<p>MySQL raises ER_TRG_CANT_OPEN_TABLE (error 1606) when a trigger cannot open the referenced table because of missing privileges, metadata corruption, or locking conflicts.</p>
<p>MySQL Error 1606 ER_TRG_CANT_OPEN_TABLE appears when a trigger fails to open its target table due to locks, privilege gaps, or invalid metadata. Check table privileges, remove conflicting locks, and rebuild or drop and recreate the corrupted trigger to resolve the issue.</p>
Cannot open table for trigger `%s`.`%s`
MySQL throws ER_TRG_CANT_OPEN_TABLE when the server cannot access the table referenced by a BEFORE or AFTER trigger during creation or execution.
The error stops the operation that called the trigger, so inserts, updates, or deletes fail until the root cause is fixed.
The most frequent cause is insufficient privileges for the DEFINER or CURRENT_USER attempting to open the table inside the trigger context.
Other causes include metadata corruption, missing table files after a manual move, or a metadata lock held by another session during DDL.
Verify that the DEFINER has SELECT and required DML privileges on the table, then grant them if missing.
Release metadata locks by committing or killing blocking sessions, or retry after the lock window.
If the table definition is corrupted, run OPTIMIZE TABLE or dump, drop, and reload the table and trigger.
Privileged but locked table - identify the blocking thread with SHOW PROCESSLIST, then KILL QUERY or wait for it to finish.
Privilege mismatch after migration - adjust DEFINER accounts with ALTER DEFINER or update grants.
Trigger referencing an old table name - drop the trigger and recreate it using the current schema.
Use consistent DEFINER accounts with proper grants across all environments.
Apply DDL changes in maintenance windows to avoid long metadata locks.
Version control triggers in tools like Galaxy so name changes are applied atomically with table changes.
Error 1146 table does not exist signals a missing table rather than an inaccessible one.
Error 1305 trigger does not exist occurs when the referenced trigger name is wrong.
The DEFINER or CURRENT_USER lacks SELECT or DML rights on the table, blocking trigger access.
Another session holds a metadata lock during DDL, preventing the trigger from opening the table.
File system issues or aborted DDL leave the .frm or .ibd files inconsistent, stopping table access.
The trigger references a renamed or dropped table, causing MySQL to fail when opening it.
Occurs when the table referenced by the query or trigger is missing.
Raised when DROP TRIGGER or SHOW TRIGGERS refers to a non existent trigger.
Happens when creating triggers without proper SUPER or TRIGGER privileges.
No. Locks, corruption, or wrong table references can also cause it, but privilege gaps are common.
Yes. If the issue is a lock or privilege gap, correct those first. Recreating the trigger is only required when the definition is wrong or corrupted.
OPTIMIZE TABLE can fix minor metadata issues, but it will not help if privileges or locks are the root cause.
Galaxy tracks trigger definitions alongside table schemas, highlights missing privileges during code review, and surfaces blocking sessions, reducing the chance of ER_TRG_CANT_OPEN_TABLE in production.
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