How To Install Your Own Web Server – Installing MySQL 5

This is the second part of our tutorial on how to install your own home web server. In the first, you’ve seen how to install Apache HTTP Server on Windows. Now we’re going to see how to install MySQL, a free database server.

MySQL comes in two flavors: Enterprise Edition and the MySQL Community Server. Of course, the Community Server is free and even most popular web hosts will use this version.

How To Install MySQL on Windows 2000, 2003, XP and Vista

If you’re about to install MySQL on MS Windows Server 2008, I suggest you read my post here.

Since MySQL 6 is still in alpha stage, we’re going to get MySQL 5.0.

Note: I couldn’t get passed these 1045 and 1146 errors when trying to install MySQL 5.1 so we’re going to use 5.0.

Head over to http://www.mysql.com and click on the Developer Zone tab at the top. Now click on Downloads and the on MySQL Community Server. Select version 5.0.

This should have brought you here.

Now scroll down the page and click on Pick a mirror next to Windows ZIP/Setup.EXE (x86) in the Windows downloads section.

On the next page, you’re invited to register but click on the link at the bottom that says “No thanks, just take me to the downloads!”. Then simply select the mirror from which you want to download MySQL.

Once the download is complete, follow this procedure:

1. Extract the content from the MySQL zip file and launch Setup.exe.
2. Choose the Custom setup type and click Next.
3. Select MySQL Server at the top of the list and click on the Change button to modify the server’s installation path. Set it to c:\MySQL (or on any drive you want as long as you install it at the root).
   
4. Click on Next. The installation may take a few minutes depending on your computer’s performance.
5. Click Next a couple of times until you see the screen with a checkbox that says “Configure the MySQL Server Now”. Check this box and click on Finish.
6. When the MySQL Server Instance Configuration Wizard comes up, select the Detailed Configuration type and click Next.
7. In my case, since I’m installing this as a development environment, I’m going to select Developer Machine but feel free to select the server type that suits your needs.
8. As for the database usage parameter, select Multifunctional Database and hit Next.
9. On the InnoDB Table Settings screen, set the path to the same folder you’ve set the MySQL Server path. Click on Next.
10. Leave Decision Support (DSS)/OLAP selected by default on the next screen and hit Next.
11. On the networking options screen, uncheck the box that says “Add firewall exception for this port” (otherwise you might get the installation error 1045). Add a firewall exception entry manually instead. Leave other options by default.
12. On the next screen, choose Standard Character Set and click on Next.
13. On the Windows Options screen, check all the boxes (yes, all three) and click on Next.
14. When the security options screen comes up, check Modify Security Settings and choose a root password. Click Next.
15. Finally, click on Execute to complete the MySQL configuration.

You should now have a working MySQL instance running as a system service!

To manage your database server, you might want to get the MySQL GUI Tools 5.0 but I’ll come back on this later.

Stay tuned as we’re going to install PHP on our Windows box.

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