Change Default Behavior of Opening Map Package

DougGreen

When a Map Package (.mpkx) is opened, it unpacks the data to a folder on the user's profile like C:\Users\username\Documents\ArcGIS\Packages\somepackagename_ea7585. The project can then be saved to a location the user specifies. This is very handy, especially for those that are new to GIS. However, it can lead to unintended data management failure. Lets say the user who packaged the map packaged up an entire agency's imagery and sent it in a 20 GB map package. Then, the receiving user opens it and can't imagine what's taking so long when they try to open it and then their computer starts complaining about low disk space. ArcGIS Pro may even crash and not be able to open. This new user now has a full hard drive and doesn't even know where the files were being created so that they can go delete them. This is an extreme (but very real example). However, even if we aren't opening 20 GB map packages very often, shouldn't the data for our project, live in our project folder? I think it would be great if Map Packages opened very similar to a Template. When you choose to open a .mpkx file, you are prompted to specify where you want the project saved. This allows it to be unpacked to that location so the user knows where the data lives. I'm experienced and know how to discover the location of the data used in a map and move it to a new location. But, this is still extra (unnecessary) work, in my opinion. I love the Map Package concept and useability. I'd just really love it to make more sense from a data management perspective. Thanks!

AlfredBaldenweck · ‎03-10-2026

Does changing the "Other Packages and Files" setting in Options-> Share and Download solve this need?

DougGreen · ‎03-10-2026

@AlfredBaldenweck that sure does. However, if an experienced user is just now finding out about this setting, it's not going to help many people. Thanks for the "workaround" for me to use in the meantime though!

DougGreen · ‎03-10-2026

Just so everyone who pulls this up can see, here's what @AlfredBaldenweck was talking about. I guess I would change my idea, in that case, to have the default behavior modified to those indicated in the section below.

JonahLay · ‎03-10-2026

@DougGreen This is already supported. Admins can set a default option or path for the share and download settings. For more information, see this help topic: https://pro.arcgis.com/en/pro-app/latest/get-started/share-and-download-settings.htm

Please let me know if this meets your needs. Thanks!

DougGreen · ‎03-10-2026

@JonahLay , that's really good that it can be administered that way. Clearly, I didn't know a ton about this functionality. I still think that the default behavior should be less prone to bad data management, rather than the default behavior being something you need to research before you understand like we do for advanced geoprocessing tools. It seems like if I (without advanced training) open a package of data someone sends me, it should either stay where I opened it from or make it very clear where it's going to be saved - by default.

I admit, I'm a little embarrassed that there was such an easy way to keep it from happening in the future. But, I don't feel bad if it helps someone else who was stumped by the default behavior. I guarantee I'm not the only one who was puzzled why the data in their newly saved project didn't live in the home folder of their newly saved project. And I feel like a setting like this is something I'm going to forget to go change every time I get a new computer or set up ArcGIS Pro on a new computer and it will be another gotcha.

AlfredBaldenweck · ‎03-10-2026

It is pretty interesting that so much of user settings seem to imagine each GIS user as a single siloed resource working on a personal computer instead of like, someone who has to put data and projects where other people might have to see them someday.

The other thing is that settings are set in different places; many settings are found in the user.config file, but for this particular setting it's actually a registry edit. It makes ensuring consistent settings across a group of users difficult.

In my case, my organization does some things via a Pro.settingsConfig file (as linked above), but does not get all the ones I'd like them to do, so I had to come up with a script that sets all of the settings I'm interested in and have my users run it periodically. Finding out that it wasn't necessarily as simple as just editing the user.config file was a pretty sad day for me.

JonahLay · ‎03-10-2026

@DougGreen The Pro.settingsConfig file that @AlfredBaldenweck mentioned is designed to allow you to deploy ArcGIS Pro with your default settings for yourself and other machines in your organization running the application.

As a recap, the default unpacking location is "C:\Users\USERNAME\Documents\ArcGIS\Packages". The setting can be changed to "Ask where to save before unpacking" or "Unpack to the project's home folder" by the user. The setting can also be changed and locked by an admin.