drop table if exists t1; SET SQL_SAFE_UPDATES=1,SQL_SELECT_LIMIT=4, SQL_MAX_JOIN_SIZE=9; create table t1 (a int primary key, b char(20)); insert into t1 values(1,"test"); SELECT SQL_BUFFER_RESULT * from t1; a b 1 test update t1 set b="a" where a=1; delete from t1 where a=1; insert into t1 values(1,"test"),(2,"test2"); SELECT SQL_BUFFER_RESULT * from t1; a b 1 test 2 test2 update t1 set b="a" where a=1; select 1 from t1,t1 as t2,t1 as t3,t1 as t4; 1 1 1 1 1 update t1 set b="a"; You are using safe update mode and you tried to update a table without a WHERE that uses a KEY column update t1 set b="a" where b="test"; You are using safe update mode and you tried to update a table without a WHERE that uses a KEY column delete from t1; You are using safe update mode and you tried to update a table without a WHERE that uses a KEY column delete from t1 where b="test"; You are using safe update mode and you tried to update a table without a WHERE that uses a KEY column delete from t1 where a+0=1; You are using safe update mode and you tried to update a table without a WHERE that uses a KEY column select 1 from t1,t1 as t2,t1 as t3,t1 as t4,t1 as t5; The SELECT would examine too many records and probably take a very long time. Check your WHERE and use SET OPTION SQL_BIG_SELECTS=1 if the SELECT is ok update t1 set b="a" limit 1; update t1 set b="a" where b="b" limit 2; delete from t1 where b="test" limit 1; delete from t1 where a+0=1 limit 2; drop table t1; SET SQL_SAFE_UPDATES=0,SQL_SELECT_LIMIT=DEFAULT, SQL_MAX_JOIN_SIZE=DEFAULT;