In the InnoDB storage engine, the user-defined tables and their corresponding index data are stored in the .ibd files, which act as the tablespace. There are two types of tablespaces in MySQL – general (or shared) tablespace and file-per-table. These tablespaces help MySQL to store data on the system disk hosting the server. If any of the tablespace goes missing or become corrupted/damaged, you may encounter different types of errors and issues. One such error is MySQL Error 1812: Tablespace Not Found (Missing or Damaged .ibd Files). You can face this error while opening the InnoDB tables or importing the dump file using mysqldump utility. It usually occurs when, due to any reason, your MySQL fails to find .ibd file (tablespace) in the system. In this article, we’ll discuss advanced troubleshooting methods to resolve Error 1812: Tablespace not found, and explain how to repair a corrupt MySQL database safely and efficiently.
Causes of MySQL Error 1812: Tablespace not found
This error can occur due to one of the following reasons:
- Corruption in InnoDB tables
- Corruption in .ibd files
- The dump file contains general tablespace references
- You don’t have permissions on the .ibd file
Methods to Resolve MySQL Server Error 1812: Tablespace not Found
If you are experiencing this error while importing a dump file from one server into another server instance, then make sure both the MySQL Server instances have the same version and General Availability (GA) status. Next, follow the troubleshooting methods below.
Method 1 – Check and Grant .ibd File Permissions
The MySQL error 1812 can occur if you do not have the required permissions on the .ibd file. You can check and grant the necessary permissions. Here’s how to do so:
- Locate the MySQL data directory by following the path below:
C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server \data
- Search for the .ibd file corresponding to the table.
- Right-click on the .ibd file and select Properties.
- Check whether you have the permissions to access that file. If not, then click on Edit to change the file permissions.
Method 2 – Check and Exclude Tablespace in the Dump File
One of the MySQL users has reported encountering the MySQL error 1812: Tablespace not found while using the MySQL dump utility to restore the dump file. It usually happens if the general tablespaces references are present in the dump file. In such a case, you can exclude the tablespaces from the dump file. For this, first you need to run the information_schema.TABLES command. This helps provide information about the tablespace attributes. Once you’ve identified the table containing the tablespace, then exclude that table from the dump file. To do so, you can run the below command:
–ignore-table=db_name.tbl_name
Here is how to use –ignore-table option using dump utility:
mysqldump -u [username] -p [password] [database_name] –ignore-table=[database_name].[table_name] > backup.sql
Method 3 – Discard Tablespace
The MySQL error 1812 can occur, while importing the dump file, if the .ibd file is missing, corrupted, or damaged. For a file-per-table tablespace, you can use the DISCARD TABLESPACE option to discard the corrupted tablespace. Here is the command:
mysql> ALTER TABLE t1 DISCARD TABLESPACE;
If you have a backup file, you can restore the .ibd from it. If the backup file is not available, then recreate the table structure and import the tables by using the below command:
mysql> USE test;
mysql> ALTER TABLE t1 IMPORT TABLESPACE;
Method 4 – Repair InnoDB Tables
Corruption in InnoDB tables is one of the major reasons for the MySQL error 1812: Tablespace not found. You can run the CHECK TABLE command to check corruption issues in the tables. If the command displays error with table name marked as corrupt, then use innodb_force_recovery option to repair InnoDB tables including corrupted Tablespace.
While using this option, you may encounter errors or issues, like Innodb_force_recovery not working or Operation not allowed when innodb_forced_recovery > 0. You can check the MySQL configuration setup to resolve the MySQL innodb_force_recovery_not working issue. If the issue is not resolved or if your InnoDB table files (.ibd) are severely corrupted, then you can use a professional MySQL repair tool, such as Stellar Repair for MySQL, to repair the corrupt InnoDB tables. It can quickly repair the corrupt MySQL database files, including .ibd files. It helps recover tables, indexes, and their relationships with complete integrity.
Bottom Line
To resolve the error 1812: Tablespace Not Found in MySQL error, follow the troubleshooting methods discussed above. You can exclude the tablespace tables in the dump file, if system tablespace or general tablespaces has caused this error. If corruption in InnoDB tables or its .ibd files is triggering this error, the best option is to use a professional MySQL repair tool, like Stellar Repair for MySQL.