FAQ: What Are the Limitations and Issues with ArcGIS 9.x Products under Windows XP Service

Answer

The ArcGIS 9.x products: ArcView, ArcEditor, ArcInfo Desktop, ArcInfo Workstation, ArcIMS, and ArcGIS Server under Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3 (SP2 and SP3) are certified with limitations. Several of the known limitations can be prevented with the workarounds listed below or can be corrected if the errors are encountered.

ArcGIS Products General

License Manager Issue

Microsoft Internet Connection Firewall (ICF) is enabled by default, in the Windows XP Service Pack release. ICF restricts access to ports necessary for communication between ArcGIS 9.x and the license manager.

Workaround: Instructions provided in the ESRI Knowledge Base article 26134 detail the steps to reopen the correct ports and allow ArcGIS 8.x and 9.x to communicate with the license manager.

The license Manager Issue affects both 8.x and 9.x license managers; therefore, all license managed products are affected. These products include:
-ArcGIS Desktop 8.x and 9.x
-Concurrent Use ArcInfo Workstation 8.x and 9.x
-ArcSDE 8.x
-ArcIMS ArcMap Server 4.x

ArcGIS Desktop: ArcInfo, ArcEditor, ArcView

Other miscellaneous problems were reported using ArcGIS 9.x Desktop products with these Windows XP Service Packs. These issues are being researched as they are reported. The majority of the issues reported could not be reproduced in-house. Some random ArcGIS 9.x problems seem to relate to incomplete or corrupt installs of Windows or the service packs. In these rare cases, repairing the system files solved the issues.

Script tools based on AMLs do not run after installing Windows XP SP2 or SP3.

This problem persists even after running the RunAMLasExecutable.reg. One of the following scenarios occurs when an AML script is run:

- An empty DOS window appears, but nothing happens and the script does not run.

- The progress dialog box indicates that the script is running, but nothing happens and the script does not run.

To fix these problems, complete the following steps:

1. Find the RegisterAMLasExecutable.reg file, typically found at C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\ArcToolbox\Scripts.

2. Right-click and edit the file.

3. In the line that follows, replace arc.exe with the full path to arc.exe:
@="arc.exe \"&run\" %0 %*"

For example, if the path to arc.exe is C:\arcgis\arcexe9x\bin\arc.exe, the new line looks as follows:
@="\"C:\\arcgis\\arcexe9x\\bin\\arc.exe\" \"&run\" %0 %*"

Notice that the \ is an escape character, which must be inserted before all quotation marks (") and slashes (\).

Once the changes above have been made, double-click the file. At the prompt that asks if the information should be added to the registry, click OK. Once informed that the information was successfully added; Click OK.

AML scripts should now run correctly.
ArcGIS Server

When installing Windows XP SP2 or SP3, Microsoft installs and enables a firewall called Windows Firewall. The default settings in the firewall cause ArcGIS 9.x Server to block all incoming connections. To correct this, add exceptions in the Windows Firewall. For instructions on how to do this, refer to the following KB article:

How-To: Configure Windows XP SP2 or SP3 Firewall to work with ArcGIS Server, ESRI Knowledge Base article 27798.
ArcIMS

1. XML declaration may appear only at the beginning of a document in ArcIMS 9.x when creating feature, metadata, or image services with Windows XP SP2 or SP3.

Workaround: Refer to ESRI Knowledge Base article 28313 for more information on this issue.

2. Legend frames do not refresh in ArcIMS 9.x projects with Windows XP SP2 or SP3.

Workaround: Refer to the ESRI Knowledge Base article 28315 for more information on this issue.

3. When installing Windows XP SP2 or SP3, the install enables a firewall called Windows Firewall. The default settings in the firewall cause ArcIMS 9.x to block all incoming connections. To correct this, add exceptions in the Windows Firewall. For instructions on how to do this, refer to -

How-To: Configure Windows XP SP2 or SP3 Firewall to work with ArcIMS, ESRI Knowledge Base article 27854.

Article ID:000007663

Software:

ArcGIS Server

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What are the limitations and issues with ArcGIS 9.x products under Windows XP Service Pack 2 and Service Pack 3?

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