<p>The server finds an unexpected magic number when reading a table, log, or dictionary file, signaling corruption or version mismatch.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1389 ER_WRONG_MAGIC appears when the server reads a table file, binary log, or data dictionary file with an invalid magic number, indicating corruption or mismatched MySQL versions. Replace or rebuild the affected file and run mysql_upgrade on all nodes to fix the problem.</p>
Wrong magic in %s
MySQL stores a small identifier called a magic number at the start of every .ibd, .frm, log, and dictionary file. Error 1389 fires when the number in the file does not match the value MySQL expects, so the server refuses to read the file.
The mismatch usually indicates file corruption, an incomplete copy, or a file created by a different MySQL version or storage engine build.
The error appears at startup, during ALTER TABLE, or while applying replication events. In each case MySQL attempts to open a local file or relay log, checks the first bytes, and raises ER_WRONG_MAGIC if they differ from the compiled-in constant.
A wrong magic number implies that the file content cannot be trusted. Continuing could return invalid rows or crash the server. MySQL therefore stops the current operation and logs ER_WRONG_MAGIC so administrators can fix the underlying data integrity issue.
Most occurrences stem from one of three issues: cross-version file copies, storage corruption, or an interrupted write that truncated the file header. In replication, transferring relay logs from a different major version triggers the same problem.
First locate the file path shown in the error log. Determine whether it is a table, binary log, or dictionary file. If corruption is confirmed, restore a healthy backup, or drop and recreate the object. Ensure all nodes run the same MySQL build and execute mysql_upgrade to align underlying metadata.
Upgraded replicas that still use old relay logs should issue RESET SLAVE, then START SLAVE to regenerate logs. Damaged InnoDB tables can often be recovered with ALTER TABLE ... DISCARD TABLESPACE followed by IMPORT TABLESPACE from a valid file.
Keep servers on consistent versions, enable checksums at the filesystem or storage layer, and perform graceful shutdowns before copying data files. Automated daily mysqlcheck --all-databases --check-upgrade quickly detects header issues.
Errors 1033 (ER_OUT_OF_DATE) and 1875 (ER_BINLOG_CANT_GET_WHOLE_FILE) also point to mismatched or damaged table or log files. Their resolutions follow the same restore-or-rebuild approach outlined above.
A table or binary log generated by MySQL 8.0 is copied into a 5.7 server, leading to an incompatible magic number.
The server crashes mid-write, leaving an incomplete header that fails the magic check on restart.
Bit rot or bad sectors flip bits in the file header, altering the stored magic value.
Relay logs transferred from a replica running a different build or compiled with different storage options cause the master to reject the file.
Indicates an older .frm file version; fix by recreating the table or running mysql_upgrade.
Shows that the server cannot read a complete binary log file, often due to corruption.
Points to a mismatched checksum in a MyISAM table header.
It is one form of corruption but specifically flags a header mismatch, not bad row data.
No. Forcing reads risks crashes and inconsistent data. Always restore or rebuild the file.
Only if you reset relay logs or rebuild the problematic table. Replication itself will not fix a bad magic number.
Galaxy's version tracking ensures all teammates run the same migration scripts and provides one-click query history to detect when schema changes might trigger file mismatches.
.avif)
.avif){kind=logo}
