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When I load a shapefile into the ArcMap 10.3.1 table of contents from either the ArcMAP built in catalog window, over the yellow plus sign or by drag-and-drop from ArcCatalog, I am then unable to delete the shapefile after I have removed it from my ArcMap window because of a lock. I find it extremely irritating and am unable to delete it until the ArcMAP Application is closed. Even starting a new project doesn´t seem to get rid of the lock file.

Is there anything I can do to stop ArcMap behaving this way?

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  • Do you mean deleting it via the catalog window or in the file-manager (windows explorer..)? I know the problem when the folder is open in the catalog. Closing the folder structrue there sometimes helps as arcmap puts the lock on the whole folder for editing. Commented Feb 3, 2017 at 10:24
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    What are the precise steps for reproducing the software behaviour that you describe? We have lots of Q&As here tagged lock and arcgis-desktop that you may wish to review: gis.stackexchange.com/questions/tagged/…. They very rarely get in my way so I am wondering what workflow you are using that is causing them not to be cleaned up. Commented Feb 3, 2017 at 10:47
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    If you do not try to drag and drop datasets from ArcCatalog to ArcMap do you still have this problem? The Catalog window and Add Data button should be fine to use but I would avoid that ArcCatalog workflow like the plague. Commented Feb 3, 2017 at 11:42
  • Please be sure to specify the exact software versions involved in every post. Have you save the map document without a reference to the data? The lock may be associated with an object that has been deleted but not garbage-collected. Commented Feb 3, 2017 at 15:32
  • When you say "unable to delete the shapefile after I have removed it from my ArcMap window", do you mean after removing a Layer from the Table of Contents that you are unable to delete its source shapefile? If so, precisely how are you trying to delete it? Commented Feb 4, 2017 at 8:24

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To avoid problems with your shp being locked when you want to remove it without closing ArcMap, you should remove your shapefile by Catalog panel, not Windows explorer. Simply find your shp in Catalog panel tree and right-click on it to remove it. (If you have problem finding your files in Catalog panel, remember you should add your folder path).

You can open Catalog panel on the side of your ArcMap window. While running ArcMap with your shapefiles you should manipulate your shp with this panel, not by Windows file explorer to avoid problems with locks or broken paths.

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  • You seem to be referring to the Catalog window of ArcMap as ArcCatalog. ArcCatalog is a separate application. You cannot "open ArcCatalog as panel on the side of your ArcMap window" but you can open the Catalog window as a panel on the side of your ArcMap application. Your advice about avoiding Windows Explorer is sound but I would also recommend avoiding the ArcCatalog application for these workflows. Commented Feb 4, 2017 at 9:14
  • Thanks PolyGeo for your comment, of course here I meant the Catalog panel of ArcMap application, not separate ArcCatalog app, so I edited my answer. But also worth to know, when I experienced some problems with ArcMap locking the files even after removing layer from content window, using ArcCatalog (as separate application) also helped me to remove that files. Commented Feb 4, 2017 at 22:04
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I am unable to reproduce the software behaviour that you describe.

In ArcMap I do the following steps:

  1. Drag and drop a shapefile into a Blank Map
  2. Remove the layer just created from the Table of Contents
  3. Delete the shapefile using the Catalog window

The layer and then the shapefile were removed and deleted respectively, as expected.

I can only explain the symptoms that you are describing if either you or another user are accessing the shapefile via ArcMap, ArcCatalog or some other application.

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