MySQL Error #1133 - Can't find any matching row in the user table

Question

Unable to set password for a user using 3.5.2.2 - phpMyAdmin for 5.5.27 - MySQL. When trying to set the password while logged onto ph

Answer 1

This error can occur if trying to grant privileges for a non existing user.

It is not clear to me what MySQL considers a non existing user. But I suspect MySQL considers a user to exist if it can be found by a name (column User) and a host (column Host) in the user table.

If trying to grant privileges to a user that can be found with his name (column User) but not by his name and host (columns User and Host), and not provide a password, then the error occurs.

For example, the following statement triggers the error:

grant all privileges on mydb.* to myuser@'xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx';

This is because, no password being specified, MySQL cannot create a new user, and thus tries to find an existing user. But no user with the name myuser and the host xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx can be found in the user table.

Whereas providing a password, allows the statement to be executed successfully:

grant all privileges on mydb.* to myuser@'xxx.xxx.xxx.xxx' identified by 'mypassword';

Make sure to reuse the same password of that user you consider exists, if that new "MySQL user" is the same "application user".

Complete the operation by flushing the privileges:

flush privileges;