Configuring an ArcMap edit session to perform nonversioned edits

By default, ArcMap edit sessions are set to perform versioned edits. This means you can only edit data that has been registered as versioned.

To perform nonversioned edits on nonversioned data, you must first set an option on the Versioning tab of the Editing Options dialog box. Essentially, you must turn off versioned editing by unchecking Edit a version of the database with the ability to undo and redo.

Once you start editing, you cannot change the type of edit session while the edit session is open. If you later need to perform versioned edits, you must close the nonversioned edit session, recheck the Edit a version of the database with the ability to undo and redo option, and start a versioned edit session.

Tip:

When you start your nonversioned edit session, if you receive an error message indicating you cannot edit because all the data sources in the map are registered as versioned or you lack privileges to modify the data sources that are not registered as versioned, check to be sure that there are actually nonversioned datasets present in ArcMap, that you have privileges to edit the nonversioned dataset, and that the nonversioned dataset does not participate in a relationship with another dataset that is registered as versioned.

Steps:

1. If the Editor toolbar is not already open, click Customize on the main menu, point to Toolbars, and click Editor.
2. Click the Editor drop-down menu on the Editor toolbar.
3. Click Options.
4. Click the Versioning tab.
5. Uncheck Edit a version of the database with the ability to undo and redo.
6. Click OK.

Tip:

If you need to create features during a nonversioned edit session and your fields have NOT NULL or UNIQUE value constraints, these constraints must be satisfied when the features are created. See Editing nonversioned data with constraints.