MySQL Error: 'the table is full'

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Jun 8, 2022

MySQL Error: 'the table is full'

Getting a MySQL error: 'the table is full'? We break down what this error means, and steps you can take it resolve it.

my-sql-error-the-table-is-full-what-is-it-how-is-it-usually-resolvedMySQL Error 'the table is full' — What Is It? How Is It Usually Resolved?

The MySQL error "the table is full" may occur when you try to create or add a new record to your database, or when you try to modify an existing entry in your table. This error usually means that your table has reached its maximum capacity. There are several reasons why this could be the case, and they all depend on what you're doing with your MySQL database — and how many records you already have.

The “table is full” MySQL error is one of the most frustrating errors you can encounter. Still, by following our steps correctly, you can eliminate the chance of this error happening in your database.

Here are a couple of possible reasons for this error:

The disk reaches the maximum limit.

  1. Your disk may be reaching its maximum limit. This can happen if you're constantly adding new data and not deleting any old data. You'll need to either delete some of your data or increase your disk size to fix this.
  2. You may have too many columns in your table. Each column takes up a certain amount of space, so if you have too many columns, it can cause the table to fill up. Even small changes can add up quickly for an extensive database with many rows and make the database full.

The disk is full of large files.

The most common reason for the MySQL ‘table is full’ error is that your disk is full. This can happen if you're running many queries that are writing data to disk or if you have a lot of large files that are taking up space. If you're getting this error, it's essential to check your disk usage and make sure you have enough space available.

my-sql-error-the-table-is-full-solutionMySQL Error: The Table is Full Solution

The solution to this error is pretty straightforward. You need to change the max value for the key 'innodb_data_file_path' to a larger value and then save the config file. After this, restart your MySQL dB.

innodb_data_file_path=ibdata1:25M:autoextend:max:512M

You can also try auto-extending the size without specifying the maximum size. Doing so allows the InnoDB table to increase the size until the disk is full. Put this line in your config file, then save the file and restart your database:

sudo service mysql stop
sudo service mysql start

After applying these methods, try to connect your data with the database table again; it should work this time.

If you are using the MyISAM engine for your table, then MySQL allows each table of MyISAM to grow 256TB by default. You can increase the size up to 65,536TB.

Following these steps should help you resolve the MySQL error: ‘table is full.’ For more MySQL solutions, visit our documentation

Happy coding!

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