How To Fix TW206 - Garbage character & found in &.&

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: TW - R3trans - Messages

• Message number: 206

• Message text: Garbage character & found in &.&

Scrap character & found in &.<(>&<)>

What causes this issue?

The table contains scrap characters.

System Response

These are not exported by transport program R3trans.

How to fix this error?

Read SAP Note 718511. It contains the current recommendations for how to
deal with scrap characters. It is usually only possible to solve the
problem by correcting the destroyed data records in the export system
and repeating the export.

Procedure for System Administrators

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message TW206 - Garbage character & found in &.& ?

  The SAP error message TW206, which states "Garbage character & found in &.&," typically indicates that there is an invalid or unexpected character in a field that is being processed. This can occur in various contexts, such as during data entry, file uploads, or when processing data in reports or transactions.
  Causes:
  
  Invalid Characters: The presence of non-printable or special characters in a text field that is expected to contain only alphanumeric characters.
  Data Corruption: Data may have been corrupted during transfer or storage, leading to unexpected characters.
  Encoding Issues: Mismatches in character encoding (e.g., UTF-8 vs. ASCII) can lead to garbage characters appearing in the data.
  User Input Errors: Users may inadvertently enter invalid characters when filling out forms or fields.
  
  Solutions:
  
  Data Validation: Implement validation checks to ensure that only valid characters are allowed in the input fields. This can be done through input masks or validation rules.
  Data Cleansing: Review and cleanse the data to remove any invalid characters. This may involve using scripts or tools to identify and replace or remove garbage characters.
  Check Encoding: Ensure that the character encoding used in your SAP system matches the encoding of the data being processed. Adjust settings if necessary.
  Error Handling: Enhance error handling in your application to catch and report invalid characters more gracefully, allowing users to correct their input.
  Review Data Sources: If the data is coming from external sources (like files or databases), ensure that the data is clean and properly formatted before importing it into SAP.
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Notes: Check SAP Notes for any specific patches or updates related to this error message. SAP frequently releases updates that may address known issues.
  Transaction Codes: Use transaction codes like SE38 (ABAP Editor) or SE11 (Data Dictionary) to analyze the data structure and identify where the garbage characters are originating from.
  Debugging: If you have access to development tools, consider debugging the process to pinpoint where the error occurs and what data is being processed at that time.
  
  If the issue persists after trying the above solutions, it may be beneficial to consult with your SAP support team or reach out to SAP support for further assistance.