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MYSQL – Could not Drop Object [Content] (‘Cannot delete or update a parent row: a foreign key constraint fails’, 1217) DROP DATABASE DatabaseName

Pinal Dave
SQL Tips and Tricks
1 Comment

If you are using MySQL following, you must have faced following error when you want to drop a table or database. This error happens when we try to drop a table or database which has a foreign key constraint associated with another table, schema or database. MySQL reports it as error 1217, saying a foreign key constraint fails.

Could not Drop Object [Content] (‘Cannot delete or update a parent row: a foreign key constraint fails’, 1217) DROP DATABASE DatabaseName

Could not drop object dialog.

Here is a simple workaround to this problem. Disable the keys right before you drop a table or a database. Remember to practice this on the database which you are confident to drop it.

SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=0;
DROP DATABASE humanresources;
DROP TABLE MyTable;
SET FOREIGN_KEY_CHECKS=1;

Let me know if you are using any method for this purpose.

Published by Pinal Dave on SQLAuthority. More of my work at pinaldave.com.

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1 Comment. Leave new

  • Jerry L. Cutshaw
    February 3, 2014 8:44 pm

    Hello Pinal. I’m a veteran SQL Server DBA that wants to branch out into MySQL. Any suggestions where I might find some tutorials geared toward SQL Server vets?

    Reply

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