Do you have a Ghost Locator, a file based locator which keeps coming back in ArcGIS Pro after it’s deleted? Here’s how to remove it.

[DavidWheelock2]

Here’s background information and how to delete a Ghost Locator, a file based locator in ArcGIS Pro which keeps coming back after the user has deleted it.

Here's what I've discovered about the locator problem.

• This problem has been demonstrated on:
  • ArcGIS Pro 3.6.3, 3.6.4, and 3.7.1
  • Multiple PC's
  • Multiple User Profiles

Facts about the Ghost Locator Problem

Some of this may seem wordy and repetitive.  I’m just trying to get all of the concepts and issues out there.  I may edit this over time.

1. Over time, ArcGIS Pro creates multiple hidden references to a file-based locator within an APRX file.
2. However, those multiple hidden references are displayed as a single locator in the ArcGIS Pro Catalog, and the user does not know this.
3. If the file-based locator is moved or removed at the file system level of if the ArcGIS Pro project is moved, such that ArcGIS Pro can no longer find it, then the disconnected locator in ArcGIS Pro will be displayed with a red exclamation point in the Catalog and becomes a Ghost Locator.
   1. 
4. If a disconnected Ghost locator is deleted (Remove From Project) from the Catalog, it will remove only one of the locator's hidden references from the APRX. The other references will remain in the APRX.
5. If a reference to the Ghost Locator is deleted from the APRX, ArcGIS Pro must then be closed and restarted in order to refresh the entry for the Ghost Locator in the Catalog and make it appear again in order to delete the next hidden reference.  I have been unable to find a way to simply refresh the Catalog and make the next instance of the Ghost Locator appear without closing and reopening ArcGIS Pro.
6. In order to completely delete a disconnected locator, it is necessary to delete it multiple times in order to delete all of the hidden references to that locator. After each delete you must close and reopen the APRX to view and delete the next instance of the Ghost Locator.
7. It is not necessary to perform a Clear Cache to remove a Ghost Locator.
8. If a Clear Cache is performed this will create an additional copy of the ghost locator.
9. If a Save is performed after the Clear Cache then the additional locator will be saved in the APRX file, increasing the number of hidden references to the Ghost Locator. However, if a Save is not performed then the additional locator will not be saved.
10. Also, if a Clear Cache is performed, then a warning popup will appear which says, "Invalid Locator: Locator is not supported." The message may pop up more than once. The number of times that the message appears is the number of hidden references to the Ghost Locator which are in the APRX. This number is how many times you will need to perform the delete in order to remove the Ghost Locator from the project.
11. Despite claims to the contrary in many sources, Clear Cache is not necessary to delete a Ghost Locator.  It’s only useful to determine how many references to the Ghost Locator are within an APRX.
12. Attempting to remove the Ghost Locator by recreating a locator along the same file system path as the Ghost Locator and then deleting that did not remove the Ghost Locator.
13. Attempting to remove the Ghost Locator by using the recommended Delete geoprocessing tool also did remove the Ghost Locator.

How to remove a Ghost Locator from an APRX:

1. Open the APRX file that has a Ghost Locator.
2. Perform a Clear Cache and count the number of times the popup appears which says, “Invalid Locator: Locator is not supported." Do NOT save the project after performing the Clear Cache.
   1. Select: Project > Options > Display > Clear Cache Now > OK > OK
   2. Select OK each time the warning message appears and count how many times you do it.
3. Close the ArcGIS Pro without saving.  If it prompts you to save, select No.
4. Repeat the following steps for the number of times that you saw the popup.
   1. Open the APRX file.
   2. Delete the Ghost Locator.
      1.     Right-click the Ghost Locator in the Catalog and select Remove From Project in the popup menu.
      2.    
   3. Save the APRX.
   4. Close the APRX.
5. After you complete step 4 for each hidden reference, the Ghost Locator should be gone from your APRX.

Summary: I have found that removing a Ghost Locator only requires performing the delete (Remove From Project) for the number of times that the reference to the Ghost Locator is found in the APRX file. It is not necessary to perform the Clear Cache, at all. In fact, the Clear Cache actually creates a new reference to the Ghost Locator. However, this will only be saved to the APRX file if the project is saved before it is closed. Still, the Clear Cache is useful because performing it will reveal how many hidden references to the Ghost Locator are in the APRX. This is indicated by the number of times that the warning message is displayed during the Clear Cache operation.

Problems: There are two problems for ESRI to resolve to fix this and keep it from happening.

1. Multiple hidden references to a file-based locator are created in the APRX and are not being managed well by the ArcGIS Pro software.
2. The Clear Cache tool creates a new, additional hidden copy of a Ghost Locator, if one exists, which may be saved and added to the APRX and complicate the problem.

[DavidWheelock2]

This post is the result of an ESRI Tech Support case that I've had open for over a month, at this point.  ESRI seems to be struggling with this issue.

I decided to make this post because there's so much misinformation and advice out there which doesn't work or even makes the problem worse.

[JohnFix1]

I run into this a lot and it's painful. Makes me shake my heading thinking about the "ArcGISIndexingServer.exe" running all the time. 

Perhaps a nice fix would be to inform the user the locator cannot be found and ask if it should be removed from the project file. You know, like how QGIS handles missing content.