How to fix the mysqldump "Access denied; you need (at least one of) the PROCESS privilege(s)" error?

Why am I getting this message?

When you run a backup with:

mysqldump -u user -p DATABASE_NAME > backup.sqlthis error will appear:

mysqldump: Error: 'Access denied; you need (at least one of) the PROCESS privilege(s) for this operation' when trying to dump tablespaceThis is because mysqldump tries to export internal information (tablespaces) that require a special privilege (PROCESS) which is not granted to user accounts.

How to fix this easily?

Add the --no-tablespaces option to your command:

mysqldump -u user -p --no-tablespaces DATABASE_NAME > backup.sql

Will I lose any data?

No. This option does not remove your tables or data. It only disables the export of technical information that is unnecessary for a standard restore. You can restore the database normally from this file.

Updated on: 14/02/2026