Arcmap 10.1: Cannot load data from the data source

[SilasJordan]

Forgive me for not knowing too many technical terms since I have a very elementary understanding of arcmap. I can get around, but that's about it.

I'm editing attribute tables for shapefiles. I'm usually working with so many, so instead of going in to an editing session I'll just use "Field Calculator. As of recently, I started receiving this error message:

I click OK, my attribute table goes blank, and I have to close it out. However, I open it back up and the changes I made took. So it's still technically working, but it's a few extra steps that have become a hassle. From other forums I've seen, I'm guessing it could be a permission problem, but I wouldn't know where to begin on fixing it. I'm the only one working on these shapefiles at one time, so that isn't the issue.

Any help will be appreciated. If you ask some really technical questions, I'll try my best

[SilasJordan]

bumped

[SilasJordan]

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I just got another computer, this time loaded 10.1, and I'm having the same issue.

Assistance would be greatly appreciated.

[LisaTurner]

Hey Silas,

It might help to move this question into one of the places like Managing Data so that the right people see it.

[ChrisDonohue__GISP]

Some questions to help in troubleshooting:

1.  Is your data on a network or a local storage device (like the hard drive on your computer)?

2.  What Operating System are you using?

3.  Can you confirm that the data is a shapefile, not a geodatabase feature class?

4.  If it is a shapefile, any chance you are viewing the shapefile with Excel or Access either before or simultaneous to viewing the shapefile in ArcMap?  If so, that would explain the lock.

Chris Donohue, GISP

[SilasJordan]

1. Data is on a local network, but we always work from there, so if that is causing problems, not sure what changed.

2. Windows 7

3. Exported from Autocad 2012 as a shapefile.

4. Probably not the case. I have created a shapefile from the ground up from an XYZ file from excel, but even then I never had issue with a lock. But I'm pretty sure no other program is accessing the files.

If I do need to move the thread to  the correct forum, please let me knwo.

[ChrisDonohue__GISP]

One thing I would suggest is checking to see if the shapefile has become corrupt.  The steps they list will also to a large extent be helpful in identifying lock issues.

How to Salvage a Corrupt Shapefile

ArcGIS Help 10.1

Chris Donohue, GISP

[SilasJordan]

Another bit of info is that we did a server change a few months back. I can't be certain, but I think that might have been about the time I started having this issue. Now all shapefiles are pulled from a different server. Would that cause issues, and if so, how would I fix it?

[ChrisDonohue__GISP]

The server change is a possibility.  There could be different permissions, amongst other issues.

One way to check to see if this is the probable cause is to copy the shapefiles to your C: drive.  Then see if the lock issue recurs.  If it doesn't, that points towards the server being the likely issue.  However, if you get the lock issue on the C: drive, my suspicion would be that the shapefiles are corrupt.

Chris Donohue, GISP