Set up your computer system by verifying the checklist and system requirements, and by following the download and installation procedures below.



To use the learning modules, you need:


Check your system specifications to ensure they meet requirements before installation:
  • Windows: Windows XP, 100 MB hard drive space, Pentium III or faster processor, minimum 256 MB RAM, VGA or higher resolution monitor (graphics card required) and a high-speed Internet connection
  • Macintosh: Mac OS 10.2, 10.3, or 10.4, 100 MB hard drive space, minimum 256 MB RAM and a high-speed Internet connection
  • On both platforms, AEJEE will install its own Java Runtime Engine.
  • See http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/about/sys-reqs.html for complete details.
Before installing a new version of AEJEE, uninstall any previous version. Navigate to the software folder (typically C:/ESRI/AEJEE), open the UNINSTALL_AEJEE folder and run the uninstaller. It will delete only the core files, not any user-installed files, such as data or projects. (Source: ESRI AEJEE)



Download duration: approximately 5 to 10 minutes with a high-speed Internet connection

The free educational GIS software by ESRI is called ArcExplorer — Java Edition for Education (AEJEE). The installation program creates the GIS software, and bundled data files and manual.

Note for Mac users: The learning modules refer to a Microsoft Windows operating system. However, ArcExplorer — Java Edition for Education (AEJEE) works similarly on the Macintosh, since it runs on a Java Environment in both systems. As such, instructions may vary slightly for Macintosh users. If necessary, consult the AEJEE PDF manual (aejee23.pdf) in the ESRI folder: (Mac folder)/ESRI/AEJEE/Data/Lessons/.

  • Navigate to http://www.esri.com/software/arcexplorer/download-education.html. You will be asked to register a valid email address before proceeding to the download page. Follow the instructions to download ArcExplorer — Java Edition for Education (AEJEE) to your desktop or a specific folder on your hard drive.
  • The software and data sets are compressed in an installation file (Zip file) that is approximately 113 MB (megabytes) in size for the Windows version and 86.8 MB for the Macintosh version. So, depending on your download speed, it may take some time to download from the ESRI server. For example, a high-speed Internet connection can complete the download in less than five minutes.


  • Navigate to the location where you downloaded the software installation Zip file and right-click your mouse to extract the Install file.
  • Click on the Install file to launch the installation program. The files are usually installed directly to the hard drive by default: C:/ESRI. The directory folder (C:/ESRI/AEJEE) contains folders for data and software files. Note the location of the Data folder for future reference.


Online assistance and a store of information, tips and lesson plans are available from the ArcExplorer (AEJEE) GIS education community at http://blogs.esri.com/Info/blogs/gisedcom/.