The feature could not be created. The geometry is invalid. The Project method cannot do a datum transformation

Error Message

The user is editing a shapefile and tries to create a feature but the following error message appears:

Error:   
The feature could not be created. The geometry is invalid. The Project method cannot do a datum transformation.

Cause

This issue could be caused by one of the following: data corruption, a corrupt MXD, or the ArcMap application has become corrupted.

Solution or Workaround

1. Use the Check Geometry and Repair Geometry tools
   1. Open the Check Geometry tool, located in the ArcToolbox > Data Management Tools > Features toolset.
   2. Select the conflicted layer as the Input Features, and set the location for the Output Table.
   3. Analyze the log file to determine conflicts.
      • If no conflicts are present, proceed with the next workaround.
      • If the logs reports conflicts, use the Repair Geometry tool. This is located in the same toolset.
2. Use the MXD Doctor utility
   1. Open the MXD Doctor from the Windows Start menu > ArcGIS > MXD Doctor.
   2. Browse the MXD that contains the conflicted layer.
   3. In the Diagnosis window, analyze the checkboxes to determine issues and click the Generate button to create a report.
      • For more information on the checkboxes and process, refer to the ArcMap document Using the MXD Doctor utility.
   4. Click the Treatment tab, select a destination folder, and click Fix Document to create a duplicated MXD.
   5. Open the duplicated MXD and test its behavior. If the issue persists, proceed with the following workaround.
3. Reload the layer
   1. Create a new, blank map in ArcMap.
   2. Drag the layer from the Contents pane into the map.
   3. Edit the layer and if the issue persists, proceed with a clean uninstall of ArcMap.