Getting Ready for 10 - Preparing Your Computer for ArcGIS Desktop

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05-28-2010 04:20 AM
by Anonymous User
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Hi everybody, this is John with the Implementation team here in Tech Support. In preparation for the ArcGIS 10 release, I'd like to take a few minutes and let you in on some tips for the upgrade procedure. This isn't comprehensive, but keeping these concepts in mind should make for a smooth upgrade.

  • Prior to actually running the ArcGIS 10 installer (and before 10 is even released), there are several things that you can do to get your system ready for the upgrade. I try to keep my system well maintained, but if you're like me your computer ends up cluttered anyway. Preparing for a major upgrade is a great time to clean up the hard drive, and a guide like this one from Microsoft is a great way to do it. If you have the infrastructure, it's always a good idea to make a backup of your system, just in case.

  • If you're reading this, you are probably someone who always reads the manual. I strongly recommend checking the Systems Requirements page before you start to make sure there aren't any special considerations you need to take for your system. For example, 10 is the first version of ArcGIS Desktop that needs the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 before it can be installed. It's also worth a few extra minutes to take a look at the installation guide on the DVD.

As you get closer to the actual upgrade, there are a couple other considerations:

  • Authorization numbers: Start thinking about licensing considerations before upgrading the software, so you don't end up with unexpected downtime. ArcGIS 10 (final) authorization numbers will be emailed to the primary maintenance contact when the software is ready for download. There will also be a new section called "Authorization and Provisioning" available on the Esri Customer Care Portal http://customers.esri.com, where people that have existing 9.x software or ArcGIS 10 pre-release can get new authorization numbers when ArcGIS 10 final is released. Older versions of the License Manager will also need to be upgraded. For more information about these changes, please see: http://resources.arcgis.com/content/arcgis-desktop-licensing.
  • Uninstall third-party extensions, add-ons, and even ArcScripts that work with ArcGIS Desktop 9.3/9.3.1. There's a chance that some of them may work from 9.x to ArcGIS 10, but they may cause severe issues and can be very difficult to troubleshoot after the upgrade. Once you have ArcGIS 10 installed, you can start fresh and install your extensions one at a time to test for compatibility.

That's about it - best of luck with the upgrade!

-John P, Senior Implementation Support Analyst, Esri Support Services