Troubleshooting data packaging error messages
Not all data or published maps can be packaged. If the data or map cannot be packaged, a Publisher message will appear listing the published map layer or layers that cannot be packaged. If you have selected multiple maps to package and an error occurs, no maps will be packaged.
The following error messages may occur during data packaging:
Data package permission
The map publisher determines whether the map can be published using the Allow Data Packaging setting. To package the map, it will have to be republished with the Allow Data Packaging setting checked on.
If the published map can't be opened in ArcMap, a new published map with the appropriate settings will need to be published from the map document.
- Open the map you want to publish in ArcMap.
- Click the Publisher menu and click Settings.
- Click the Security tab.
- Check Allow Data Packaging and click OK.
Broken data links
Published maps with broken data references cannot be packaged. To package the map, the data sources will have to be restored. If you cannot publish broken data links, it is likely that access to the data has changed since the map was published.
Incompatible data type
An incompatible data type message will occur if any data in the chosen map or maps is not supported with the current Data Packager settings. In most cases, it is possible to package all supported ArcGIS data types using the copy option, but there are a few exceptions. The information below details the data and feature types with packaging limitations.
The following nonsimple geodatabase features can only be packaged using the copy option:
- Simple junction
- Simple edge
- Complex junction
- Complex edge
- Annotation
- Coverage annotation
- Dimension
- Topology
- Managed raster fields in a file geodatabase
- Raster catalogs in a file geodatabase
The following data can only be packaged to file geodatabases:
- ArcSDE layers with a raster field
The following data cannot be packaged to file geodatabases:
- Feature tables with more than 255 fields
The following data cannot be packaged with the copy option:
- ArcSDE nonsimple geodatabase features
- ArcSDE raster catalogs
- ArcSDE raster data
- ArcSDE raster fields
Learn more about data limitations that do not produce an error message
Data package directories
When creating a Data Package directory, errors will occur if there is no write access to the chosen data package location. The problems usually occur when overwriting an existing data package while another application is accessing the package. Make sure that no other software is accessing the folder to which you are writing the package.
Document time-out exceeded
Map publishers can set a time-out date for the published map. Once a map has timed out, it cannot be used and will have to be republished with a new time-out date.
Published maps with time-out dates can be published, and the time-out will be maintained in the packaged map. It is not possible to package maps that have already expired.
- Open the map in ArcMap.
- Click the Publisher menu and click Settings.
- Click the Other tab.
- Adjust the time-out date and click OK.
Data packages cannot be created for published maps that contain globe content
This error message will appear if a published map with globe content is chosen for packaging. Due to the general size and nature of globe data, it is not supported for packaging at this time.
Unexpected error has occurred
This error may occur for a variety of reasons:
- When there is not enough space to hold the data package. Make sure the disk drive has enough space to hold the data package.
- If you are working across a network and the network connection is lost.
- If you are packaging a file geodatabase using the copy option and do not have write permissions, or another application is accessing the data in the original data directory. A lock file is created in the location of the original data to prevent the geodatabase from being modified during the packaging process, thus requiring unrestricted write access.