Layers and stand-alone tables display information from a data source. If that data source is moved or renamed, the connection is broken. To fix this, do any of the following:
- To fix broken links identified on a map by the broken data source button
, click the button, and browse to the data source. - To change the data source of a layer or a stand-alone table, open its Properties dialog box. On the Source tab, click Set Data Source and browse to the data source.
- To automate the updating of data sources with Python, see Updating and fixing data sources.
- To manage all the data sources referenced in the current project, you can access them from a Catalog view. You can update the paths in one item, like a single map in the project, or access all the paths across the project. You can find and replace specific strings within the paths. To update paths in the current project, follow the steps referenced below.
Caution:
There are some limitations to updating data source paths from a Catalog. The following layer types and workspaces are not supported using this method:
- Stream layers
- Layers from in-memory workspaces
- Network analysis layers
- Map service layers
- Route event layers
- Web feature layers
- Query layers. You can change the data sources of a query
layer while in the Workspace mode
. If you update them from the Item mode 
, the query layer's source is
replaced by a standard feature class.
Update data sources for project items
To update the data sources of all layers and stand-alone tables in the current project simultaneously, follow these steps:
- Switch to a Catalog view.
Or, to open one, on the View tab, in the Windows group, click Catalog View
. - On the Catalog tab, in the Update group, click Data Sources
to open the Update Data Sources mode of the Catalog view. All the layers and stand-alone tables in the project are listed along with the path to their data source. You can filter this list to show only the contents of one map by selecting the map in the Contents pane. - Choose whether to view the data source paths of the project items or a list of all unique workspaces referenced by the project. Under Manage, on the Data Sources tab, in the View group, click Item or Workspace .
- In the New Path column, type or paste a new file path for any item listed. You can right-click any path in the Current Path column and click Copy or click the Browse button
to browse to a new path for any item that is listed. - Under Manage, on the Data Sources tab, in the Manage Changes group, click Apply
. These changes persist throughout the current application session. Save the project to apply them permanently. - Under Manage, on the Data Sources tab, click Close
to close the Update Data Sources mode of the Catalog view.
Find and replace portions of a path
If a folder location was renamed or restructured, you can find and replace portions of data source paths in the current project. For example, if a folder named MonthlyData was renamed AnnualData, you can find all instances of the first string in all the data source paths and replace them with the second string.
- Switch to a Catalog view.
Or, to open one, on the View tab, in the Windows group, click Catalog View .
- On the Catalog tab, in the Update group, click Data Sources to open the Update Data Sources mode of the Catalog view.
All the layers and stand-alone tables in the project are listed along with the path to their data source.
- Under Manage, on the Data Sources tab, in the Tools group, click Find and Replace
. - Type a string in the first text box. Optionally, select items to limit the replacement to those items only. If no items are selected, the replacement is made to all items.
- Type a replacement string in the second text box. Click the Replace button
to replace the string one item at a time, or click the Replace All button 
to replace all instances simultaneously. - Under Manage, on the Data Sources tab, in the Manage Changes group, click Apply . These changes persist throughout the current application session. Save the project to apply them permanently.
- Click the Close button
to the right of the text boxes to close the Find and Replace controls. - Under Manage, on the Data Sources tab, click Close to close the Update Data Sources mode of the Catalog view.