How do I troubleshoot ArcGIS Pro performance issues related to antivirus software (exceptions)?

Answer

This guide provides system administrators with specific antivirus exclusion recommendations to resolve performance issues and slow startup times in ArcGIS Pro. It details how to whitelist essential process executables and application directories including local profile and project folders while cautioning that these steps should primarily serve as a diagnostic tool to identify software interference.

Antivirus software can frequently impede the optimal performance of ArcGIS Pro. To mitigate this, this article details specific antivirus (AV) exclusion recommendations. This guide is primarily intended to assist administrators in diagnosing and resolving potential instability on systems running supported versions of ArcGIS Pro alongside active AV environments.

Warning: 
Esri recommends using these procedures as a diagnostic step to evaluate system impact. If performance improves following these exclusions, reach out to your security software vendor for official support or to check for the latest compatibility updates.

Add exclusions by process executable

Exercise caution when excluding specific executables, as over-broad exclusions may inadvertently allow malicious programs to bypass detection. If your environment requires process-based exclusions, the following samples are recommended:

• ArcGISPro.exe
• ArcGISCleanup.exe
• ArcGISUpdate.exe

Add exclusions by directories

Listed below are the default application and local profile directories for ArcGIS Pro. Esri recommends excluding these from real-time, scheduled, and local antivirus scans, though it may be necessary to modify the paths if the software is installed in a custom location.

• C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\Pro
• C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Local
• C:\Users\User_name\AppData\Roaming
• C:\Users\ User_name \AppData\Local\ESRI\ArcGISPro
• C:\Users\ User_name \AppData\Roaming\ESRI\ArcGISPro
• C:\Users\ User_name \Documents\ArcGIS\Projects (or your custom default project location)

Note: 
When excluding a directory that has a name greater than eight characters long, add both the short and long names to the exclusion list. These names are required by some legacy AV programs to traverse the subdirectories.

Many, if not all software manufacturers offer similar technical articles, some examples are provided in the Related Information section.