Can't load in shp file to layers in Arcmap 10.8.1

[DanielHult]

Hello! I have a problem loading in shp-files into my layers in Arcmap (10.8.1). I've tried loading it in as a single file from the catalog and also dragging the unzipped files to layers from the library. I have no problems loading in other shp-files from other folders. The folders are all provided from my teacher at the university so there should be no technical issues with the files and adapting, they should load without problems. When I try to add it into layers there comes a box that says "Open failed - error opening feature class - class is not registered". Then I click "OK" then a new box comes that says "Warning - could not add the specified data to the map.". When I try to drag the files in that creates the shp-file from the library it comes a box that says "Arcmap - could not open the specified file" - with also an "X" with red in the box. This same box appears as many times as the number of files I tried to add in. I've tried to google this issue and going to search on youtube but i have not solved it. What to do? What is the issue here?

[DanPatterson]

Did you check that the unzipped shapefile has all its parts? (at least a *.shp, *.dbf and *.shx and maybe more(

[DanielHult]

The two files has .shp, .sbx, .sbn, .prj and .dbf. Each

[DanielHult]

I'm pretty new with Arcmap, so i didn't know that shapefiles has to have those important parts, this would have solved the issue earlier if I would have known this earlier. Thanks

[RhettZufelt]

Have you unzipped the all the files in the zipfile to a new folder?  And, is there at least three files in there with .dbf, .shx, and .shp extentions and same name?

If so, have you tried the Add Data tool and navigated to this un-zipped folder with the neccesary files in it?

Same error?

Screenshot of the data structure would be more helpfull than the error messages.

R_

[DanielHult]

Yea the files were already unzipped but I tried to zip them again and extract them but its the same issue. The two files has .shp, .sbx, .sbn, .prj and .dbf. Each, so not .shx. The Add data tool didn't work. But when I try to navigate to my map with the un-zipped files I cannot reach them as single files, because i guess Arcmap immedietly recognizes them as the complete file that I try to add as layer. And the same error comes again. Ill send a screenshot here of the data structure. Thanks for the tips.

[RhettZufelt · Accepted solution]

It appears as if all the required files were not included (or got removed) in the zip file you were provided as I don't see any .shx files in there and will not be valid shapefile without it.

Shapefiles require .dbf, .shx, and .shp.  Everything else is optional.

R_

[DanielHult]

Thanks! That was the problem. I had downloaded it all in the first place already so this should never have been a problem but for some reason the .shx files didn't come with the package when I downloaded it the first time. I redownloaded it now and saw that there was .shx files in there too. So this time I got the right data, and could add it successfully to Arcmap. Thanks so much for the help.