Alter table errors due to statistics

I'm attempting to change a column data type from int to nvarchar(16) on a
production database. When executing:
alter table x alter column y nvarchar(16)
I get the error:
ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN y failed because STATISTICS hind_61_3 accesses this
column
I would be forever grateful if someone could tell me how to get around this
issue.
Thanks in advance,
GaryRun:
drop statistics hind_61_3
and then do your ALTER TABLE.
--
Tom
---
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
SQL Server MVP
Columnist, SQL Server Professional
Toronto, ON Canada
www.pinnaclepublishing.com
"Gary Johnson" <gary.johnson@.geoffreynyc.com> wrote in message
news:8c236$41c72f45$44a72b52$17509@.msgid.meganewsservers.com...
I'm attempting to change a column data type from int to nvarchar(16) on a
production database. When executing:
alter table x alter column y nvarchar(16)
I get the error:
ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN y failed because STATISTICS hind_61_3 accesses this
column
I would be forever grateful if someone could tell me how to get around this
issue.
Thanks in advance,
Gary|||Thank you. If I could trouble you once more, how would this get in there?
We've updated hundreds of customers and have found this error on but one
site...
Again, thank you!
Gary
"Tom Moreau" <tom@.dont.spam.me.cips.ca> wrote in message
news:OnHXHCt5EHA.344@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Run:
> drop statistics hind_61_3
> and then do your ALTER TABLE.
> --
> Tom
> ---
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
> SQL Server MVP
> Columnist, SQL Server Professional
> Toronto, ON Canada
> www.pinnaclepublishing.com
>
> "Gary Johnson" <gary.johnson@.geoffreynyc.com> wrote in message
> news:8c236$41c72f45$44a72b52$17509@.msgid.meganewsservers.com...
> I'm attempting to change a column data type from int to nvarchar(16) on a
> production database. When executing:
> alter table x alter column y nvarchar(16)
> I get the error:
> ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN y failed because STATISTICS hind_61_3 accesses
> this
> column
>
> I would be forever grateful if someone could tell me how to get around
> this
> issue.
> Thanks in advance,
> Gary
>
>|||You probably have auto-create stats and auto-update stats turned on. This
is normal. If SQL Server figures it needs stats on that column, then it
creates them. However, if you decide to alter the column, the stats are a
dependency on that column in the same wan an index or constraint is. You
have to drop those dependencies first before altering the column.
--
Tom
---
Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
SQL Server MVP
Columnist, SQL Server Professional
Toronto, ON Canada
www.pinnaclepublishing.com
"Gary Johnson" <gary.johnson@.geoffreynyc.com> wrote in message
news:15de1$41c73bd8$44a72b52$18777@.msgid.meganewsservers.com...
Thank you. If I could trouble you once more, how would this get in there?
We've updated hundreds of customers and have found this error on but one
site...
Again, thank you!
Gary
"Tom Moreau" <tom@.dont.spam.me.cips.ca> wrote in message
news:OnHXHCt5EHA.344@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
> Run:
> drop statistics hind_61_3
> and then do your ALTER TABLE.
> --
> Tom
> ---
> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
> SQL Server MVP
> Columnist, SQL Server Professional
> Toronto, ON Canada
> www.pinnaclepublishing.com
>
> "Gary Johnson" <gary.johnson@.geoffreynyc.com> wrote in message
> news:8c236$41c72f45$44a72b52$17509@.msgid.meganewsservers.com...
> I'm attempting to change a column data type from int to nvarchar(16) on a
> production database. When executing:
> alter table x alter column y nvarchar(16)
> I get the error:
> ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN y failed because STATISTICS hind_61_3 accesses
> this
> column
>
> I would be forever grateful if someone could tell me how to get around
> this
> issue.
> Thanks in advance,
> Gary
>
>|||The hind_ statistics are really not statistics, but Hypothetical INDexes,
created by the Index Tuning Wizard, which normally are cleaned up up when
ITW finishes. There are some situations where it doesn't clean up after
itself, so you have to do it with DROP STATISTICS. Since it is a very rare
occurrence to have these left behind, it's not surprising that you don't see
this error very often.
--
HTH
--
Kalen Delaney
SQL Server MVP
www.SolidQualityLearning.com
"Gary Johnson" <gary.johnson@.geoffreynyc.com> wrote in message
news:15de1$41c73bd8$44a72b52$18777@.msgid.meganewsservers.com...
> Thank you. If I could trouble you once more, how would this get in there?
> We've updated hundreds of customers and have found this error on but one
> site...
> Again, thank you!
> Gary
>
> "Tom Moreau" <tom@.dont.spam.me.cips.ca> wrote in message
> news:OnHXHCt5EHA.344@.TK2MSFTNGP10.phx.gbl...
>> Run:
>> drop statistics hind_61_3
>> and then do your ALTER TABLE.
>> --
>> Tom
>> ---
>> Thomas A. Moreau, BSc, PhD, MCSE, MCDBA
>> SQL Server MVP
>> Columnist, SQL Server Professional
>> Toronto, ON Canada
>> www.pinnaclepublishing.com
>>
>> "Gary Johnson" <gary.johnson@.geoffreynyc.com> wrote in message
>> news:8c236$41c72f45$44a72b52$17509@.msgid.meganewsservers.com...
>> I'm attempting to change a column data type from int to nvarchar(16) on a
>> production database. When executing:
>> alter table x alter column y nvarchar(16)
>> I get the error:
>> ALTER TABLE ALTER COLUMN y failed because STATISTICS hind_61_3 accesses
>> this
>> column
>>
>> I would be forever grateful if someone could tell me how to get around
>> this
>> issue.
>> Thanks in advance,
>> Gary
>>
>