How to fix "Table is marked as crashed and should be repaired" in MySQL

The error "Table is marked as crashed and should be repaired" means MySQL or MariaDB found a damaged MyISAM table and will not read from it until it is repaired. On WordPress this often shows as a broken site, missing posts or a database connection error. Repairing the table usually takes seconds.

Before you start

• Note the table name from the error, for example wp_options or wp_posts.
• Back up the database first (cPanel → Files → Backup or a JetBackup database snapshot).

Why MySQL tables crash

• A full disk while MySQL was writing – the most common cause on hosting accounts.
• The MySQL server stopping unexpectedly (out of memory or power loss on a VPS).
• The MyISAM storage engine, which is not crash-safe. InnoDB recovers automatically in most cases.

Repair the table in cPanel

1. Open cPanel → Databases → MySQL Databases.
2. Under Modify Databases → Repair Database, choose the database and click Repair Database.
3. Check the result shows the table as OK.

Repair the table in phpMyAdmin

1. Open cPanel → Databases → phpMyAdmin and select the database.
2. Tick the crashed table (or Check all).
3. From With selected, choose Repair table.

You can also run:

REPAIR TABLE wp_options;

Repair on a VPS with mysqlcheck

Check and repair every table in all databases:

mysqlcheck -u root -p --auto-repair --check --all-databases

For a badly damaged MyISAM table, stop MySQL and use myisamchk -r /var/lib/mysql/dbname/tablename.MYI, then start it again.

Prevent tables from crashing

• Convert MyISAM tables to InnoDB in phpMyAdmin (Operations → Storage Engine → InnoDB) or with ALTER TABLE wp_options ENGINE=InnoDB;.
• Keep enough free disk space; see cPanel disk space full.
• On a VPS, give MySQL enough RAM so the OOM killer does not stop it; see out of memory killer.

FAQ

Will repairing a table lose data?

Usually not, but badly damaged rows can be dropped. That is why you back up first.

What if repair fails?

Restore the database from JetBackup to a point before the crash, or open a ticket.

Do InnoDB tables need repair?

Rarely. InnoDB uses crash recovery; "repair" does not apply to it the same way.

Next steps

• Error establishing a database connection
• MySQL too many connections
• MySQL error 2002