Assertion bit in range failed at line 293 of file ...base\bitmap.c

Error Message

Opening an ArcView project produces the following error message:

Assertion "bit in range" failed at line 293 of file "..base\bitmap.c"

Cause

The project references an ArcInfo coverage whose workspace is corrupt.

Solution or Workaround

1. Make a back-up copy of the .apr file.
2. Open the .apr file in a text editor.
3. Comment out the reference to the offending coverage.
   
   In case of multiple coverage references, use a process of elimination to identify the offending coverage.
    
   A. Open the .apr file in a text editor.
   
   B. Use the editor's Find and Replace option to change the drive letter of all the data sources in the project.
   
   For example, if all the data is on drive c:\ and a network is on drive f:\, replace c:\ and f:\ with a non-defined letter (z:\).
   
   C. Open the .apr file in ArcView.
   
   If ArcView cannot find a dataset, it prompts the user find it. Click Cancel All at that point.
   
   If the project opens, some of the data sets or the references to the data sets are corrupt. It is necessary to use a process of elimination to determine which data set is corrupt.
   
   A. Open the .apr file in a text editor and search for the string 'Path:'.
   
   Each object referenced by this string is a FileName object, which provides the source name for the data file. When searching for all occurrences of 'Path:', the text lines appear as such:

   (FN.958
   	Path: "c:/ /sample.shp"

   B. Use a textfile, or a piece of paper, to create a list of all data sources, skipping duplicate definitions.
   
   C. Do a project repair on each data source to determine which data ArcView is unable to find (refer to page 46 in "Using ArcView GIS" book).
   
   For example, assume that the project file contains the following data paths:

   c:/gisdata/pop_90.dbf
   c:/gisdata/county.shp
   c:/gisdata/images/backgrnd.tif

   Find and replace the pop_90.dbf string with something like 'testing'. When ArcView reads the FileName object referring to 'testing', it pauses and asks the user to find 'c:/gisdata/testing'.
   
   D. Click Cancel if ArcView displays a prompt to find the data source.
   
   If the .apr file opens successfully, there is something wrong with that data set or a reference to that data set. Save the project without the corrupt data set.
   
   If the project still does not open, test each data set until the set or sets are found that are keeping the project from opening.
4. Save the .apr file.
5. Rebuild the coverage topology in ArcInfo, or re-import the corresponding .e00 file in ArcView.
6. Open the .apr file in ArcView.
7. Cancel any 'Where Is' prompts and add the coverage again.

   Warning:
   Never use the operating system's file management utility to move, rename, delete, or copy a coverage directory. Instead, use the appropriate ArcInfo management utility.