INSERT/UPDATE failed because the following SET options have incorrect settings: ‘QUOTED_IDENTIFIER’ …

In this article we will discuss on when we get the errors like below in Sql Server and how to resolve them.

Msg 1934, Level 16, State 1, Procedure AddEmployee, Line 5

INSERT failed because the following SET options have incorrect settings: ‘QUOTED_IDENTIFIER’. Verify that SET options are correct for use with indexed views and/or indexes on computed columns and/or filtered indexes and/or query notifications and/or XML data type methods and/or spatial index operations.

First to reproduce this scenario we will create a demo db, table, populate sample data in the table and create a stored procedure to add the data to table:

CREATE DATABASE DemoSQLHints
GO
USE DemoSQLHints
GO
SET ANSI_NULLS ON
GO
CREATE TABLE dbo.Employee(EmployeeId int identity(1,1),
                   FirstName VARCHAR(50),LastName  VARCHAR(50))
GO
--Insert 1k records using GO statement as below
INSERT INTO dbo.Employee(FirstName,LastName) VALUES(NEWID(),NEWID())
GO 1000

GO
--Create Stored Procedure to insert record in Employee Table with
--QUOTED_IDENTIFIER setting set to "OFF"

SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER OFF
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE DBO.AddEmployee(@FirstName VARCHAR(50),@LastName VARCHAR(50))
AS
BEGIN
 SET NOCOUNT ON 
 INSERT INTO dbo.Employee(FirstName,LastName)
 VALUES (@FirstName, @LastName )
END
GO

Below statement to insert record in the Employee table, successfully executes and inserts a record in the employee table:

EXEC DBO.AddEmployee 'Basavaraj','Biradar'
GO

Now try to create a filtered index (New Feature introduced in Sql Server 2008) on the employee table as shown below. To create filtered index, sql server requires it to be created with SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER setting as ON.

SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
CREATE NONCLUSTERED INDEX IX_Emplyoee_EmployeeId
 ON Employee(EmployeeId) WHERE EmployeeId > 500
GO

After creating the above filtered index, try executing the below statement which was executed successfully prior to the creation of the filtered index.

EXEC DBO.AddEmployee 'Basavaraj','Biradar'
GO

This time the execution of the above statement returns the below error:

Msg 1934, Level 16, State 1, Procedure AddEmployee, Line 5

INSERT failed because the following SET options have incorrect settings: ‘QUOTED_IDENTIFIER’. Verify that SET options are correct for use with indexed views and/or indexes on computed columns and/or filtered indexes and/or query notifications and/or XML data type methods and/or spatial index operations.

Reason for this error is:  Employee table has filtered index and due to this any DML statement on this table which is executed with SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER setting as OFF will result in failure. Here as the stored procedure AddEmployee is created with SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER setting as OFF, so whenever this sp is executed it will use this setting stored in the meta data.

To solve this issue, we need to re-create the SP AddEmployee  with QUOTED_IDENTIFIER setting as ON as shown below:

DROP PROCEDURE dbo.AddEmployee
GO
SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON
GO
CREATE PROCEDURE DBO.AddEmployee(@FirstName VARCHAR(50),@LastName VARCHAR(50))
AS
BEGIN
 SET NOCOUNT ON 
 INSERT INTO dbo.Employee(FirstName,LastName)
 VALUES (@FirstName, @LastName )
END
GO

Now, try executing the below statement:

EXEC DBO.AddEmployee 'Basavaraj','Biradar'
GO

Now, the above statement executes successfully and inserts a record in the employee table 🙂

You would also like to gothrough the article SET Options with their setting values required while working with filtered index

Please go through the article SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON/OFF Setting in Sql Server to have detailed information on this setting. It is better practice to use SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIERS ON setting.

Please correct me, if my understanding is wrong. Comments are always welcome.

Note: All the examples in this article are tested on Sql Server 2008 version

[ALSO READ] Difference Between SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON and OFF setting

24 thoughts on “INSERT/UPDATE failed because the following SET options have incorrect settings: ‘QUOTED_IDENTIFIER’ …

  1. Can anybody explain the reason for this strange behaviour?
    I’ve now created an indexed view, and have to change our application where updating the database.
    I can’t make the change general, since then selecting data fails.
    I’ll not write what this makes me think about SQL server, but I can admit that it’s not possitive.

  2. Thanks for the article. Very helpful.
    SQLSERVER is like a huge, enormous mountain of shit, full of crap configurations, specially prepared to f your life in the worst possible way.

    1. I don’t want to be negative… I came across this error today for the first time. In my case it is probably caused by querying xml data. I read Astolfo’s message and it made me laugh because I think the same thing at times.

  3. I have the same problem but I’m not allowed to change or update store procedure (maybe change index)
    Are there another ways to solve this problem.

    Thanks

  4. Thanks a lot

    i was trying to run an update command in SQL job which gives this error but now by using “SET QUOTED_IDENTIFIER ON” in the query solved my problem

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *