Add Basemap throws exception

[KevinWiley]

When attempting to Add Basemap "An exception occurred during a WebClient request" message appears. Step 5 works from Troubleshooting issues adding ArcGIS Online basemaps to ArcMap | Support Services Blog 

So, a basemap can be added, just not with the Add Basemap interface. The above link suggests: "If you can add a service successfully, it indicates a problem specifically with the Add Basemap command. If this is the case, you should consider contacting Esri Technical Support to further troubleshoot the issue."

Any assistance in further troubleshooting the issue would be appreciated.

[Robert_LeClair]

Kevin - in addition to the troubleshooting link, an resource recommends a "clean" uninstall of ArcMap to remove the issue.  The steps are as follows:

1. Uninstall ArcGIS 10.x. Remove any ArcGIS programs from the Add/Remove programs list, if there are any extensions remove those first before uninstalling ArcGIS 10.x Desktop. 

2. Uninstall all Python programs (2.6 is installed with 10.0 and 2.7 with 10.1 and 10.2 and 10.3). If Python is not listed in the Control Panel, delete the folder(s) at C:\Python26 or C:\Python27

3. Go to C:\Users\'your login'\AppData\Roaming and delete the ESRI Folder (and the Esri_old folder).

4. Go to Start > Run and type regedit and press the Enter Key 
4.2. Delete the ESRI Folder (and the Esri_old folder) in HKEY_CURRENT_USER > Software 
4.3. Delete the ESRI Folder in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > Software 

5. Delete the ArcGIS Folder in C:\Program Files(x86)\Common files.  Do the same for the C:\Program Files\Common files folder if applicable.

6. Delete the ArcGIS Folder in C:\Program files(x86).  Do the same for the C:\Program Files folder if applicable.

7. If the ArcGIS program still exists in the Add remove Program list, download the Windows Installer cleanup Utility (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2438651/) and it will clean up that list. 

8. Install ArcGIS 10.x (Python will install automatically)

Hope this helps!

Regards,

Robert LeClair

Esri-Denver

[AndresCastillo]

Hi, 

I had the same error message as the OP.

The solution turned out to be that I needed to delete all available settings in internet explorer, as that is my company's default browser:

This is because although, you do not need to be signed in to ArcGIS Online to access the publicly available basemap gallery, ArcMap still makes a web HTTP call to those public web maps.

You can prove it is an HTTP call by looking at the fiddler traffic when you try to insert a basemap into the mxd.

If some internet cache/cookie is not good, it will block this call.

Oddly enough though, if I ran ArcMap as my local machine's administrator, it worked without clearing the internet history.

Maybe fiddler re-routes the http traffic through its' own web traffic mediuem, as opposed to the default internet medium for the computer.

[Sean_Wray]

The solution below worked for me...

Delete any DefaultDomain_Path folders. (Note, this may also help if the search window appears, but doesn't find anything)

a. Open Windows File Explorer

b. In the file path box type: %APPDATA%

c. Click the up arrow to go up one folder

d. Open the Local folder, in that open the ESRI folder (you should now be at: C:\Users\username\AppData\Local\ESRI)

e. Delete any folders with a name starting with: DefaultDomain_Path...