My original question:
I am running AV8 on Windows 2000, Pentium 3, 733 megahertz, 256mb
ram. When I ADD DATA to ArcMap it takes a very long time to navigate
to folders and such, it also does the same when SAVE AS.  I don't
have
the problem if I use AV3.2. Is anyone having this problem or can shed
some light on why AV8 is sooooooooooo slow. Draws slow too!!!

Many folks responded with the same problem, some on beefier systems
than mine, but Crystal Dorn from ESRI had the most comprehensive
answer.....Thanks Crystal!


When you add data to ArcMap with the Add Data dialog, it uses the
connections you have established in ArcCatalog.  The best thing to do
is make connections directly to the directories and folders where
your data are stored.  For example, in my ArcCatalog I've made a
connection to:  D:\ESRIDATA, D:\Project\Data\Shapes folders to access
the directories directly where my spatial data are located.  Then, I
deleted the connections to the D:\ and C:\ drives that are there by
default and try to use as few connections across the network in
Catalog as possible.
http://support.esri.com/search/KbDocument.asp?dbid=18211

Also, in ArcCatalog go to the Tools menu->Options->General tab.  Make
sure the "Use special icon for folders containing GIS data" is turned
off.  If this is off it definitely will speed up directory
navigation, b/c again it will search the contents of a folder to see
what's inside and set the appropriate icon if it finds geographic
data.  Also, try using ArcCatalog to drag and drop data into your map
instead of using the Add Data dialog.  See "Add Data button" in the
ArcGIS Desktop help index.  If the data are stored across a network,
there may be network tuning issues that your system administrator
could address.

When you are "saving as" in ArcMap, I assume you are saving doing a
map (mxd) document save.  In ArcMap under File->Map Properties there
is a checkbox for turning on/off "Save thumbnail image with map".
Every time you save, it creates a new thumbnail image (.bmp) that is
stored as part of the mxd file.  Its nice since you can use
ArcCatalog preview pane to view the map document w/o having to open
it.  What I do is the first time I make a map I keep that setting on,
save it with a bmp image, then turn that off.  Next time a save is
made it will be a lot faster, especially if you have a lot of labels,
graphics, images/rasters, etc. in your maps.  If my map changes
dramatically and I want the bitmap to update with it I just turn that
setting back, save my map, and turn the setting back off again.

Finally, some other tips to speed up performance for drawing speeds.
Make sure you create spatial indexes on all feature/vector data (In
ArcCatalog select your shapefiles->right click->Properties->Index
tab).  If using rasters and imagery make sure you create pyramids.
Set scale dependent renderers on layers in ArcMap (Right click layer
in TOC->Properties->General tab).  Also, check and make sure that you
have plenty of disk space on your system temp directory and you have
the appropriate paging file size properties set for your computer.
http://support.esri.com/search/KbDocument.asp?dbid=15331
I apologize if all this is obvious to you, just trying to cover all
the bases.

Finally, make sure to check out http://support.esri.com/ frequently.
The site has recently been updated and you can search many technical
documents written by ESRI staff, read user forums, lists, etc.  It's
a great way to learn about the new software and get tips for doing
things.  See the links for various software on the left hand column.




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