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P4 Virtual File Service Documentation | 2025.2

# Enable P4V

Before you start using P4 Visual Client (P4V) (P4V) with P4 Virtual File Service (P4 VFS), you must enable a new client workspace for alternative syncing or convert an existing workspace to use alternative syncing.

## Enable a new workspace

To enable a new workspace for P4 VFS:

1. Create a new workspace. On the P4V toolbar, click Connection > New Workspace.

2. In the Workspace dialog, click the Advanced tab, and, under File Options, select Altsync: only get file metadata when getting revisions and click OK.

You can now initiate the `altsync` operation from the P4V toolbar by clicking Get Latest.

## Convert a workspace

To convert a client workspace that was originally set up as `noaltsync` to support the alternative syncing mechanism used by P4 VFS:

1. In P4V, on the Depot or Workspace tab, navigate to a folder, right-click, and click Get Revision.

2. Make the client workspace empty by selecting Specify revision using > Revision and setting the Enter revision number field to `0`.

3. Change the client workspace file option.

   1. On the P4V toolbar, click Connection > Edit Current Workspace.

   2. In the Workspace dialog, click the Advanced tab, and, under File Options, select Altsync: only get file metadata when getting revisions and click OK.

4. Initiate the `altsync` operation from the P4V toolbar by clicking Get Latest.

You can also convert a workspace with the P4 command-line client. See Enable P4.

## How P4V indicates the file state

A cloud icon indicates that the current state of a file is a placeholder in P4V:

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