Failed to delete a domain from the database

Error Message

Note:
The content in this article pertains to ArcGIS versions 8.x and 9.x only. Later versions of ArcGIS may contain different functionality, as well as different names and locations for menus, commands and geoprocessing tools.

Deleting a domain from a geodatabase results in one of the following errors:

"Failed to delete a domain from the database.
The domain is used as a default domain."

or,

"Failed to delete a domain from the database.
The domain is used by an attribute rule."

Cause

These errors occur if the domain is applied to one or more fields in the geodatabase.

Solution or Workaround

To delete a domain, it must not be associated with any fields in the geodatabase.

For information regarding how to associate and disassociate domains from fields, refer to the ArcGIS Desktop Help.

• In 9.1,  navigate to Building a geodatabase > Subtypes and attribute domains > Associating default values and domains with feature classes and tables.
• In 9.2, navigate Geodatabases and ArcSDE > Building a Geodatabase > Working with geodatabase datasets > Domains > Associating default values and domains with feature classes and tables.