How to fix Error 4926 on Windows Server 2025 / Windows 11

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Why This Error Happens

Error 4926 occurs when a DROP ROWGUIDCOL command is issued against a column that does not currently hold the ROWGUIDCOL property, even if the column itself exists in the table. This typically happens due to a mismatch between the script being run and the actual current schema state—often because the property was already dropped in a previous execution, or the column name in the script does not match the case-sensitive or actual column name in the table. It can also occur in migration scripts where the ROWGUIDCOL property was never applied correctly during the initial table creation in SQL Server 2025.

Step-by-Step Resolution Guide

Step 1: Verify the Column’s Current Properties

  • Open SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) and connect to the target Windows Server 2025 instance.
  • Run the following query to check which column currently holds the ROWGUIDCOL property:
  SELECT c.name AS ColumnName, c.is_rowguidcol 
  FROM sys.columns c 
  WHERE c.object_id = OBJECT_ID('YourSchema.YourTableName');
  • Confirm if is_rowguidcol is already set to 0 for the column in question, indicating the property has already been removed.

Step 2: Correct the Column Reference in Your Script

  • Check for typos or case-sensitivity issues in your ALTER TABLE statement.
  • Ensure you are targeting the correct column, as only one column per table can have the ROWGUIDCOL property at any given time.
  • Update the syntax to explicitly reference the correct object:
  ALTER TABLE YourSchema.YourTableName 
  ALTER COLUMN YourColumnName DROP ROWGUIDCOL;

Step 3: Check for Replication or Schema Locks

  • Verify that the table is not involved in a replication topology where the ROWGUIDCOL property is being managed automatically by SQL Server’s Merge Replication agent.
  • Navigate to Object Explorer > Replication > Local Publications in SSMS to check if the table is a replicated article.
  • If replication is active, pause the Snapshot Agent via the SQL Server Agent service before attempting manual schema alterations.

Step 4: Refresh the Schema Cache

  • Clear the cached schema metadata to ensure SSMS or your application is not reading a stale version of the table structure.
  • Execute DBCC FREEPROCCACHE cautiously (preferably in a maintenance window) or simply disconnect and reconnect your SSMS session to force a metadata refresh.

Alternative or Verification Steps

  • Re-run the SELECT * FROM sys.columns query from Step 1 after executing your fix; the is_rowguidcol value should now consistently return 0 for all columns in the table if the drop was successful or unnecessary.
  • If the error persists despite the property showing as 0, use sp_help 'YourTableName' to rule out underlying table corruption, and consider running DBCC CHECKTABLE to validate the integrity of the system catalog views.