Installing MySQL
Go to http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/. You can download the latest version from a couple places.
1. Scroll down a little on the page and on the left hand side of the page, you will find a section titled MySQL Community Server with a Download box beneath it. Click the Download box.
2. Slightly below this section is another section titled MySQL Community Server. Beneath it, in the section titled Current Release (Recommended), there will be a link named something like MySQL 5.1—Generally Available (GA) release for production use. The number (5.1 in this case) will change with new versions, but you can use whichever version they are using in this section.
In the page that opens, scroll down to the section titled Windows downloads. Choose Windows Essentials (x86) and click the Pick a mirror link on the right.
When the new page opens, in the New Users section click the Proceed button. In the next page, you can either fill in your information or click the » No thanks, just take me to the downloads! link.
In the next page, click one of the links in the United States that is probably the closest to you; try to choose HTTP if you can.
After you click the link, in the screen that pops up, click Save and save it wherever you want. I saved mine in the C:\Temp folder. When the download is complete, in the File Download screen choose the Open button, or if you selected the Open file button, double click on the new file. In the screen asking you, “Do you want to run this file?” click Run. This will bring up the installation wizard which will walk you through the installation process.
Click Next to begin. In the next screen, make sure the Typical button is selected and click Next. In the next page, if there is something you would like to change, click the Back button and change it. Otherwise, click Next.
In the next page that opens, you can either enter your information or click the Skip Sign-Up button. Click Next and MySQL will complete the installation.
When everything is finished, you will be taken to a Wizard Completed screen. Check the “Configure the MySQL Server now box and click the Finish button.
In the welcome screen that opens, click Next.
In the next screen, make sure to click the Detailed Configuration button.
The next screen gives you three options. The Developer Machine option will work just fine and you should select that. Unless your computer will act as a live server, you don’t want the other options because it will slow down everything else on your computer.
In the next screen, unless you have a good reason, choose the Multifunctional Database button.
The next screen lets you choose where to put your InnoDB tablespace. If you chose Non-Transactional Database Only in the last step, this option will be grayed out. The default location is C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1\data (again, your version number might be different). The default location is fine, but if you want to change the location, the dropdown menu gives you other suggested options. If you want to use a different drive, you can click the button to the right that has three dots. When you are finished, click the Next button.
Make sure you keep the Decision Support (DSS)/OLAP option in the next screen. Then, click the Next button.
MySQL communicates with Apache and PHP through port 3306. Unless you are running two different versions of MySQL on your computer, you can keep it at port 3306. Make sure that Enable TCP/IP Networking is checked and click the Next button.
In the next page, you will probably want to choose the first option, Standard Character Set. Click Next.
In the next screen, the Install MySQL as a Windows Service box is checked. This means that MySQL will automatically begin when your computer starts up and then run in the background. If you happen to have MySQL already installed as a Windows Service, this box will be grayed out. If you don’t want MySQL to start automatically, uncheck the Launch the MySQL Server automatically box.
The Include Bin Directory in Windows PATH option is also selected by default. Basically, this option allows you to work directly with MySQL in the command line if you ever need to. Make sure it is selected and click the Next button.
If a Service Name Exists pop up menu appears, click No, and pick another name from the drop down menu in the Service Name field.
In the next screen, the box next to Modify Security Settings is checked by default. You will also notice that “root” is written beneath the shadow figure. MySQL gives that name to the administrator who can access everything in the database. Enter and retype your password in the fields to the right, and uncheck the Enable root access from remote machines box, unless you access your server from a different computer.
Do not check the Create an Anonymous Account box. It’s just not a good idea.
Click Next.
Finally, you are finished and can click Execute.
If you have Norton or another similar internet security program running, you might get some pop-up messages suggesting that you block connections, but you don’t want to do that because MySQL will not work if you do. Instead, select the option to allow all connections using all ports.
That should take you to a screen saying that everything went well. Click the Finish button and, believe it or not, you are finished!
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