DWG Files Completely Locking Up ArcMap 10.0

[WilliamTonning]

My company primarily uses ArcMap 10.0 on our Windows 7 machines as our mapping software but any engineering plans for the sites we visit are usually in DWG format. For the last few years we have had little trouble in overlaying CAD files into ArcMap for ease of reference, but we have been having problems for the last three months or so. When in ArcMap, trying to select a DWG from the ArcCatalog sidebar will consistently lock up the computer, and no amount of waiting will help. We have tried saving the DWG's as older drawings and we continue to have any problems. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Thanks.

[AnantThunuguntla]

My company primarily uses ArcMap 10.0 on our Windows 7 machines as our mapping software but any engineering plans for the sites we visit are usually in DWG format. For the last few years we have had little trouble in overlaying CAD files into ArcMap for ease of reference, but we have been having problems for the last three months or so. When in ArcMap, trying to select a DWG from the ArcCatalog sidebar will consistently lock up the computer, and no amount of waiting will help. We have tried saving the DWG's as older drawings and we continue to have any problems. Any ideas or help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Can you give us more details? Size of CAD file, version etc.

[WilliamTonning]

Can you give us more details? Size of CAD file, version etc.

The DWG was created using AutoCAD 2010 and is a little over 8 MB. We have opened files much like this consistently for the last few years and only recently have we had the problem with ArcMap hanging and becoming unusable until it is shut down via End Task.

[margaretcarew]

Another thought...be sure all xrefs are included in the dwg

[WilliamTonning]

As a follow-up, my business has upgraded to ArcGIS 10.1 and we have installed SP 1 and the CAD files can now be imported onto the map without any difficulties. I am not sure why 10.0 wouldn't display them and had tried saving the .dwgs as different Autocad versions and including all references. If anyone has a similar problem and finds a fix feel free to post it for anyone that may have been having the same trouble as I.

[BrookeO_Neill]

As a follow-up, my business has upgraded to ArcGIS 10.1 and we have installed SP 1 and the CAD files can now be imported onto the map without any difficulties. I am not sure why 10.0 wouldn't display them and had tried saving the .dwgs as different Autocad versions and including all references. If anyone has a similar problem and finds a fix feel free to post it for anyone that may have been having the same trouble as I.

I am having the same problem except that I am running ArcGIS 10.1 and have SP1 installed.  When I try to add certain dwgs into ArcMap or view them in the Catalog tree, ArcGIS gets hung up/freezes.  These files are only 600 kb, so size is not an issue.

[KarenHodge]

If you can, please contact technical support about this.  They can check out your drawings and make sure the development team knows about any problems.

I am having the same problem except that I am running ArcGIS 10.1 and have SP1 installed.  When I try to add certain dwgs into ArcMap or view them in the Catalog tree, ArcGIS gets hung up/freezes.  These files are only 600 kb, so size is not an issue.