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Description

Error 1146 signifies that MariaDB cannot locate a table referenced in your SQL query. This typically occurs when the specified table does not exist in the current database or schema, or its name is misspelled.

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Error Message

Table '%s.%s' doesn't exist

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Known Causes

4 known causes

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Incorrect Table Name

The table name specified in the SQL query contains a typographical error or incorrect casing.

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Wrong Database Context

The SQL query is executed against an unintended database, or the referenced table is not in the currently selected database.

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Table Not Created or Dropped

The table genuinely does not exist in the database, either because it was never created or was previously removed.

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Case Sensitivity Mismatch

The table name in the query does not exactly match the actual table name's casing, especially on case-sensitive operating systems.

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Solutions

5 solutions available

1. Verify Table Name and Database easy

Check table exists and spelling is correct

1

List all tables in current database

SHOW TABLES;

2

Check which database you're connected to

SELECT DATABASE();

3

Search for table by partial name

SHOW TABLES LIKE '%user%';

4

Use fully qualified table name

SELECT * FROM database_name.table_name;

2. Fix Case Sensitivity Issues easy

Handle table name casing on different OS

1

Check lower_case_table_names setting

SHOW VARIABLES LIKE 'lower_case_table_names';

2

Find actual table name with correct casing

SELECT TABLE_NAME FROM INFORMATION_SCHEMA.TABLES
WHERE TABLE_SCHEMA = 'your_database'
AND LOWER(TABLE_NAME) = 'users';

3

Use correct casing in your query

-- If table is actually 'Users' not 'users'
SELECT * FROM Users;

3. Create the Missing Table medium

Create table if it should exist

1

Create the table with appropriate structure

CREATE TABLE users (
    id INT AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
    name VARCHAR(100) NOT NULL,
    email VARCHAR(255) UNIQUE,
    created_at TIMESTAMP DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP
);

2

Run migrations if using a framework

# Laravel
php artisan migrate

# Django
python manage.py migrate

# Rails
rake db:migrate

4. Recover Dropped Table advanced

Restore table from backup if accidentally dropped

1

Restore from mysqldump backup

mysql -u root -p database_name < backup.sql

2

Or restore single table from backup

# Extract table from backup
grep -A 1000 'CREATE TABLE `users`' backup.sql | grep -B 1000 -m 1 '^--' > users_table.sql
mysql -u root -p database_name < users_table.sql

3

Check binary logs if recently dropped (before logs rotated)

SHOW BINARY LOGS;
mysqlbinlog /var/lib/mysql/mysql-bin.000001 | grep -i 'users'

5. Fix Orphaned InnoDB Table advanced

Handle .frm file without .ibd file or vice versa

1

Check if table files exist on disk

ls -la /var/lib/mysql/database_name/ | grep users

2

If .frm exists but .ibd missing (InnoDB file-per-table)

-- Try to discard the orphaned tablespace
ALTER TABLE users DISCARD TABLESPACE;
-- Then restore .ibd from backup and import
ALTER TABLE users IMPORT TABLESPACE;

3

If table shows in SHOW TABLES but can't be accessed

-- Remove orphaned entry
DROP TABLE IF EXISTS users;
-- Then recreate

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Related Errors

5 related errors

MariaDB Error 1146: Table Not Found