This can occur if an IC loaded in the image does not match what is in the .ic file. A common cause is that you loaded an IC into your image using System loadComponent:. You then later repackaged the IC and overwrote the .ic file containing the IC which is loaded in your image. Finally, you exited VisualAge and saved the image in this state. In this case the image is no longer usable, and you must reinstall a clean image. This is because there is a mismatch between the IC your image expects and the new IC you created. To avoid this pitfall, you should always unload any ICs you explicitly loaded before you save your image. To unload ICs, use System removeComponent:.
It is generally not a good idea to explicitly load an IC into your development image, except in the case of testing. Also, do not attempt to repackage any of the VisualAge default ICs.