Help Opening GIS Files

[MatthewDernoga]

Hello,

I'm a complete newbie to Arc GIS, basically I'm doing a research project for my Masters and a lot of data I've been provided with from a government agency is in the form of GIS files because I requested locations of all their projects. 

I've downloaded ArcGIS Explorer Desktop and a free trial of ArcGIS 10.1 Desktop, but cannot for the life of me seem to open these files.  My searches online haven't cleared up what I'm supposed to be doing.  Basically I have two different kinds of datasets and each has 6 GIS files. They are:  shx, dbf, prj, sbn, sbx, shp

ArcGIS 10.1 hasn't allowed me to open any of the files, it just says "cannot open file".  ArcGIS Explorer is able to open the prj files, but all it does it give me a map of the planet.  When I go to add content and shapefiles(as I've seen I should be doing online), I get a "failed to open shapefile, invalid file" box popping up.  All that I've even able to do is open the dbf files on Excel, but without putting it on a map it's just a grid of datapoints on a spreadsheet. 

Can someone please give me some guidance on what I need to do?  My inability to even open these files is really stressing me out. 

Thanks

-Matt

[GeoffOlson]

If you're attempting to open shapefiles you don't go to file>open, you need to click the "Add Data" button in the tool bar.  It looks like a yellow shaped diamond with a black "+" on it.  Just click it once and a file browser should pop up.

The File>Open is for ArcMap save files, which are .mxd files.  Those files save all your display settings and the files being used.  It is rather confusing for a new user. 🙂

[RobertBorchert]

These files you received are actually what is called a Shaprefile.  A shape file is a collection of different files that combine to create a single element or Feature Class in ArcGIS.

As stated by the other responder.  You add them by clicking the yellow diamond with the plus sign in ArcGIS.

Further. If you look at the Add Data button you will see it is also a drop down.  You can use that to add basemap data.  You will see what they are when you try it.

Hello,

I'm a complete newbie to Arc GIS, basically I'm doing a research project for my Masters and a lot of data I've been provided with from a government agency is in the form of GIS files because I requested locations of all their projects. 

I've downloaded ArcGIS Explorer Desktop and a free trial of ArcGIS 10.1 Desktop, but cannot for the life of me seem to open these files.  My searches online haven't cleared up what I'm supposed to be doing.  Basically I have two different kinds of datasets and each has 6 GIS files. They are:  shx, dbf, prj, sbn, sbx, shp

ArcGIS 10.1 hasn't allowed me to open any of the files, it just says "cannot open file".  ArcGIS Explorer is able to open the prj files, but all it does it give me a map of the planet.  When I go to add content and shapefiles(as I've seen I should be doing online), I get a "failed to open shapefile, invalid file" box popping up.  All that I've even able to do is open the dbf files on Excel, but without putting it on a map it's just a grid of datapoints on a spreadsheet. 

Can someone please give me some guidance on what I need to do?  My inability to even open these files is really stressing me out. 

Thanks

-Matt