topic Connecting to old folders - set data source issue in ArcMap Questions

Connecting to old folders - set data source issue

TriciaBrockman — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 22:00:44 GMT

So I was working off of my onedrive that is linked to my desktop. For obvious reasons that wasn't a good move and so I have copied all of my maps and shapefiles onto my desktop. However, when I open a map from my desktop all of my layers are still linked to the files in my onedrive! I have tried to use the Set Data Source(s) tool to source from my desktop folder but it hasn't worked. Is there a way to reset my data source so that all of my layers are coming from my desktop?

Re: Connecting to old folders - set data source issue

DanPatterson — Fri, 23 Apr 2021 23:24:32 GMT

If you copied everything into a folder(s) relative to the location of your project, you should be able to right-click on a layer and "repair" the data source. With any luck, all the others will follow suit and the red exclamation marks will vanish

Re: Connecting to old folders - set data source issue

TriciaBrockman — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 02:46:37 GMT

So, it's not an issue of not being able to repair the data source. The files in my onedrive still exist and even when I open a map from the folder on my desktop the layers are still pulled from my onedrive. I want to make the folder on my desktop the folder from which my data is sourced.

Re: Connecting to old folders - set data source issue

DanPatterson — Sat, 24 Apr 2021 07:09:12 GMT

It sounds like your project wasn't set up so that "relative paths" was being used. That is, the data are in a location relative to the apr (subfolders within the project path). If set up properly, then when you move the apr and the data to your local machine, the paths to the data with be relative to the project.

If setting the project to "relative paths" doesn't fix it, you will have to cut/move the data from one drive to your local drive and repair the paths, ensuring the project uses relative paths.

Re: Connecting to old folders - set data source issue

JayantaPoddar — Sun, 25 Apr 2021 05:52:22 GMT

Try these steps.

1. Close all ArcGIS Applications.

2. Disconnect internet. This will disconnect the link with your one-drive.

3. Open the ArcMap Document. Now you should be seeing the exclamation marks next to the layers (broken links). Repair broken link for one layer. All the layers having the data in the same parent data-source will get repaired. You may repeat the step if any other broken link remains.

4. Once all the layers get repaired, save the map. You can then connect to internet.