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What the pma__table_uiprefs error means
pma__table_uiprefs is a phpMyAdmin configuration-storage table. It records each user’s table-browsing preferences, including sorted columns, column order, and column visibility. It is not an application table belonging to one of your projects or business databases.
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The feature is controlled by two related settings in the active config.inc.php file:
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['pmadb']identifies the database that stores phpMyAdmin’s configuration tables.$cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_uiprefs']identifies the table used for persistent table-interface preferences.
Both settings must point to objects that actually exist together. Creating pma__table_uiprefs in some other database does not satisfy a configuration that points to phpmyadmin, and changing the configured table name does not rename an existing table.
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The conventional sample configuration uses phpmyadmin for pmadb and pma__table_uiprefs for table_uiprefs. An installation may intentionally use different names, so read the active configuration before making changes.
1. Read the active phpMyAdmin configuration
Do not begin by creating a table in the first database you see in the server tree. First identify which configuration file the running phpMyAdmin instance uses. Open that installation’s config.inc.php and find the server block that matches the connection showing the warning.
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$cfg['Servers'][$i]['pmadb'] = 'phpmyadmin';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_uiprefs'] = 'pma__table_uiprefs';Record the two values exactly, including capitalization and the two underscores in the conventional table name. If table_uiprefs is set to another name, that name is the one phpMyAdmin will look for. If it is set to false, the persistent preference feature is already disabled and a missing table should not be repaired as though the feature were enabled.
Multiple phpMyAdmin copies can have separate configuration files. Editing an unused copy will not change the instance that displays the error. Make the change in the installation whose web interface you are loading, then save a backup of the file before editing it.
2. Check the configured database for the exact table
Use the database named by pmadb, not a similarly named application database. You can inspect that database in phpMyAdmin or run this query:
SHOW TABLES LIKE 'pma__table_uiprefs';The backslashes escape the underscores so they are treated as literal characters in the LIKE pattern. A successful result must show the exact configured table name. If the query returns no rows, the table is absent from the configured storage database. If it returns a table only after you select a different database, the table is in the wrong location and phpMyAdmin will continue to report it as missing.
If your configuration intentionally uses a nonstandard table_uiprefs value, substitute that exact name in the check. Conversely, if the configuration says pma__table_uiprefs but the database contains a differently named table, correct the configuration or create the expected table; do not assume phpMyAdmin will discover a near match.
3. Create the configuration tables from the Operations tab
When the configured database is reachable but its phpMyAdmin tables are absent, the supported automatic route is the database’s Operations tab. Select the database named by pmadb, open Operations, and look for the action to create phpMyAdmin configuration storage tables.
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When entering a database where the configuration storage tables are not present, phpMyAdmin offers to create them from the Operations tab.
Accept the creation action only in the database identified by pmadb. The operation creates the set of configuration tables expected by that phpMyAdmin release, rather than just a one-off table copied from an unrelated installation. After it completes, return to the database structure view and confirm that pma__table_uiprefs appears.
This method is useful when you have administrative access through the phpMyAdmin interface and want the application to perform the documented setup. It does not remove application data from your other databases; the important safety check is selecting the correct configuration database before starting.
4. Import the release-matched create_tables.sql file
If the Operations-tab action is unavailable, import the SQL file bundled with the same phpMyAdmin version. The documented path is resources/sql/create_tables.sql. Use the copy shipped with your installation rather than a file copied from an older or newer release, because configuration schemas can change across versions.
With a MySQL-compatible command-line client, the operation has this general form:
mysql --user="$DB_ADMIN_USER" --password "$PMADB" < resources/sql/create_tables.sqlReplace the shell variables with the administrator account, password prompt, and database name that correspond to your environment. The command is an example of directing the bundled file into the configured storage database; use your normal database client if you administer the server through another interface. The essential requirements are that the destination be the configured pmadb and that the input file come from the installed phpMyAdmin release.
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5. Confirm the expected pma__table_uiprefs schema
The documented definition for the table contains these columns and key:
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| Column or property | Definition | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
username |
varchar(64) NOT NULL |
Identifies the phpMyAdmin user whose preferences are stored. |
db_name |
varchar(64) NOT NULL |
Identifies the database whose table view is being customized. |
table_name |
varchar(64) NOT NULL |
Identifies the table whose interface settings are saved. |
prefs |
text NOT NULL |
Stores the serialized table-interface preferences. |
last_update |
timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP |
Records when the preference row was last changed. |
| Primary key | (username, db_name, table_name) |
Allows one preference row for each user, database, and table combination. |
The reference SQL is:
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS `pma__table_uiprefs` (
`username` varchar(64) NOT NULL,
`db_name` varchar(64) NOT NULL,
`table_name` varchar(64) NOT NULL,
`prefs` text NOT NULL,
`last_update` timestamp NOT NULL DEFAULT CURRENT_TIMESTAMP ON UPDATE CURRENT_TIMESTAMP,
PRIMARY KEY (`username`,`db_name`,`table_name`)
) COMMENT='Tables'' UI preferences' DEFAULT CHARACTER SET utf8 COLLATE utf8_bin;Use this definition as a diagnostic reference, not as a substitute for the release-matched file. The SQL bundled in your installation is the authoritative migration input for that version. If an existing table has a different structure, compare it with the bundled definition before altering it; do not overwrite a table that contains preference data without a backup and a deliberate migration plan.
6. Give the control user the required privileges
Creating the table does not by itself make it usable. The account configured as phpMyAdmin’s controluser must be able to read and modify the configuration database. The setup documentation specifies SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE rights on that database.
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GRANT SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE
ON `${PMADB}`.*
TO '${CONTROLUSER}'@'${CONTROLHOST}';Use the actual database, account, and host values from your installation in place of the variables shown in the example. Do not grant broad server-wide privileges merely to silence this warning. The account needs the documented CRUD operations on the configuration database, including pma__table_uiprefs and the other phpMyAdmin storage tables that were created with it.
After changing privileges, reload phpMyAdmin and test a table view while logged in as a normal user. A table that exists but still produces a permission warning indicates an authorization problem rather than a missing-schema problem.
7. Account for upgrades and older installations
An upgrade can leave configuration storage incomplete when the installation crosses a schema boundary. The setup documentation lists these upgrade scripts for corresponding historical paths:
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upgrade_tables_mysql_4_1_2+.sqlupgrade_column_info_4_3_0+.sqlupgrade_tables_4_7_0+.sql
Run only the script applicable to the versions your installation actually crossed. Then create any still-missing tables from the current release’s resources/sql/create_tables.sql. Do not run every upgrade script indiscriminately; each one represents a particular upgrade path.
When troubleshooting an old server, first establish the currently installed phpMyAdmin release and locate its own SQL resources. A schema copied from an earlier installation can omit columns or tables expected by the current code, while a newer schema may not be appropriate for an older release. Matching the SQL file to the running release avoids both forms of drift.
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8. Reload and verify the repair
Once the table exists in the configured database and the control user has the required rights, reload the phpMyAdmin page. Verify the repair in three ways:
- Open the database named by
pmadband confirm the exact configured table name is present. - Browse a normal application table and change a column order, sort, or visibility setting.
- Return to that table or start a new session and confirm phpMyAdmin no longer reports the missing configuration table.
The preference feature is optional, so a successful repair is not measured by a new application-table row. The relevant result is that phpMyAdmin can access its configuration storage without an existence or privilege error.
When disabling table preferences is the better choice
Persistent table-interface preferences are not required for phpMyAdmin to manage your databases. If you do not need per-user column order, sorting, or visibility to persist, disable the optional feature in the server configuration:
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_uiprefs'] = false;After saving the configuration, reload phpMyAdmin. This tells phpMyAdmin not to use the table-UI-preferences storage feature, so creating pma__table_uiprefs is unnecessary for that purpose. Keep the setting consistent with your operational choice: enabling it later requires a correctly configured pmadb, table, schema, and control-user privileges.
Choose the repair path that fits your installation
| Situation | Preferred path | What you retain or change | Main caution |
|---|---|---|---|
| You can manage the configured database in phpMyAdmin | Use the Operations tab to create configuration storage | Preserves the optional preference feature and creates the release-appropriate table set | Select the database named by pmadb, not an application database. |
| The Operations action is unavailable | Import the installed release’s resources/sql/create_tables.sql |
Preserves the feature with the bundled schema | Do not substitute an older copied SQL file. |
| The table exists but access errors remain | Correct control-user privileges | Keeps persistent preferences enabled | Grant SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE on the configuration database only. |
| Persistent preferences are not needed | Set table_uiprefs to false |
Disables storage of table-interface preferences | Make the change in the active configuration file and reload phpMyAdmin. |
| An upgrade crossed an applicable historical boundary | Run only the matching upgrade script, then create missing tables from the current release file | Brings the configuration schema through the relevant upgrade path | Running unrelated upgrade scripts can create an unsupported schema state. |
Common causes and precise fixes
The table was created in the wrong database
This is the most common location mistake. The table may be visible in the server, yet phpMyAdmin still reports it missing because the configured pmadb points elsewhere. Select the configured database and repeat the exact-table query there.
The names differ by underscores or spelling
pma__table_uiprefs contains two underscores between pma and table. A configuration pointing to pma_table_uiprefs, or a table created with that single-underscore name, is a mismatch. Make the setting and the physical table agree rather than relying on visual similarity.
The configuration tables were never imported
A fresh installation or incomplete migration can have a working phpMyAdmin interface but no configuration storage. Use the Operations-tab creation route or import the release-matched create_tables.sql file into pmadb.
The control user cannot modify the table
If the table exists and the name is correct but the warning changes to an access or write error, check the account configured as controluser. It needs SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE on the configuration database. A table-creation account and the runtime control account are not necessarily the same account.
An upgrade left an old schema behind
When the problem appears immediately after an upgrade, review the documented version boundaries and apply only the applicable upgrade script. Then use the current release’s creation file for any tables that remain absent.
What will not fix the warning
- Creating the table in an application database: phpMyAdmin checks the database named by
pmadb, so a correctly named table elsewhere is invisible to that configuration. - Changing only one setting: changing
table_uiprefswithout creating or renaming the physical table leaves the names mismatched; changingpmadbwithout moving the configuration tables creates the same problem at the database level. - Copying an arbitrary SQL file: an older or newer schema can omit objects or columns expected by the running release. Use the SQL resources shipped with that installation.
- Granting privileges to the wrong account: the account that imports the tables is not necessarily the configured
controluser. Runtime access must be granted to the account phpMyAdmin actually uses. - Disabling the option without reloading: configuration changes do not help the current request until the running phpMyAdmin instance is reloaded.
Working with managed hosting
On managed MySQL or MariaDB hosting, you may not have permission to create a database, import SQL, or alter grants yourself. Give the host the exact pmadb name, the configured table_uiprefs name, the phpMyAdmin release, and the required SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE privileges for controluser. Ask them to use the release-matched resources/sql/create_tables.sql file or the equivalent Operations-tab action. If the provider cannot supply configuration storage, disabling table_uiprefs is the supported fallback.
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Final validation checklist
- The active
config.inc.phphas been identified. - The values of
pmadbandtable_uiprefshave been read exactly. - The configured database contains the exact configured table name.
- The table schema matches the SQL file bundled with the running phpMyAdmin release.
- The configured control user has SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE rights on the configuration database.
- Any applicable historical upgrade script has been run once, and unrelated scripts have been avoided.
- phpMyAdmin has been reloaded and a table preference can be viewed without an error.
- If preferences are not needed,
table_uiprefsis explicitly set tofalseinstead of leaving a broken optional feature enabled.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does phpMyAdmin say pma__table_uiprefs does not exist?
The configured pmadb database does not contain the exact table named by table_uiprefs, or the control user cannot access it. Check both settings, verify the table in that database, and then correct the schema or privileges.
Where should pma__table_uiprefs be created?
Create it in the database assigned to $cfg['Servers'][$i]['pmadb']. The conventional database is phpmyadmin, but your active configuration may use another name.
Can phpMyAdmin create the missing configuration tables automatically?
Yes. Enter the configured storage database and open its Operations tab. When the configuration tables are absent, phpMyAdmin offers to create them there.
What privileges does the controluser need?
The configured controluser needs SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE rights on the configuration database, including the table-UI-preferences table and the other phpMyAdmin storage tables.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsShould I run every phpMyAdmin upgrade SQL script?
No. Run only the script matching the historical version boundary your installation crossed, then create remaining tables from the current release’s resources/sql/create_tables.sql.
Can I disable the table preference feature instead of creating the table?
Yes. Set $cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_uiprefs'] = false; in the active configuration and reload phpMyAdmin. This disables persistent table-interface preferences.
The Bottom Line
Check the active pmadb and table_uiprefs values first. Then create the configuration tables through the Operations tab or import the matching release’s resources/sql/create_tables.sql, grant the control user SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, and DELETE access, and reload phpMyAdmin. If persistent table preferences are unnecessary, disabling table_uiprefs is the supported alternative.
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