drop table if exists t1,t2; CREATE TABLE t1 ( `id` int(11) NOT NULL default '0', `id2` int(11) NOT NULL default '0', `id3` int(11) NOT NULL default '0', `dummy1` char(30) default NULL, PRIMARY KEY (`id`,`id2`), KEY `index_id3` (`id3`)) TYPE=MyISAM; insert into t1 (id,id2) values (1,1),(1,2),(1,3); LOCK TABLE t1 WRITE; select dummy1,count(distinct id) from t1 group by dummy1; dummy1 count(distinct id) NULL 1 update t1 set id=-1 where id=1; LOCK TABLE t1 READ; update t1 set id=1 where id=1; Table 't1' was locked with a READ lock and can't be updated create table t2 SELECT * from t1; Table 't2' was not locked with LOCK TABLES create temporary table t2 SELECT * from t1; drop table if exists t2; unlock tables; create table t2 SELECT * from t1; LOCK TABLE t1 WRITE,t2 write; insert into t2 SELECT * from t1; update t1 set id=1 where id=-1; drop table t1,t2; CREATE TABLE t1 ( index1 smallint(6) default NULL, nr smallint(6) default NULL, KEY index1(index1) ) TYPE=MyISAM; CREATE TABLE t2 ( nr smallint(6) default NULL, name varchar(20) default NULL ) TYPE=MyISAM; INSERT INTO t2 VALUES (1,'item1'); INSERT INTO t2 VALUES (2,'item2'); lock tables t1 write, t2 read; insert into t1 select 1,nr from t2 where name='item1'; insert into t1 select 2,nr from t2 where name='item2'; unlock tables; check table t1; Table Op Msg_type Msg_text test.t1 check status OK lock tables t1 write; check table t2; Table Op Msg_type Msg_text test.t2 check error Table 't2' was not locked with LOCK TABLES unlock tables; drop table t1,t2;