ESRI has released ArcGIS 9.3.1 Service Pack 2 (SP2). This service pack contains several performance improvements and maintenance fixes. Some of the fixes for ArcGIS Desktop included with this service pack  are:

  • FIND dialog can be very slow to open when map server layer contains many sub-layers
  • Selecting cartographic representation with the cartographic representation select tool is significantly slower than selecting with the editor tool and the selection tool
  • If you have an exception that has a dirty area crossing it and validate the topology the exception becomes an error
  • Stopping the trace tool at the beginning of a true curve adds a circle to the sketch
  • In some cases select by attributes from joined field selects many incorrect records
  • ArcMap crashes when reconciling and memory increases to almost 2GB (virtual bytes).
  • Security vulnerabilities reported for Microsoft Visual Basic 6 files that get installed with ArcGIS Desktop.
  • Using spatial join GP tool with feature classes having Z-values enabled, results in an empty output feature class in SDE
  • Spatial join in SDE geodatabase does not return any rows
  • SQL Server Express geodatabase locks are not consistently dropped preventing Detach
  • Importing symbology using the .lyr file with broken data source results in error, “The import geometry type does not match destination geometry type”, although the geometry type is appropriate
  • PDF export of representation markers may result in distorted marker symbols
  • If a field is indexed, the join seems to be incomplete; but if the index was not present, then the join is complete
  • Update ArcPress driver auto-selection to recognize new 2010 HP Designjet printers
  • Include ArcPress support for the HP Designjet 111, T770 24″, Z5200 series printers
  • Security vulnerabilities reported for Microsoft Visual Basic 6 files that get installed with ArcGIS Desktop
  • More.. Click here for a complete list of issues addressed with this service pack

ESRI recommends that customers using ArcGIS 9.3.1 download and install this service pack at their earliest convenience. This includes users of:

However newly released service packs have been known to cause additional problems. Keck & Wood recommends our clients review the issues addressed with the service pack. If none of these appear to apply to you and you are not experiencing any issues with you daily activities, then we would recommend not installing the Service Pack right away. Let others install it and see if it causes in any problems. If the service pack does fix some issues you have experienced trying to perform your normal duties, then definitely install the services pack as soon as possible.  You can visit the ESRI Support Center to download this service pack.

Tripp Corbin, MCP, CFM, GISP
Vice President GIS/IT
Keck & Wood, Inc.
www.keckwood.com