have) they each have their own cached copy of the database content stored on the PC. This will take up twice as much storage space on the PCs HDD  as well as requiring double the bandwidth to sync each copy with the online Gmail servers!

[Marko Vuković]

On 06 Apr 2011, at 12:52, "Zack (Doc)" <za...@tnan.net> wrote:

> Actually, since they're both "Gears" would it actually have a separate storage? I ask, since I don't know, and perhaps someone knows definitively. It's not like your browser's normal cache, right?
>

Hi Doc

It is a separate plugin for each browser and not a single standalone installation, and as such, there's a separate store for each. It would make better sense to me too to have one single offline store.

See http://gears.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=79850&ctx=cb

Regards
--
Marko

[Jeff Grossman]

On 4/6/2011 3:52 AM, Zack (Doc) wrote:
> Actually, since they're both "Gears" would it actually have a
> separate storage? I ask, since I don't know, and perhaps someone
> knows definitively. It's not like your browser's normal cache, right?
>

Yes, each browser uses a different plug-in which stores its data in a
different place. And, because of this, you would need to keep each
instance in sync separately.

Jeff

[DEP/dodo]

Marko, should I start everything over again after turning off hibernation; that is (1) uninstall and re-install Chrome, (2) disable and re-enable offline on Gmail, and (3) discard any messages that may have been synced?  I certainly don't mind if this finally allows me to download attachments as well.  Or should I just go to IE and establish offline on Gmail with that browser?  If so, should I dump Chrome as above?  Or can I leave that alone, just not use it, and rely solely on IE for my offline Gmail usage?  ~Dodo

[DEP/dodo]

Makes sense, although there's likely enough disk space as I really don't use the laptop except for Gmail and surfing the Web.  I was concerned about some other unknown dire consequence.

[DEP/dodo]

I was able to understand every other (or third) word, John.   Actually, I have 3 browsers:  IE, Chrome, and FF.  From what you wrote, it appears I should use only one browser for my offline Gmail.  And I am happy to do so if I can only figure out how to get the attachments to download.  ~Dodo

[DEP/dodo]

I think I mentioned previously that FF (newest version) does not allow for Gmail to operate offline.  So I would next try IE.

2011/4/6 Marko Vuković <marko....@gmail.com>

[DEP/dodo]

Having read all the subsequent responses, I will only sync within one browser.  The question is, which one:  Chrome or IE?  This all has generated from the failure of the attachments to download along with the e-mails when I have gone offline.

Thank you, all, for your feedback.  Shall I try Chrome once again after changing the hibernating setting per Marko's suggestion, or just go to IE and set up offline Gmail from there?  I know now to dump everything downloaded previously.  ~Dodo

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 6:28 AM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

Yes, each browser uses a different plug-in which stores its data in a different place.  And, because of this, you would need to keep each instance in sync separately.

Jeff

[Jeff Grossman]

Remember also that each instance has to be updated separately.  So, yes you can use multiple browsers, but when you update one, it does not update the others and you have to do those individually.

Jeff

[Jeff Grossman]

I'm not Marko, but I would recommend starting over with Chrome.  I think Chrome is a better option for using Gmail.  I think turning off hibernation and any type of sleep mode in Windows will allow the offline sync to finish completely.  It sounds like you have a lot of mail with a lot of attachments.  It might take Gmail a while to fully sync for offline usage.  Once it does its initial sync, the other syncs should go fairly quickly.

[Jeff Grossman]

I would recommend Chrome.  Also, are you using IE 9 or a previous version.  Microsoft has really improved the browser with IE 9.  Personally I think 7 and 8 were pretty bad browsers, and we all know that version 6 was the worst of them all.

[DEP/dodo]

As I write this, Jeff, I am again synchronizing, having uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome.  I also have streamlined what I want downloaded.  Am I correct that when I select, for example, 1 year of label "X," that is applicable to the initial download.  Future downloads of label "X" will be from the present to wherever the initial download left off?

I have not yet gone to IE9--afraid to.  Our techie guru at work made us wait a long time before we installed IE8.  If you think 9 is okay, I will do it on both the laptop and our desktop at home.  Do I need to uninstall 8 first?  My guess is no.

Oh!  I just saw that my selected messages have been downloaded and the attachments have begun.  Be still, my heart!  This is the crux of how this mass of posts began:  My messages had  downloaded but not one single attachment!  Any theories as to why they didn't?  At my earliest opportunity, I will report back about the attachments this time, now that I know how to disconnect from the Internet and don't have to wait until the next car trip.

One more question (I know there are a couple in this post):  The message I have been getting that Gears has crashed comes and goes--at least did.  When it doesn't appear, does that mean it's been fixed?  If it happens again, what do I do?

Thank you!  ~Dodo

[Jeff Grossman]

Response inline...

On 4/6/2011 9:01 PM, DEP/dodo wrote:

As I write this, Jeff, I am again synchronizing, having uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome.  I also have streamlined what I want downloaded.  Am I correct that when I select, for example, 1 year of label "X," that is applicable to the initial download.  Future downloads of label "X" will be from the present to wherever the initial download left off?

I am not 100% sure about the answer to your question, but I would imagine it will only keep 1 year of mail for label X.  So, if you synced up again in say 30 days, it would only keep mail for one year from the date of the sync and would delete anything older than that from the offline database.  If you think you might need to see more than one years worth of mail while offline, you will probably need to change that setting.  Remember though, the more mail you store in the offline database the longer it will take to sync each time.

I have not yet gone to IE9--afraid to.  Our techie guru at work made us wait a long time before we installed IE8.  If you think 9 is okay, I will do it on both the laptop and our desktop at home.  Do I need to uninstall 8 first?  My guess is no.

Personally, I have had no problems with IE 9 yet.  I think it is one of the best browsers Microsoft has come out with yet.  But, I can't say for sure that you won't have any problems.  But, I have not.  No, you will not need to uninstall IE 8.

Oh!  I just saw that my selected messages have been downloaded and the attachments have begun.  Be still, my heart!  This is the crux of how this mass of posts began:  My messages had  downloaded but not one single attachment!  Any theories as to why they didn't?  At my earliest opportunity, I will report back about the attachments this time, now that I know how to disconnect from the Internet and don't have to wait until the next car trip.

One more question (I know there are a couple in this post):  The message I have been getting that Gears has crashed comes and goes--at least did.  When it doesn't appear, does that mean it's been fixed?  If it happens again, what do I do?

I am not sure.  Lets just hope that you don't get that error anymore.  Maybe you were just trying to sync too much mail/attachments for the Gears system to work correctly and you were crashing it.  Maybe with smaller amounts of mail you won't run into the crashing problem of Gears.

I hope everything works out for you.

Jeff

[DEP/dodo]

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 9:10 PM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

Response inline...

On 4/6/2011 9:01 PM, DEP/dodo wrote:

As I write this, Jeff, I am again synchronizing, having uninstalled and reinstalled Chrome.  I also have streamlined what I want downloaded.  Am I correct that when I select, for example, 1 year of label "X," that is applicable to the initial download.  Future downloads of label "X" will be from the present to wherever the initial download left off?

I am not 100% sure about the answer to your question, but I would imagine it will only keep 1 year of mail for label X.  So, if you synced up again in say 30 days, it would only keep mail for one year from the date of the sync and would delete anything older than that from the offline database.  If you think you might need to see more than one years worth of mail while offline, you will probably need to change that setting.  Remember though, the more mail you store in the offline database the longer it will take to sync each time.

Dodo:  Please see my last sentence above about "future downloads":  If I synced up again in 30 days, there would still be fewer messages/attachments than in the maiden sync, right?  Why will it take longer to sync each time?  

One more question (I know there are a couple in this post):  The message I have been getting that Gears has crashed comes and goes--at least did.  When it doesn't appear, does that mean it's been fixed?  If it happens again, what do I do?

 I am not sure.  Lets just hope that you don't get that error anymore.  Maybe you were just trying to sync too much mail/attachments for the Gears system to work correctly and you were crashing it.  Maybe with smaller amounts of mail you won't run into the crashing problem of Gears.

Dodo:  As was suggested, it also could have been that the computer was set for hibernation after a short time and there was no connection.?  (I now have hibernation off).  If that is correct, then there already were smaller amounts of mail if synchronization stops during hibernation.  Oh, oh--another question:  What, if anything, is the difference between hibernation and sleeping?

I hope everything works out for you.

Dodo:  Thank you for all the help you have provided.  Please see my new topic called "Synchronizing Attachments."  I need to know if I can disconnect synchronization for the night and pick it up tomorrow without skipping anything.

 

Thank you!  ~Dodo

On Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 5:40 PM, Jeff Grossman <je...@stikman.com> wrote:

I would recommend Chrome.  Also, are you using IE 9 or a previous version.  Microsoft has really improved the browser with IE 9.  Personally I think 7 and 8 were pretty bad browsers, and we all know that version 6 was the worst of them all.

[DEP/dodo]

Mixed results.  Everything was going very well:  messages were downloaded and attachments were proceeding.  There was a bar graph and a numerical countdown showing the number of attachments had downloaded and what date had been reached.  Then I lost power.  I thought the laptop was plugged in, but it wasn't and just ran out of juice.  I immediately powered up again, but now the synchronization icon is as it was last night:  The green and white wheel is properly turning, but there is no moving bar graph with download info or mention that the attachments are now being downloaded.  Further, Help is not accessible again (older interface).  Finally, I disconnected the computer from the Internet (one of the good things to come out of this experience).  More mixed results:  I could get PowerPoint attachments but not youtube, with the explanation I wasn't connected to the Internet!  But this was a downloaded attachment; it fell within the dates that I recall had been synced!  Help!!  

I have nothing to lose (except more time), so I am going to go into online settings, disable offline but not allow what has been downloaded to be destroyed, then I am going to enable offline yet again.  I am not going to installer and reinstall Chrome again, just work on the offline settings.

Please share any thoughts, ideas, suggestions.  ~A Tired Dodo  

[DEP/dodo]

Unbelievable!  Synchronization is working correctly again--no bar graph but written description has returned with what date it's at and how many more attachments to go!  Help still doesn't work.

I guess my remaining questions are:  (1) Why aren't all the completed synced attachments available to me?  (See description below regarding PowerPoint and youtube.) -and- (2) Won't succeeding synchronizations be shorter than this first, original time, which is taking hours because I've gone back a year?

[DEP/dodo]

Also, no wav or jpeg attachments after being synced.

[Marko Vukovic]

 More mixed results:  I could get PowerPoint attachments but not youtube, with the explanation I wasn't connected to the Internet!  But this was a downloaded attachment; it fell within the dates that I recall had been synced!  Help!!  

You will never be able to access YouTube while offline. 

Are you sure the message and attachment are within the 'Recent message range' setting under 'Download options' in your Offline settings? 

--
Marko

[DEP/dodo]

Please see responses embedded below

On Thu, Apr 7, 2011 at 12:16 PM, Marko Vukovic <marko....@gmail.com> wrote:

 More mixed results:  I could get PowerPoint attachments but not youtube, with the explanation I wasn't connected to the Internet!  But this was a downloaded attachment; it fell within the dates that I recall had been synced!  Help!!  

You will never be able to access YouTube while offline.  Oh!  I obviously did not know that.

Are you sure the message and attachment are within the 'Recent message range' setting under 'Download options' in your Offline settings?  Yes.  But I have a theory, Marko.  I'm thinking attachments, even though included within a certain e-mail message, have their own dates of existence.  And since they are downloaded separately, after messages, they are downloaded based on their age.  So when I checked after my messages were synced but attachments were still in progress, it may be that some of the attachments' dates had not yet been synced.  Do you understand what I am trying to say, and could that be the case?  Bottom line:  I now, for the first time ever, have been able to view [some] attachments while offline.  Previously, I couldn't see any, even though synchronization was current.  And now, of course, we're told that there will be no more offline Gmail at some point in time.  All this work, and then that news.  Does anyone know the timeline of offline's demise?  Will there be offline in the future?  How many more questions do I get?  ~Dodo

[Jim Sullivan]

How many more questions do I get?  ~Dodo

I have a question for you:

 

Why not just stay online?
--

--

You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Gmail-Users" group.
To post to this group, send email to gmail...@googlegroups.com.
To unsubscribe from this group, send email to gmail-users...@googlegroups.com.
For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/gmail-users?hl=en.

--
Jim and Gwynn Sullivan
   Retired persons
    in Medford, OR

[Marko Vukovic]

Are you sure the message and attachment are within the 'Recent message range' setting under 'Download options' in your Offline settings?  Yes.  But I have a theory, Marko.  I'm thinking attachments, even though included within a certain e-mail message, have their own dates of existence.  And since they are downloaded separately, after messages, they are downloaded based on their age.  So when I checked after my messages were synced but attachments were still in progress, it may be that some of the attachments' dates had not yet been synced.  Do you understand what I am trying to say, and could that be the case?  Bottom line:  I now, for the first time ever, have been able to view [some] attachments while offline.  Previously, I couldn't see any, even though synchronization was current. 

Hi D

I'm not sure what you mean by the attachments' dates. 

 

And now, of course, we're told that there will be no more offline Gmail at some point in time.  All this work, and then that news.  Does anyone know the timeline of offline's demise?  Will there be offline in the future?  How many more questions do I get?  ~Dodo

Who told you that?

Read the discussion properly. All that is happening is that Gears will be superseded by the functionality built into HTML 5. In other words, Gears has become redundant and is being let go. There may be some transition period between Offline mail using Gears and Offline mail using HTML 5, and this period is what we are not sure of but it's my hope that the Gmail team are working hard on it. 

Like I said, there is already an HTML 5 interface for the iPhone that provides offline functionality.

Regards
--
Marko

[DEP/dodo]

Because sometimes we take day trips, and it gives me the opportunity to catch up on e-mails in which I'm behind.  And I may have to report for jury duty next week, which also means quite a bit of down time.  I didn't even know this feature was available until several months ago, and I think it's a wonderful option.

[DEP/dodo]

On Fri, Apr 8, 2011 at 3:10 PM, Marko Vukovic <marko....@gmail.com> wrote:

I'm not sure what you mean by the attachments' dates. 

Well, that makes two of us, Marko!  Someone or something has to create/generate an attachment at some point in time.  Then, subsequently, it is included into an e-mail.  So I surmise that since messages are synced first and then attachments, there likely would be older attachments.  More specifically, in offline settings, I set the recent message range at one year because I have some old unread messages that go back to June 2010.  My selection of a year was the closest I could get to June 2010.    When it was the attachments' turn to be synced, I figured they, too, would not go beyond June 2010.  I was surprised to see some May dates.  (Recall when syncing that there is a countdown running backwards and info to the effect that if you stopped syncing now, you would have downloaded to a certain date.)  I hope that clarifies. 

 

And now, of course, we're told that there will be no more offline Gmail at some point in time.  All this work, and then that news.  Does anyone know the timeline of offline's demise?  Will there be offline in the future?  How many more questions do I get?  ~Dodo

Who told you that?

One respondent to my sync problems among these posts, if not this one then under another related topic.  Just found it in posts under "Loading Gmail."  It was Ryan Morehart who, like you, is very knowledgeable about this stuff.  He wrote: "Offline Gmail is actually going to go away very soon, so you're solving a problem that isn't going to help you for long. It will eventually come back, but Google Gears is going to no longer be supported in any way:

http://gearsblog.blogspot.com/2011/03/stopping-gears.html  And there's my answer as to whether there will be offline in the future.

[DEP/dodo]

I understand this now.