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Technical Article   HowTo:  Increase performance to make ArcMap start and run faster

Article ID: 31672
Software:  ArcGIS - ArcEditor 8.1, 8.1.2, 8.2, 8.3, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1, 10 ArcGIS - ArcInfo 8.1, 8.1.2, 8.2, 8.3, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1, 10 ArcGIS - ArcView 8.1, 8.1.2, 8.2, 8.3, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1, 10
Platforms: N/A

Summary

ArcMap takes a long time to start and has poor performance.

Procedure

There are several system settings, hardware upgrades, and maintenance routines that need to be performed to increase the performance of ArcMap:

  1. Change the virtual memory setting to have a maximum size of 4095MB for Windows 2000 and 4096MB for Windows XP. -show me-

    Summary
    Instructions provided describe how to adjust the system's virtual memory setting. For the maximum benefit, set this to the maximum available on the Windows operating system. For Windows 2000, XP and Vista, the maximum available is 4096MB (4GB).

     Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2008 Server and Windows 7 can be set higher values than 4GB. See the link in the Related Information section below.

    Procedure
    The drive selected for the virtual memory should have enough free space to store the page file, as defined by the initial and maximum settings. If the amount of free space on the drive is less than the virtual memory settings, the page file size uses all the available drive space. In that case, clear some space on the drive or set the virtual memory to another drive.

    Select an operating system below.

    • Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server:

      1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
      2. Double-click the System icon.
      3. In the System Properties dialog, click the Advanced tab.
      4. Click Settings under Performance.
      5. In the Performance Options dialog, click the Advanced tab, and under Virtual memory, click Change.
      6. In the Virtual Memory dialog box, select a drive to store the paging file.
      7. Set Initial size (MB) and Maximum size. For the initial size, Microsoft recommends using the recommended value in the 'Total paging file size for all drives' box.
      8. Click Set, and click OK twice.
      9. Click Restart Now.

       To have Windows select the best paging file size, click 'System managed size' in the Virtual Memory dialog box.


       Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2008 Server and Windows 7 can be set with a page file size larger than 4GB. See the link in the Related Information section below.

    • Windows 2000:

      1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel.
      2. Double-click the System icon.
      3. In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab and click Performance Options.
      4. In the Performance Options dialog, under Virtual memory, click Change.
      5. In the Virtual memory dialog box, select a drive.
      6. Under 'Paging file size for selected drive', type new values for initial and maximum sizes for the disk.
      7. Click Set, click OK twice.
      8. In the Performance Options dialog, click OK.
      9. Click OK in the System Properties dialog, and click Yes in the System Settings Change dialog to restart the computer.

       When the Virtual Memory dialog box is first displayed, it shows the initial and maximum page file sizes stored on each disk.

    • Windows Vista:

      1. Click Start > Control Panel > System.
      2. Under Tasks, click 'Advanced system settings'.
      3. In the System Properties dialog, click the Advanced tab.
      4. Click Settings under Performance.
      5. Click the Advanced tab, and click Change under Virtual Memory.
      6. Select the drive to use to store the paging file.
      7. Set Initial size (MB) and Maximum size. For the initial size, Microsoft recommends using the recommended value in the 'Total paging file size for all drives' box.
      8. Click Set, and click OK twice.
      9. Click Restart Now.
  2. Change the TMP and TEMP user variables to both have a variable value of C:\TEMP. -show me-
    Summary
    Instructions provided describe how to edit environment variables for all supported platforms.
    Procedure


     WARNING: The instructions below include making changes to essential parts of your operating system. It is recommended that you backup your operating system and files, including the registry, before proceeding. Consult with a qualified computer systems professional, if necessary.

    Esri cannot guarantee results from incorrect modifications while following these instructions; therefore, use caution and proceed at your own risk.





  3. Defragment all local hard drives. While the Windows operating system includes a defragmentation tool, it does not not always work properly, so Esri recommends using a third-party defragmentation software. Many applications are available for purchase.
  4. Eliminate as many background programs that are running as possible. Run an anti-spyware application to eliminate any spyware software as spyware degrades the computer's performance.
  5. Increase the amount of RAM in the computer to recommended minimum amount or higher, upgrade the video card in the computer, and make sure there is at least 10 GB of remaining free space on the local hard drive. See the link in the Related Information section for Esri System Requirements.

Related Information


Created: 8/24/2006
Last Modified: 8/16/2011

Article Rating: (1)
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Comments

By Anonymous - 03/01/2011 1:52 PM

I would like to see a new article that discusses the topic outlined below.

Is this KB for ArcInfo 10? It mentions 10 but only for ArcEditor: ArcGIS - ArcEditor 8.1, 8.1.2, 8.2, 8.3, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1, 10 ArcGIS - ArcInfo 8.1, 8.1.2, 8.2, 8.3, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1 ArcGIS - ArcView 8.1, 8.1.2, 8.2, 8.3, 9.0, 9.1, 9.2, 9.3, 9.3.1

Rating:

By Anonymous - 09/07/2007 4:33 PM

The article has missing, misleading, or conflicting information.

Doc in the Show Me link says this: Windows XP and Windows 2003 Server: 1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. 3. Click Settings under Performance. 4. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Change under Virtual Memory. ... But it should be: 1. Click Start > Settings > Control Panel. 2. Double-click the System icon. 3. Click the Advanced tab. 4. Click Settings under Performance 5. Click the Advanced tab, and then click Change under Virtual Memory. ...