If the broken model icon 
appears next to a model tool in the Catalog window or ArcToolbox window, it means the model cannot find or use one or more of the tools within the model. These are some common causes of this problem:
- The tool was renamed or deleted.
- The toolbox containing the tool was moved, renamed, or deleted.
- Parameter names for a tool have changed.
- The number of parameters for a tool has changed.
- Data type for a parameter has changed.
- There are licensing issues associated with the tool.
Typically, the tools within the model that cause this type of problem are custom script and model tools rather than system tools that are installed with ArcGIS. Custom script or model tools can be renamed, moved to a different toolbox, or have their parameters modified, causing the models that use the tool to break.
Repairing a model
Models can only be repaired within ModelBuilder. From the Catalog window or ArcToolbox window, right-click the model tool and click Edit.
| Reason | Repairing |
|---|---|
Tools that no longer exist | In ModelBuilder, look for any tools that have the broken tool icon |
Changed parameter names | If parameter names in a model or a script tool have changed, broken icons will not be shown on the affected tool. All that is necessary to repair the model is for you to save; when you initially opened the model in ModelBuilder, variables and parameter names were automatically updated. Check for other problems discussed below. |
Changed number of parameters | If the number of parameters for a tool has changed, broken icons will not be shown on the affected tool. The affected tool can typically be found by opening the dialog box for each tool not in the ready-to-run state. |
Changed parameter data types | If parameter data types have changed (for example, from a string data type to an integer data type), broken icons will not be shown on the affected tool. Only tools not in the ready-to-run state are candidates for repair, since they contain the incorrect data type for a parameter. One good clue for changed parameter types is to look for any disconnected variables and determine which tool was likely connected to the variable. Open that tool's dialog box and enter a new value for the parameter. If there are no disconnected variables, examine every parameter in every tool not in the ready-to-run state. |
Licensing issues | If a model uses an unlicensed tool, there will be no broken icon |
or broken model tool icon 
by the model tool. If the model is run from the tool dialog box, a message will be given that a tool is unlicensed. Edit the model and remove any unlicensed tool with a locked icon