Disappering layout

[mlee]

I have a huge problem and wanted to know if I'm the only one on earth or if it's a general bug.

PROBLEM:
At irregular intervals (sometimes 1 time a month, sometimes 3 times a day) the entire content of a layout disappears.

The process is always similar:
I am in the layout view editing the content (moving/copying/adjusting graphic elements) and all of a sudden a misbehaviour occurs. Most common I can no longer select individual elements in the layout view under "contents". For example, the object is displayed, but I cannot change the visibility.
Another example is that I change the text in a text fiel and both the old and the new text are displayed after completion. In the map view, I can select one text object and continue working, but the other remains displayed.

Just this wouldn't be that bad. But:
When I save the project and reopen it, all map content is deleted. The layout with all settings such as "Page Setup" still exists, but all content (graphic elements, map frames, etc.) is permanently lost.

I discussed this intensively with the ESRI support about one a year ago. After a malfunction I previously copied that aprx, before reopening it in ArcGIS. This file could be opened with IZARC. All contents of the entire project were displayed correctly. We then opened the file in ArcGIS Pro and saw an empty layout. Next, we saved it and reopenend in IZARC.... And the whole layout was now empty as well.
This means that the support team was able to face the error, but no solution was found at the time. Neither what causes the issue, nor how to fix the file.
The rest of the document (maps, layouts, whatever ...) is unaffected.

Until then, I worked in a virtual environment on a Mac (which is not ideal). In the meantime, I work 100% on a Windows computer, without a virtual machine.
After a quiet start-up phase, the frequency has increased in the recent month. Hence my cry for help!
Have you ever encountered that problem?

[DrewCover]

Hi @Nelson_Shaefer, Thanks for jumping on this.  Yes, my IT confirmed that our shared drive is a network drive and not file server.  Both the project and data are stored there and not local on C:

[DanielleKairovicius1]

@DrewCover 

Thanks for your patience in transitioning to Pro. Our team would like to work with your directly via a support case to help us resolve this issue. If you are interested, let me know and we'll create a case for you in our system. 

Thank you for your continued feedback.

[DrewCover]

I found an example project if your interested.  It'd be nice to not worry about this anymore

[SimoneSilvestro]

Happened to me right now! Opened the ArcGis Pro project and...empty layouts! All of them. Honestly, I am start getting bored of Pro, there are always some kinds of issues, most of the time minor I have to say, but this one is HUGE. I've probably lost hours of work. Unaccettable from ESRI. I am working from my office under my company network as thousends (maybe more) of ppl, never had this kind of issue. I think I should listen to collegues and move to QGIS. PS I am on my personal workstation and not on a shared drive.

[AprilJohnson2]

It just happened to me!  ESRI - what is the solution please?!? Just lost a week's worth of work that is due at the end of the week.

[SimoneSilvestro]

@Nelson_Schaefer 

Just happened again. Running ArcGis Pro 3.4.0 on windows 11 24H2...I am at work but the data are all on my hd. Please help.

[SimoneSilvestro]

All,

I think I've found a workaround. Summary: my layouts are disappearing randomly (they are there but empty,  see enclosed). I am on my pc (no shared drive). So, I've tried to go on 'layout properties' (right click on layout name), then I've lpayed with the options there 'Map series', 'bookmarks' etc. I don't know how, i was able to have my layout back. Of course, this does not adress the main issue, but hopefully it can help. @AprilJohnson2 @Nelson_Schaefer 

[DrewCover]

Not a bad thought.  I was not able to reproduce the workaround on a copy of a failed layout I have.  (esri; you can have a copy if you want for troubleshooting or reproduction, I found it a few weeks ago.)  My layout no longer registers any objects, elements, or data frames at all.  Its a time-series figure, there should be 12 data frames on it.  BUT, I did notice that Map Series is indeed enabled in the layout properties --> this was never setup and is frozen in the 'on' position, I cannot select from the series-type dropdown.  Maybe its a clue, pasted below

[CLONG-CLong]

This happens to me every few months. I work on a map project, I save and close and then when I re-open the contents pane is blank and the so is the map layout. It's  pretty frustrating. 

[DrewCover]

Hi CLong.  I never updated from my last post. What version of Pro are you running?

Sent the Dev team my disappeared layout project, they found an extra bracket in the C code.  I was running Pro 3.3, in the latest patches for 3.4 the problem goes away for me.  It should be fully addressed in the new v3.5, but I haven't downloaded that yet, I like to wait for the post-conference patch 😉

Maybe upgrade to 3.5 and re-open the project?

BTW esri; I'm really liking Pro now.  The extra clicks are totally worth the greater functionality, even just in regard to using arcpy across all layouts or maps in a project.  I open ArcMap now and it hurts my eyes!  Pro resolution is soo much better.