MySQL error 6 EE_DELETE signals the server could not delete a file or directory at the operating-system level, usually because of permission or locking issues.
MySQL Error 6 EE_DELETE occurs when the server cannot delete a file or directory during an operation. Check OS permissions, open-file locks, and disk health, then retry the DROP or DELETE command after fixing the underlying issue.
Error on delete of '%s' (OS errno %d - %s)
Error on delete of '%s' (OS errno %d - %s) means MySQL asked the operating system to delete a file or directory and the OS refused. The placeholder %s is the file path, while %d and %s show the numeric and text forms of the underlying OS error.
The error surfaces during DROP TABLE, ALTER TABLE, TRUNCATE, OPTIMIZE TABLE, FLUSH LOGS, or binary-log rotation when MySQL must remove old data files, temporary tables, or log files.
The request fails and MySQL returns global error code 6 with condition name EE_DELETE.
Unresolved EE_DELETE errors can leave orphaned files, cause inconsistent metadata, fill disk space, and block DDL or backup workflows.
Quickly locating and clearing the OS-level obstacle protects data integrity and uptime.
EE_DELETE is almost always rooted in the operating system: wrong permissions, active file handles, missing directories, read-only mounts, or storage corruption.
Identify the file path from the error, inspect file permissions, close open handles, or run fsck if the disk looks corrupted. After correcting the OS issue, retry the SQL operation.
Example fixes appear below.
Scenario: DROP TABLE fails because a .frm file is locked by an antivirus process. Solution: stop the antivirus, ensure no other process holds the file, then DROP TABLE again.
Scenario: Binary-log purge cannot delete old logs on a read-only NFS mount. Solution: remount with write access or move the log directory to local storage.
Run MySQL under a dedicated user with full rwx rights on its data directory.
Monitor open files, enforce safe_log_expire, and schedule log rotation during low traffic. Use Galaxy’s query-history cleanup tools to spot stalled DDL jobs before they pile up.
Error 13 (Permission denied) and Error 29 (Can’t open file) also trace back to OS issues. Their root-cause analysis mirrors EE_DELETE: validate permissions, locks, and disk state.
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The MySQL user lacks write or execute rights on the path it tries to remove, causing the OS to reject the unlink call.
Backup tools, antivirus scanners, or lingering MySQL connections keep a handle on the file, blocking deletion.
The data directory resides on media that was mounted read-only after a crash or manual change, preventing file removal.
Filesystem corruption returns low-level errors like EIO, leading MySQL to report EE_DELETE when deleting table files.
A concurrent script already moved or deleted the target, so MySQL receives an ENOENT error while trying to delete it again.
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Occurs when the server cannot open or create a file. Root causes overlap with EE_DELETE but happen on open instead of delete.
Signals failure when MySQL attempts to open table files. Often follows EE_DELETE if dangling permissions persist.
Arises when table or index files are corrupted.
Deleting or repairing these may also trigger EE_DELETE.
Returns when table files are missing. Could be the aftermath of manual deletions meant to clean up after EE_DELETE.
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No. The error almost always reflects an underlying operating-system refusal to delete a file, not a MySQL code fault.
Avoid ignoring them. Orphans waste disk space and may break future CREATE or DROP operations using the same name.
Restarting can release MySQL-held locks, but it will not fix permission or filesystem problems. Verify OS state first.
Galaxy surfaces real-time error logs beside your query, lets you rerun fixed statements quickly, and logs versions so you can audit DDL retries.
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