MySQL cannot resize a data or log file because the operating system returned an error, usually related to disk space, permissions, or file system limits.
MySQL Error 14 EE_CANT_CHSIZE appears when the server cannot change a file’s size at the OS level. Free disk space, correct file permissions, or move the data file to a healthy volume to resolve the issue.
Can't change size of file (OS errno %d - %s)
MySQL raises the global error EE_CANT_CHSIZE when it calls an operating-system routine like ftruncate() or chsize() and the call fails. The server includes the OS errno and text in the message "Can't change size of file (OS errno %d - %s)" to help you pinpoint the underlying problem.
The failure usually happens while extending, truncating, or reallocating an InnoDB data file, an undo log, or a binary log.
The server aborts the current operation to protect data consistency, so queries touching that file also fail until the problem is removed.
Error 14 can surface during ALTER TABLE operations that rebuild tables, INSERT or LOAD DATA statements that grow ibdata files, TRUNCATE TABLE commands, or log rotations when MySQL tries to shrink or extend log files.
The error is critical because it blocks metadata changes, causes transaction rollbacks, and may prevent MySQL from starting if it occurs during initial recovery.
Fixing it quickly restores normal read-write activity and avoids potential data loss.
Insufficient disk space, quota limits, read-only file systems, or corrupted volumes commonly block MySQL from resizing files. Another cause is mis-configured ulimit settings that cap maximum file size for the mysqld user.
Network file systems (NFS, SMB, EBS) can intermittently deny resize operations due to stale handles or latency spikes.
Antivirus or backup agents that lock files also trigger EE_CANT_CHSIZE.
Free or provision additional disk space on the affected partition, then retry the failed SQL statement. Confirm mysqld has write permissions on the data directory with ls -l and chmod/chown if needed.
If the file system is read-only, remount it as read-write or move MySQL’s datadir to a healthy volume.
On Linux, remove restrictive ulimit -f settings for the mysql user in /etc/security/limits.conf or the systemd service file.
During an ALTER TABLE that rebuilds, add ALGORITHM=INPLACE or use pt-online-schema-change to avoid full-copy operations.
For binary log rotation issues, reduce max_binlog_size or purge old logs after backing them up.
When ibdata1 hits 100 percent capacity in file-per-table mode, set innodb_autoextend_increment to a value your storage can handle and extend the underlying volume size.
Monitor disk utilization with Prometheus or mysqladmin extended-status. Set alerts at 80 percent capacity. Keep separate volumes for data and logs to isolate growth spikes.
Use MySQL’s innodb_fast_shutdown=0 before maintenance to let InnoDB shrink files cleanly.
Periodically OPTIMIZE TABLE large tables to reclaim space.
Error 28 – No space left on device occurs when writes fail outright, not just resizes. Free disk space or move the datadir.
Error 1030 – Got error %d from storage engine often wraps EE_CANT_CHSIZE internally. Investigate the underlying OS errno.
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mysqld lacks OS write permission on the file or directory, so resize calls fail immediately.
The partition or user quota has no free blocks, preventing the file from extending.
The volume is mounted read-only due to fsck errors or manual admin action.
The mysqld process is restricted to a maximum file size smaller than the requested growth.
Backup, antivirus, or NFS clients hold a lock that blocks truncate or extend operations.
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No. Lack of permissions, read-only volumes, or file size limits can also block the resize call.
Ignoring it risks data corruption and server crashes. Always fix the root cause before proceeding.
OPTIMIZE TABLE can reclaim space, but it can also trigger file growth. Ensure free space first.
Galaxy’s editor surfaces disk-use metrics inline and its AI copilot warns about operations that may grow tablespaces, helping you plan capacity proactively.
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