Cannot find Enable Attachments in ArcCatalog 10.1

Question

I am using ArcCatalog 10.1 but I cannot find the option "Enable Attachments" when I right click on a shapefile. Please see the picture below too.

There was another question similar to this in this forum but the solution proposed was to convert shapefile to GDB. Can anyone guide me how to do that? Or is there another way to enable attachments.?

I also converted the shapefile to shapefile stored under geodatabase. See the picture below

However my TestingB.shp also doesnot have the attachments option on right click same as TestingA file.

Answer 1

I've attached an image showing what you need to do for the first step. Namely, turn the Shapefile into a Featureclass. A Featureclass can only reside inside a Geodatabase (aka GDB).

Alternately you can create a GDB and import your Shapefile into it by R-click, etc. See this image below.

As Alex Tereshenkov said - You can only enable attachments to a Featureclass, which by definition will reside inside a GDB. Shapefiles with attachments are disallowed.

Now you can enable attachments as per normal.

Answer 2

Attachments can be enabled only on feature classes stored within a geodatabase (this can be any type of geodatabase - personal, file, or enterprise). You cannot attach your files to a shapefile because there is no container the data can be stored in.

To convert your shapefile to a geodatabase, you can use a GP tool Feature Class To Feature Class (Conversion) or just right-click the shapefile and choose Export > To Geodatabase (which will start the GP tool dialog box).