Trial Software Help and Resources: ArcGIS Desktop 10 Trial Software

All the help and resources you need to get up and running with your trial software are provided here through videos, instructions, and commonly asked questions.

Before You Start

• Check our system requirements to make sure your computer has the hardware and software required for the trial.
• The trial software cannot be installed on a computer that has a previous version of ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Server installed. It's OK if the computer has ArcGIS Explorer installed.
• The download file sizes are 3.76 Gb for ArcGIS Desktop 10 and 1.87 Gb for the optional tutorial data. Download times vary depending on your Internet connection.

Download and Extract

This video will show you how to extract the ISO file containing the trial software.

The steps are also listed in the How To section below.

How to Download and Extract

1. At this point, you should have a file from a DVD or from the Internet. If you don't have the file, request the trial software.
2. Install the free image (ISO) extractor program 7-Zip, then use it to extract the files.
3. Go to Start > 7-Zip > File Manager. Locate and click ArcGIS Desktop.exe, then click Extract. Choose a location for the extracted files and click OK. This process can take a couple of minutes.

4. Installation

   

   This video will show you how to install and authorize the trial software.

   The steps are also listed in the How To section below.
   
   
   
   How to Install and Authorize

   1. Go to /DotNet35 folder and run setup.exe to install the Microsoft® .NET Framework 3.5 SP1. This isrequired to install ArcGIS Desktop.
   2. Go to the DVD or to your extracted ISO image location and run Esri.exe. This opens the Quick Start Guide.
      
      Note: The Quick Start Guide contains instructions that do not pertain to the trial edition. Please disregard the following sections: All sections on the ArcGIS License Manager 10, Authorize ArcGIS Desktop 10 Concurrent Use, Borrowing and returning licenses, and Getting Support.
   3. It's required that you uninstall any previous versions of ArcGIS Desktop or ArcGIS Server before running the setup. Under Uninstall Existing ArcGIS Software, click Detect Conflicts to remove previous versions.
   4. To the right of ArcGIS Desktop, click Setup.
   5. Click Next and accept the license agreement. Choose Complete and click Next. Click Next to accept all default settings, then click Finish.

   6. Using ArcGIS

      Starting ArcGIS Desktop 10

      ArcGIS Desktop contains two applications: ArcMap and ArcCatalog. ArcMap provides data display, query, and analysis. ArcCatalog provides data management.
      To start the software, click Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > then choose ArcMap 10 or ArcCatalog 10.

      Resources and Tutorials

      • Many tutorials are found in the ArcGIS Desktop Help. To perform the exercises in the tutorials, you'll need to install the ArcGIS tutorial data.
      • You'll find additional resources such as what's new, forums, blogs, samples, downloads, and knowledge-base articles on the ArcGIS Resource Center. You can also access it from from Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > ArcGIS Desktop Help menu.
      • Free, one-hour recorded training seminars are also available.

      Trial Period and Expiration

      • The trial period begins when you initiate the authorization process and Esri issues your authorization file. If you installed the software but have not authorized it, your trial period has not started. The trial period varies with the edition you have:
        • Standard edition: 60 days
        • Esri Press edition: 180 or 90 days (varies by book)
        • Education edition: 365 days
      • You can see the expiration information by using the ArcGIS Desktop Administrator. Click Start > All Programs > ArcGIS > Desktop Administrator > then click on the Availability folder.
      • You cannot extend the trial period or reinstall the trial software.