Geodatabase archiving is fundamentally incompatible with data that is registered for traditional versioning with the option to move edits to base. This versioning type is designed to move edits from the delta tables directly into the base table when posted to the default version. This process conflicts with the archiving mechanism, which tracks historical transactions by maintaining a separate history table and referencing specific database states. Because the "move edits to base" option alters the base table in a way that bypasses the state-based tracking required for archiving, the geodatabase explicitly prevents enabling archiving on a feature class configured this way.

A. Versioned without move edits to base: This is the standard traditional versioning registration, which is fully compatible with geodatabase archiving. Archiving could be enabled on a feature class registered in this manner.

C. Branch versioned with editor tracking: For datasets registered with branch versioning, archiving is automatically enabled by default and is a mandatory component. The user would not need to—nor could they—manually enable it.

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1. Esri ArcGIS Pro Documentation, "Geodatabase archiving": In the section detailing the requirements for enabling archiving, the documentation explicitly states, "You cannot enable archiving on a feature class that is registered as versioned with the option to move edits to base."

Source: ArcGIS Pro Documentation > Data management > Geodatabases > Manage geodatabases > Geodatabase archiving.

2. Esri ArcGIS Pro Documentation, "Register a dataset as versioned": This document describes the different versioning options. In the section "Register as versioned with the option to move edits to base," it lists the limitations of this option, including: "You cannot enable archiving on datasets that are registered as versioned with the option to move edits to base."

Source: ArcGIS Pro Documentation > Data management > Geodatabases > Manage geodatabases > Traditional versioning > Register a dataset as versioned.

3. Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Documentation, "A quick tour of geodatabase archiving": This overview document outlines the prerequisites for using archiving. Under the "How to enable archiving" section, it lists as a requirement: "The dataset cannot be registered as versioned with the option to move edits to base."

Source: ArcGIS Enterprise Documentation > Manage data > Geodatabases and databases > Geodatabase archiving > A quick tour of geodatabase archiving.