ArcCatalog Folder Connections Must Die!

[KarlWilson]

ArcCatalog Folder Connections are a pain.

It's cumbersome to have to create connections to folders when I want to add data to a map. After a while I can end up with several connections that are difficult to manage. Why not just allow users to navigate the file system like any other windows application?

It's also inconsistent to have to switch between the folder connection interface, and the standard windows explorer file system interface depending on whether you are adding data, saving an .mxd or exporting a map. When I do these tasks I always end up having to navigate up and down the file system tree as the starting location is usually set by an unrelated project I worked on months ago.

So why not get rid of folder connections altogether and adopt a consistent approach? They are weird and nonsensical ArcGIS concept that can be quite off-putting to new users...

If really necessary, folder connection functionality could be replaced by "bookmarks"/"favourites" within the file system interface instead.

[BruceHarold]

Thanks, but we can't adapt the OS to recognise Esri objects as we need, such as shapefiles and workspaces, hence the Catalog connection approach.

[KarlWilson]

OK.

Is there a way of establishing a consistent, common working area between the two interfaces so that you don't have to keep jumping around the folder structure for different tasks (e.g. add data, save map, export data, export map, etc.)?

[JordynMitchell]

there is an add-in for opening a windows explorer location at your current location within ArcCatalog - I use it all the time and it bridges this gap pretty well. 

[KarlWilson]

Is this the one?

http://www.arcgis.com/home/item.html?id=2d288c690b0b49948d6f05f41b24c737

[ValeriaChavez]

Hi @KarlWilson 

ArcGIS Desktop retired March 1, 2026 so we won’t be considering this idea. We recommend that you migrate to ArcGIS Pro, our fully supported desktop GIS application. 

In ArcGIS Pro, the Computer tab displays the items on your computer in the same way as File Explorer. On this tab, you can access and manage folders and files without creating folder connections.

Thank you for taking the time to share your ideas. We truly appreciate your contributions to continuously improving the software to help you do your work and look forward to what ideas you have for ArcGIS Pro.