Error 999998: Unexpected Error in most 10.6 Spatial Analyst tools

[GrantZimmerman1]

I cannot for the life of me figure this out.  I keep getting Error 999998: Unexpected Error when I use tools such as any Map Algebra or Zonal Statistics.  I can get a few to work (Zonal Statistics with the Maximum Statistic) but the values it produces seem completely wonky.  I did everything that this post listed the author had done, as well as a clean install (including clearing registry keys) and still I keep getting 999998 in 10.6.  I have also made sure cell sizes were identical, tried with different rasters and feature classes.

I was able to get the tools working by reverting to 10.5.1 and then installing this patch, however when I upgraded back to 10.6, I was again faced with the same problems.  I have a sneaking suspicion that the problem may be that the problem fixed by the patch was not in fact fixed in 10.6 as evidenced by the fact that the bug numbers are not included in the 10.6 Issued Addressed List.  If this is the case (I could easily be wrong about this, if a bug is fixed with an optional patch, it may be included in the next update but not listed), I can't fix it in 10.6 because I can't apply a 10.5.1 patch to 10.6.

Anyways, I'm about at my wits end.  Has anyone else had problems running Map Algebra tools and Zonal Statistics in 10.6?  Or perhaps have another thing I might try that I or the referenced post haven't mentioned?  Perhaps ESRI would like to let me know if the bug that was patched in 10.5.1 was in fact fixed in 10.6?

Any help would be appreciated.  As a side note, I would have gone to ESRI for help, but I have a student EVA license which means I'm just supposed to go to my professor for help.  As you can imagine, my professor is not an ESRI tech.  So thus the only recourse I have is to post the issue and hope some brilliant and helpful soul has a solution.  We're also, for unknown reasons, not allowed to license Pro, which from what I hear is becoming much better than Desktop.  ESRI, you would do well to remember that students like me aren't petulant children, we're the next generation.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Well, your professor... or more likely the person in charge of the site license... can file a tech support request.

Now I know that may not be the best, because the poor sod probably knows nothing about GIS, but that is where you come in providing as detailed a description of your hardware and software configuration.  And you have run all the 'test your machine' stuff on the main help pages.

So... 10.5 works.  I have had no problem with 10.6,  which leaves your profile, which I presume you reset.

Now, did you install any 3rd party extensions? if so remove them and try again.

That didn't work, then look at your work folders... failures with the spatial analyst tools most likely means that you are trying to work in a folder with spaces in it... or off a 'cloudy' drive, or a usb drive... something drive related.  Create a folder.... c:\GIS\Projects .... put all your stuff in there and use your cloud and usb drives to back those up.. only... back up.

If you are using a Mac of some sort, there are requirements for that, because there are mac's configured correctly and those that may be configured less so.

So Details please...

Begin with this page http://desktop.arcgis.com/en/arcmap/latest/get-started/setup/arcgis-desktop-system-requirements.htm

and run the test in the upper middle of the page and report... If it is less than spectacular (actually not a choice) then you might have 'machine issues'.

BTW... tell the prof that Pro is really nice and the summer would be a good time to make the migration

[GrantZimmerman1]

Thank you so much for the quick reply Dan.  I should say that your comments on other threads have already saved me multiple times.  I tested my computer, I pass with flying colors.  I'm running Windows 10 Home, with 16GB of DDR3 Ram, a 256GB SSD with lots of empty space, a Quad-Core Intel i5-8250 at 1.8 GHz with a 2GB dedicated Nvidia GeForceMX150 Graphics card.  The only possible flag is that any one of my processing cores runs at only 1.8GHz, but with 8 cores, it has an overall preformance rating of 11.56 GHz, so that shouldn't be an issue.  Plus Zonal Statistics is designed to parallel process anyways.

I also followed your advice and moved my scratch and current directories to just beyond C:\  (I had them in a Dropbox folder), but that did nothing.  There are also no spaces in the paths.  I have no extensions installed, and deactivated all extensions but Spatial Analyst, still no improvement.  I'm digging into the Windows Event Viewer, but so far I don't think there's anything there.  I have also looked at the log files in the ArcToolbox/History directory, they provide no information.  Is there perhaps a log file I'm missing?  Something for ArcMap in general beyond just the geoprocessing logs?

I should also point out the Spatial Analyst tools I've found that do work, namely Topo to Raster as well as Int.  Those both seem to work without error.  Also, while most tools simply throw a 999998 code, Raster Calculator has the added plus that when I click to reopen the tool in modelbuilder after a failure, ArcMap vanishes without so much as a crash notification window.

Also, to your comment about switching, I would hope many professors are thinking that already.  I personally am working more or less independently on a thesis project and thus my choice of platform isn't tied to anyone but ESRI.  My frustration with ESRI is that when I go to the EducationEdition site I can see Pro, I can download it, I can install it, but I just can't license it.  While I'm sure ESRI has some reasoning that what students are able to license has to do with their school, it seems to me like it would be a simple and smart thing to simply allow all EVA licenses to work with Pro just as they do with 10.3, 4. 5.1 and  6 and a bunch of extensions. Students working independently can make the change immediately and even students tied to class requirements can at least start playing around with the next generation of GIS software.  But I suppose having massive market share precludes the need to make smart business decisions such as this.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Grant... not sure, but *.dmp files are

C:\Users\...YOU...\AppData\Local\ESRI\ErrorReports 

 Your machine, doesn't sound like a hardware issue

As for licensing of Pro, if I remember, that is a uni/college thing.  I think it boils down to whether the institution is willing to support/install both platforms. 

You can get the licenses, I just requested them for my students by the class and our license manager (in our library) set the whole thing up easily. 

It is not an esri issue, they have set up the system nicely.   It is likely internal inertia

See if your advisor will at least direct you to that person, especially for thesis work, it won't cost them anything.

Good luck

[GrantZimmerman1 · Accepted solution]

I figured out my issue.  Under ArcMap Options, in the Raster Tab, the setting 'Maximum number of unique values to render' was set too high.  If you're experiencing 999998 issues with Spatial Analyst or other Raster tools, it would be a good idea to add this to the list of things to check.

[DanPatterson_Retired]

Grant, did you have it set too high in 10.5 as well? or did you set it after upgrading to 10.6?

It might be default parameter not reset when the user application profile is reset.  It would be worth looking into I suppose, but usually resets, software repairs fix those things.

It is on the list now anyway

[RaySpaniare]

The profound confusion is finally dispelled. Thank you very  much.

[KimBuck]

Grant, I have been having the same issue for weeks (Error 999998 with 10.6 and some Spatial Analyst tools). I even have access to ESRI technical support and they couldn't help me with this. I had also done a clean install and taken all the spaces out of my file paths and done every other step I could possibly think of. I cannot thank you enough. I changed my unique raster values to draw from 100,000,000 to 100,000 and now it works. Thanks. 

[curtvprice]

Sounds like a good plan.  If you want to draw more than 100,000 unique values to draw for a raster, instead of cranking up this value to zillions using the ArcMap options,  IMHO a better choice would be to use the Discrete Value renderer instead of unique values. This wraps every n values (specificed by the renderer) but may give you the kind of display you were looking for.