{"id":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18T15:27:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-18T23:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/?post_type=blog&p=2952283"},"modified":"2025-12-18T15:27:51","modified_gmt":"2025-12-18T23:27:51","slug":"stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro","status":"publish","type":"blog","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro","title":{"rendered":"Stop Recreating Missing Geodatabases (and other items) in ArcGIS Pro"},"author":8932,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_searchwp_excluded":""},"categories":[23851],"tags":[761472,775962],"industry":[],"product":[36561],"class_list":["post-2952283","blog","type-blog","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-data-management","tag-connections","tag-paths","product-arcgis-pro"],"acf":{"authors":[{"ID":8932,"user_firstname":"Kory","user_lastname":"Kramer","nickname":"Kory Kramer","user_nicename":"kkramer","display_name":"Kory Kramer","user_email":"KKramer@esri.com","user_url":"","user_registered":"2019-02-11 14:26:30","user_description":"Kory Kramer is a Product Manager for ArcGIS Pro, collaborating across multiple teams to contribute to the direction of product development. He is dedicated to listening to users and finding ways to convert that feedback into a product that continues to add customer value. In his free time, he tries to get outside as much as possible \u2013 often on trails, sometimes on a bike. He has recently started composting and is trying to get bats to take up residence in his backyard bat house.","user_avatar":""}],"short_description":"Learn about how Repair Project Items settings, new in ArcGIS Pro 3.6, help you manage your project data.","flexible_content":[{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

The Design<\/h2>\n

To make it easy to create a project and have all the necessary resources available for mapping, analysis and data management that you may do in that project, ArcGIS Pro automatically creates a home folder, a default geodatabase, and a default toolbox. There is a default location where the project and related files are created, and if users prefer locations and behavior other than the default, they can control the create projects<\/a> options.<\/p>\n

The Challenge<\/h2>\n

ArcGIS Pro 3.6 was released in November 2025 and we\u2019re excited to share that we introduced a solution to a challenge that had been vexing users \u2013 stop recreating missing geodatabases<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Some users perform certain data management operations like renaming, moving or deleting file geodatabases, toolboxes or folders using Windows File Explorer rather than ArcGIS Pro. If the item happens to be a project\u2019s default item (geodatabase, toolbox, or home folder), a new empty item is created in that location the next time the project is opened.<\/p>\n

This happens because ArcGIS Pro projects require a home folder, a default geodatabase, and a default toolbox at all times. If the change was made deliberately by the user, the creation of that empty item, along with the reconstructed path to contain the item, can make you throw your arms up and cry \u201cBruh,\u201d accompanied by an exasperated sigh.<\/p>\n

Establishing a common vocabulary<\/h2>\n

For those who may be unfamiliar with the annoyance connotated by the term \u201cbruh,\u201d a quick AI overview generated by Googling \u201cdifference between bro, brah, and bruh\u201d provides an entertaining summary:<\/p>\n

Bro<\/strong> \ud83d\ude0a
\n\u2022 Purpose:<\/strong> The most common and versatile of the three. Typically used as a neutral, friendly, or affectionate term of address for a male friend.
\n\u2022 Tone:<\/strong> Can convey a range of emotions, depending on the inflection. For example, “broooooo” can express disappointment or annoyance, while “Hey, bro!” is a standard greeting.<\/p>\n

Brah<\/strong> \ud83d\ude0e
\n\u2022 Purpose:<\/strong> Serves as a casual term of address, similar to dude.
\n\u2022 Tone:<\/strong> Often used to evoke a chill, laid-back persona. It is strongly associated with California surf culture and Hawaiian Pidgin.<\/p>\n

Bruh<\/strong> \ud83d\ude41
\n\u2022 Purpose:<\/strong> Most often used as an interjection to express a feeling or reaction, particularly frustration, annoyance, or disbelief.
\n\u2022 Tone:<\/strong> The exasperated sigh often accompanying the word is a key part of its meaning. It can also be used as a general exclamation for anything silly or ridiculous.<\/p>\n

As the proud dad of two pre-teens, I\u2019m constantly reminded of the proper use of brah and bruh in daily communication. Because I\u2019m committed to being hip, I\u2019ve started reinforcing this vocabulary when speaking to myself and my computer using the terms Pro, Prah, and Pruh.<\/p>\n

Like when I sit with my morning tea to start the day and open ArcGIS Pro, I typically greet it with a casual, \u201c\u2019Sup, Pro?\u201d<\/p>\n

When I saw the new Compare Schema<\/a> functionality added in ArcGIS Pro 3.6, I leaned back in amazement and was like, \u201cPrah!\u201d<\/p>\n

And with the new experience of repairing default project items in ArcGIS Pro 3.6, we hope to change that annoyed Pruh!*&% to a mellow Prah!<\/p>\n

Now that we have a shared vocabulary, let\u2019s get into the new experience for repairing default project items.<\/p>\n

Repair default project items<\/h2>\n

As stated above, every project must have a home folder, default geodatabase, and default toolbox. If you open a project in which one of these required items can’t be accessed, ArcGIS Pro can create a new default item for you. Alternatively, you can specify an existing item to be the default item or create a new default item yourself. You set your preferred option in the application General options under Repair Project Items. You can set different options for repairing the home folder, default geodatabase, and default toolbox.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952299,"id":2952299,"title":"RepairProjectItemsOptions","filename":"RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","filesize":266461,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/repairprojectitemsoptions","alt":"Repair project items options","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"The Repair Project Items section is new with ArcGIS Pro 3.6 and allows users to define the default behavior when project items are inaccessible.","name":"repairprojectitemsoptions","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:22:34","modified":"2025-12-18 21:23:55","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":1010,"height":732,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","medium-width":360,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":557,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","large-width":1010,"large-height":732,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","1536x1536-width":1010,"1536x1536-height":732,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","2048x2048-width":1010,"2048x2048-height":732,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions-642x465.png","card_image-width":642,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairProjectItemsOptions.png","wide_image-width":1010,"wide_image-height":732}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

A default item may become inaccessible for various reasons. For example, it may be deleted, moved, or renamed, or its containing folder may be deleted, moved, or renamed. If the item is on a network share, the network may be unavailable.<\/p>\n

Repair a default project item automatically<\/h3>\n

The default option is to repair default project items automatically. When this option is selected, ArcGIS Pro creates a new item with the same path previously stored for the item that is now inaccessible. It creates folders as needed to reconstruct this path. If the path cannot be reconstructed, a different path is used.<\/p>\n

Example: Automatically repair a home folder<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This example assumes that the Home Folder Handling<\/strong> option on the Options<\/strong> dialog box is set to Automatically create a new home folder<\/strong>. The default home folder is C:\\ProProjectsHome and the project file is in a different location.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952302,"id":2952302,"title":"AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder","filename":"AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","filesize":18971,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/automaticallyrepairhomefolder","alt":"","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"ProProjectsHome is the project\u2019s Home Folder stored directly on the C:\\ drive.","name":"automaticallyrepairhomefolder","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:27:45","modified":"2025-12-18 21:28:00","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":620,"height":323,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":242,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","medium_large-width":620,"medium_large-height":323,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","large-width":620,"large-height":323,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","1536x1536-width":620,"1536x1536-height":323,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","2048x2048-width":620,"2048x2048-height":323,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","card_image-width":620,"card_image-height":323,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder.png","wide_image-width":620,"wide_image-height":323}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

After the project is closed, suppose that the C:\\ProProjectsHome folder is deleted (or renamed or moved) on the operating system. When you reopen the project, a message indicates that the home folder is inaccessible, and a new one has been created. The new folder location is the same as the previous home folder location.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952307,"id":2952307,"title":"AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2","filename":"AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","filesize":18055,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/automaticallyrepairhomefolder2","alt":"Dialog box showing the automatic repair experience in ArcGIS Pro 3.6.","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"With the Home Folder Handling option on the Options dialog box set to Automatically create a new home folder, a new experience in ArcGIS Pro 3.6 notifies the user that a new folder has been automatically created, and that they can control default behavior.","name":"automaticallyrepairhomefolder2","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:29:23","modified":"2025-12-18 21:30:49","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":600,"height":324,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":251,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","medium_large-width":600,"medium_large-height":324,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","large-width":600,"large-height":324,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","1536x1536-width":600,"1536x1536-height":324,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","2048x2048-width":600,"2048x2048-height":324,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","card_image-width":600,"card_image-height":324,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/AutomaticallyRepairHomeFolder2.png","wide_image-width":600,"wide_image-height":324}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

When you click\u00a0OK<\/strong>\u00a0on the message, the project opens with the new home folder. The new home folder is empty. Any content stored in the previous home folder may be lost if the folder was deleted from the operating system.<\/p>\n

Repair a default project item by specifying a different item<\/h3>\n

If you don’t want\u00a0ArcGIS Pro\u00a0to manage default project item repair, you can set the item handling options to prompt you to select a different item. These options also allow you to create a new default item in a location you choose.<\/p>\n

The option to select an existing item is useful when a default project item has been moved or renamed but is still available on your computer or a network share. You can browse to the item (if you know where to find it) and update its path in\u00a0ArcGIS Pro\u00a0to make it accessible again.<\/p>\n

Example: Repair a default geodatabase by selecting an item<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This example assumes that the\u00a0Default Geodatabase Handling<\/strong>\u00a0option on the\u00a0Options<\/strong>\u00a0dialog box is set to\u00a0Prompt to specify a different geodatabase<\/strong>. The default geodatabase path is\u00a0C:\\Region\\WarehouseImpact.gdb.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952311,"id":2952311,"title":"SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase","filename":"SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","filesize":20746,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/specifydifferentgeodatabase","alt":"","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"WarehouseImpact.gdb is the project\u2019s default geodatabase stored in C:\\Region.","name":"specifydifferentgeodatabase","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:35:09","modified":"2025-12-18 21:35:26","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":622,"height":296,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":221,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","medium_large-width":622,"medium_large-height":296,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","large-width":622,"large-height":296,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","1536x1536-width":622,"1536x1536-height":296,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","2048x2048-width":622,"2048x2048-height":296,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","card_image-width":622,"card_image-height":296,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SpecifyDifferentGeodatabase.png","wide_image-width":622,"wide_image-height":296}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

After the project is closed, suppose that the path to the default geodatabase is changed on the operating system. When you reopen the project, a message indicates that the geodatabase is inaccessible. A repair path is suggested by default\u2014if you immediately click\u00a0OK<\/strong>\u00a0on the dialog box, ArcGIS Pro\u00a0creates a new default geodatabase in that location. However, if you know that the folder containing the default geodatabase was moved to a new location, you can browse to it and select the geodatabase.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952312,"id":2952312,"title":"OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable","filename":"OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","filesize":51770,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/originaldefaultgdbstillavailable","alt":"","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"The original default geodatabase is still available at a different location.","name":"originaldefaultgdbstillavailable","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:36:30","modified":"2025-12-18 21:37:08","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":647,"height":691,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","medium-width":244,"medium-height":261,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","medium_large-width":647,"medium_large-height":691,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","large-width":647,"large-height":691,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","1536x1536-width":647,"1536x1536-height":691,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","2048x2048-width":647,"2048x2048-height":691,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable-435x465.png","card_image-width":435,"card_image-height":465,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/OriginalDefaultGDBStillAvailable.png","wide_image-width":647,"wide_image-height":691}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952314,"id":2952314,"title":"DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow","filename":"DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","filesize":19499,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/defaultgdbrepairworkflow","alt":"","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"","name":"defaultgdbrepairworkflow","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:37:35","modified":"2025-12-18 21:37:35","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":776,"height":367,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":219,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","medium_large-width":768,"medium_large-height":363,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","large-width":776,"large-height":367,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","1536x1536-width":776,"1536x1536-height":367,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","2048x2048-width":776,"2048x2048-height":367,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","card_image-width":776,"card_image-height":367,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/DefaultGDBRepairWorkflow.png","wide_image-width":776,"wide_image-height":367}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

After you select the geodatabase and click\u00a0OK<\/strong>, the project opens with the updated path to the item. The original (inaccessible) default geodatabase displays a broken path and can be removed from the project.<\/p>\n"},{"acf_fc_layout":"image","image":{"ID":2952316,"id":2952316,"title":"RepairedDefaultGDB","filename":"RepairedDefaultGDB.png","filesize":18951,"url":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","link":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/products\/arcgis-pro\/data-management\/stop-recreating-missing-geodatabases-and-other-items-in-arcgis-pro\/repaireddefaultgdb","alt":"","author":"8932","description":"","caption":"Manually repaired path to the project\u2019s default geodatabase is C:\\GISData\\Region\\WarehouseImpact.gdb.","name":"repaireddefaultgdb","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":2952283,"date":"2025-12-18 21:38:47","modified":"2025-12-18 21:38:58","menu_order":0,"mime_type":"image\/png","type":"image","subtype":"png","icon":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/wp-includes\/images\/media\/default.png","width":620,"height":277,"sizes":{"thumbnail":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB-213x200.png","thumbnail-width":213,"thumbnail-height":200,"medium":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","medium-width":464,"medium-height":207,"medium_large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","medium_large-width":620,"medium_large-height":277,"large":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","large-width":620,"large-height":277,"1536x1536":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","1536x1536-width":620,"1536x1536-height":277,"2048x2048":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","2048x2048-width":620,"2048x2048-height":277,"card_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","card_image-width":620,"card_image-height":277,"wide_image":"https:\/\/www.esri.com\/arcgis-blog\/app\/uploads\/2025\/12\/RepairedDefaultGDB.png","wide_image-width":620,"wide_image-height":277}},"image_position":"center","orientation":"horizontal","hyperlink":""},{"acf_fc_layout":"content","content":"

Helping with many scenarios<\/h2>\n

We actively track user ideas and comments about how we can make ArcGIS Pro better for you, and while this new functionality does not specifically resolve each individual request, we thought it might be helpful to surface the following as additional scenarios where the new \u201cprompt to specify\u201d settings can be used to your advantage.<\/p>\n

Renaming ArcGIS Pro project with its APRX, file geodatabase and toolbox needs to be easy<\/a><\/p>\n

It is now possible to rename the project and related project items in File Explorer and easily link the project to the renamed items via the repair dialogs.<\/p>\n

When creating a new project, there should be an option to save the APRX in a different location than in the project folder<\/a> and Combine System Folders in a Project<\/a><\/p>\n

You can adjust your folder structure in File Explorer, for example, moving the geodatabase and toolbox into subfolders, or maintaining an organization standard set of subfolders. That can now be done and the project item paths can be repaired when needed using the workflows described in this blog.<\/p>\n

Add Options on Create New Project Dialog<\/a><\/p>\n

While not built in to the Create operation, if you were to delete a default geodatabase in File Explorer, with the \u201cprompt to specify\u201d option set, you will be prompted to choose a different default geodatabase when opening the project.<\/p>\n

If Start without a Template, save .gdb & .tbx with Project name (instead of default.gdb & default.tbx)<\/a><\/p>\n

With the new repair capabilities, you can rename the default.gdb and default.atbx in File Explorer and you will be able to select the renamed items as part of the repair process.<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h2>\n

Repair Project Items options are new in ArcGIS Pro 3.6 and allow users to define the default behavior when a project\u2019s home folder, default geodatabase or default toolbox are inaccessible. The pre-3.6 behavior of automatically creating these items was not desirable for workflows where data is managed outside of ArcGIS Pro and we hope that these new options will take you from Pruh \ud83d\ude41 to Prah \ud83d\ude0e.<\/p>\n

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