Polyline to Raster produces error 999999 when output is GRID format

JoannaGrand · ‎08-06-2012

I'm simply trying to convert a shapefile to Grid format using the Polyline to Raster tool and I get error 999999 when my output folder is set to a particular drive. When i change the output to a different drive it works fine. I assume it's an output folder "corruption" problem but it happens with every folder on the drive except a new folder created at the highest level. I found a workaround which involves using Polylline to Raster but saving the output in tiff format, then using the Raster To Other Format tool to convert from tiff to Grid format. This seems to work, but there must be some way to "fix" the folders on this drive so that I can save directly to Grid format. Has anyone figured this out? This folder "corruption" issue seems to be a pervasive problem in version 10.

I already tried unchecking the read only box in the folder properties but that does nothing and it is checked in the folders that work properly too.

JocelynTutak · ‎04-04-2013

Oh, nothing is lonelier than having the same problem as an unanswered thread from three years ago...http://xkcd.com/979/

Thanks for posting, though -- at least now I know that there's a (very annoying) workaround.

Same issue -- working in 10.1, Catalog and Map, Python and geoprocessing tool. Error: 999999 when trying to use the Polyline to Raster tool.

StevePeaslee · ‎04-06-2013

Jocelyn,

There can be legacy restrictions involved when the output format is GRID. If you are having problems that only occur when the output location is a specific drive or folder, then my first thought would be to check for a path that cannot be a valid ArcINFO workspace.

The complete list is documented somewhere (http://webhelp.esri.com/arcgisdesktop/9.2/index.cfm?TopicName=About_the_ESRI_grid_format lists some), but the first things I look for are spaces in the path or strange characters. I also try to keep paths short.

Another problem I have run into is when a conversion tool automatically names the output GRID using the same filename as the input. If you have a long shapefie name that can cause the tool to fail with a useless error message. This may only apply to older versions of ArcGIS. Some of these problems have been getting better with ArcGIS 10.1.

-Steve