ArcGIS Pro - Renaming project file breaks toolbox connection with no repair prompt

[shreyapoudel]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to report a bug I encountered in ArcGIS Pro while working on a project.

Issue: When a project file (.aprx) is renamed in Windows Explorer, any toolboxes using relative paths (.\toolbox.atbx) fail to open and display the error: "Failed to open model." ArcGIS Pro does not prompt the user to repair the broken connection, unlike how it handles broken data source links.

Steps to reproduce:

1. Create an ArcGIS Pro project with a custom toolbox and model inside it
2. Rename the .aprx file from Windows Explorer (outside of ArcGIS)
3. Reopen the renamed project
4. Try to open the model from the toolbox in the Catalog pane

Expected behavior: ArcGIS Pro should either automatically repair the relative path, or prompt the user to manually locate the missing toolbox — similar to how broken data sources are handled.

Actual behavior: The model fails with "Failed to open model" and no repair dialog appears. The user has to figure out the fix on their own.

Environment:

• ArcGIS Pro (student license)
• Windows 11

Has anyone else encountered this? Is there a known fix or workaround?

Thanks!

[Robert_LeClair]

What release of ArcGIS Pro are you using?  I'm using 3.6.4 and following your instructions do not see this error message.

[shreyapoudel]

Hi Robert, I am using ArcGIS Pro 3.5.0. I renamed the .atbx file in Windows Explorer, not inside ArcGIS Pro. Let me know if you need any more details!

[Robert_LeClair]

So the Repair broken data links workflow in ArcGIS Pro is designed for map/scene layer and table data sources, not for project toolbox (.atbx) references. When you rename an .atbx in File Explorer, the project still points to the old filename/path, so the toolbox shows as broken—but that repair dialog won’t offer .atbx items to “repair,” so you won’t see the renamed toolbox listed.

To fix it:

1. In the Catalog pane, under Project > Toolboxes, right-click the broken toolbox and Remove it.
2. Right-click Toolboxes > Add Toolbox, then browse to and add the renamed .atbx. Alternatively, rename the file back to its original name to immediately restore the reference.

Repair broken data sources for layers and tables—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation

[shreyapoudel]

Thank you so much for the explanation! That makes sense. I wasn't aware the repair dialog didn't cover toolbox references. I was able to fix it by removing the broken toolbox and re-adding it via Add Toolbox. It would be great if a future update extended the repair functionality to .atbx files as well. Thanks again!

[Robert_LeClair]

Certainly!  I'm glad the explanation helped.  I would encourage you to search for an existing ArcGIS Pro Idea on this community and if there is not, then add one so it gets visiblility to other customers.  The more upvotes it gets, the more likely it will get visibility to the Pro developers.

If you feel my answer was correct, you can mark it as "Accept as Solution" to close out this post.

[DanPatterson]

renaming within arcgis pro, warnings and considerations

Rename project items—ArcGIS Pro | Documentation