How do I manage ArcMap map documents and related spatial data when transferring between computers?

To save the settings in a current ArcMap session, from the main menu, select File, and then Save or Save As... . This saves the current ArcMap session and creates an .mxd file (also called a map document). The following items are saved when you save a map document:

• The spatial extent to which the Data Frame was zoomed
• The features present and turned on in the table of contents
• The symbology used to portray each feature in the table of contents
• Any map layouts you have created
• Path names (file location pointers) to data sources in the table of contents

Saving the ArcMap session in a map document does not save any of the spatial data viewed in the Table of Contents; it saves only the settings and pointers to the data. Thus, if you copy a map document to another computer without also copying the data files, ArcGIS will respond that it can't find the data that is part of the map document. You will see red exclamation marks next to the data it cannot find in the Table of Contents.

To facilitate moving map documents and data between computers:

• Keep your data within a single folder. You can then move this folder and all its contents between computers, which is easier than moving data files individually.
  
  
• Use relative path names to your data, for example: \Data\Boundary.shp

  Relative paths specify the location of data contained in the map document relative to the current location of the map document (.mxd file) itself. As relative paths don't contain drive names, they enable the map document and its associated data to be moved to any disk drive without having to repair the data source locations. To set relative pathways in ArcMap, from the Main menu, select File, and then select Document Properties. Click Data Source Options, and then select Store relative path names. UITS recommends that you also check Make relative paths the defaults for new map documents I create, so that you will not have to repeat this process. Click OK twice to confirm.

• Do not move spatial data files using Windows Explorer. Move data files using ArcCatalog.

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