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In ArcGIS for Desktop 10.1, is there a way to change the temp folder where data gets processed?

My temp folder is C:\Users\langerb\AppData\Local\Temp\arc5D6A. I want to change this to a different drive with more space.

I know there's an environmental setting for scratch workspace, and a setting for the display cache, but I can't find a setting to change the temp folder.

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    Perhaps the workaround suggested in this thread might help: Is there a new temp path behaviour in ArcGIS 10.1?
    – Joseph
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 13:27
  • Interesting, but looks like it's dealing just with AddIns, and subfolders within the temp folder. I want to change the drive of the temp folder entirely.
    – Bernie L
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 13:44

3 Answers 3

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ESRI support gave me this solution:

You can change the directory location using the ArcMap Advanced Settings Utility.

  1. Navigate to your Program Files (x86) > ArcGIS folder > Desktop10.x (depending on the version you are using) > Utilities > ArcMap Advanced Settings Utility.
  2. Once opened, navigate to the Systems Path tab, and you should be able to edit the last box 'Output temp file path':

ArcMap Advanced Settings Utility

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As an update, the solution to change temp files directory via the Advanced Settings Utility does not work and is a recognised bug for Arc 10.5.1 and possibly later versions. See the ticket here.

Currently, the only way to redirect the temp files for Arcmap is to change the Windows environment variable TMP. I have verified this works.

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the "arc5D6A" folder is the folder ArcGIS creates as a temporary space, inside your local user's temp directory. This folder is uniquely named for each session. As said, ArcGIS uses your user defined temp directory, thats a windows setting.

This article explains how to change it for the ArcGISSOC account, but the same steps apply to changing the temp directory for your personal/domain windows account.

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  • Thanks. It's a shame that you can't set a different temp folder just for ArcGIS, because its temp files can be far far larger than the temp files created by any other programs. I'd prefer not to mess with their temp folder.
    – Bernie L
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 13:43
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    You can set the scratchworkspace and have output generated there if you set the path in the tool parameter. Or are you using tools that need to write to the arc-temp dir (ie. you cant control)?
    – KHibma
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 13:50
  • I'm using Zonal Statistics to Table, which needs to write to the temp directory.
    – Bernie L
    Commented Mar 30, 2016 at 13:59

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