MakeFeatureLayer fails with lyr file

[StevePeaslee]

I have a layer (.lyr) file created using a shapefile joined to a MS Access table (registered with OBJECTID). The layer file works fine in ArcMap when using the Add Data button but fails with a useless error message when using MakeFeatureLayer (tool or script). This behavior occurs under 9.2 and 9.3.1.

No problems occur when the layer file is created using join between a gdb featureclass and table. Has anyone else gotten this to work? Converting the shapefile to a gdb featureclass is not an option. I need to be able to work with the data as is.

-Steve

[ChrisSnyder]

What ArcMap version was the .lyr file created with? Generally, the .lyr files are version-sensitive and not backwards compatible.

Other than that, I'm not sure why it wouldn't work... It's not a composite layer (made up from more than one GIS layer), right?

You could just recreate anew it your script (MakeFeatureLayer, AddJoin)... That's what I do (rather than using a .lyr as the data source).

[StevePeaslee]

Chris, thanks for the reply.

Everything is done (creating featurelayers and lyr files) using the same version of ArcGIS, in fact it is all done within the same script. I was mainly trying to see if anyone else had run into this problem (it's easy enough to test) and if so I might submit it as a bug. If nothing else a better error message would be useful.

I can work around the problem as you suggest but would prefer to find a way to get the lyr file with the join to work properly with MakeFeatureLayer.

-Steve