If Add a layer to Map Maker or Arc Explorer takes ages to load, the following will see you thru.
Add a single raster tile from the area you want to look at first, even at 1:50k it should speed things up.
Zoom in, then add the Master Map Layer.
Category: Map Maker
Map Maker Step Guide
Our first step guide concentrates on Map Maker.
Why Map Maker first? Map Maker is harder to get into for beginners, but it has some basic features that we want to be able to use, such as high quality printing.
Computer Hangs
Map Maker will handle fairly large data sets, but there are a instances when it has a tendency to hang.
Too many layers
If you are working with many layers, try clearing any layers you do not need. Try also using the drop-in drop out functions, to show layers at the appropriate map scale.
When you try to load a big .shp file the timer never stops, OS Master Map for example.
We have created a .dra of OS Master Map which seems to overcome the hanging problems.
To create a .dra from a .shp use the UTILITIES > VECTOR menus to import the file and save it as .dra