1. The RiverGuide GIS uses free GIS software provided by ESRI. You can download the software from ESRI’s web site.

(If you are using the RiverGuide on CD-ROM, go here for GIS software.)

2. At the ESRI web site, choose the download option for ArcExplorer2. ArcExplorer2 is a Windows  desktop application. You must have Microsoft  Windows 95, 98, 2000,  or Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 installed on your system in order to run ArcExplorer2. If you are running Windows NT, you must have Service Pak 3 installed.

After downloading, double-click on the executable file (.exe) and follow the installation instructions.

3. You may choose instead to download and install the Java version -- ArcExporer 3. (This is the only version you can run on a Mac, Sun, UNIX, or another Java-compatible operating system.  It also runs on Windows; follow the installation directions.) 

ArcExplorer 3 has some features not found in ArcExplorer 2. Instructions in this tutorial can be adapted to ArcExplorer3.

4. Next, download the RiverGuide GIS Map Layers.