If you’re like me and get the urge to mess around with your PC then this might interest you or if you’re seriously looking to setup an IIS Server along with MySQL & phpMyAdmin then again, this is for you. This is a quick how-to for setting up MySQL & phpMyAdmin on Windows if you’re planning to install WordPress or any such application dependent on these technologies. There are other options like Xampp but I’d like to talk about how one can set these components individually. Setting up an IIS Server is quite easy & so is MySQL & phpMyAdmin, so here’s how:

  • Setting up IIS (Windows 7):
To do this follow these steps:
  1. Start –> Control Panel
  2. Programs –> Uninstall a program
  3. Turn Windows features on or off (left sidebar)
  4. Check ‘Internet Information Services’ & ‘Internet Information Services Hostable Web Core’.
  5. OK. Sreenshot:
install iis7 on windows 7
Once the installation is done, you’ll have to start the server. To do this:
  1. Start
  2. Search for IIS –> Select IIS Manager
  3. Select your PC from the left sidebar & hit ‘Start’ on the right sidebar. Screenshot:
start iis server windows
  • Install MySQL:
Now that IIS is installed, we’ll set up MySQL, to do that:
  2. Run the setup
  3. Select the ‘Typical’ setup & keep hitting Next & Install.
Screenshots:
installing mysql on windows
mysql on windows
Once MySQL wizard completes it will ask you whether you want to register the server & if you want to configure the server. To save time & hassle, we’ll uncheck the registration option & will configure the server, screenshots:
installing mysql on windows
We’ll choose the Standard configuration & enter the required details. Configurations screenshots:
mysql windows setup
Security settings, I’d suggest keep something that you’ll remember & nothing to complicated. Set the MySQL service to auto run saving you time. Screenshots:
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mysql wndows configuration
Last screen, press ‘Execute’ & once done, ‘Finish’. You’re done with MySQL installation & setup. :)
mysql windows installation complete
  • Installing phpMyAdmin:
We’ll be installing phpMyAdmin as it’s a GUI to managing the tables:
  2. Extract it to:
      C:\inetpub\wwwroot\phpmyadmin
  3. Now navigate to the same directory & rename the file config.sample.inc.php to config.inc.php
  4. Open the file in Notepad & find
      $cfg['blowfish_secret'] = ‘ ’;
  5. Within the ‘ ’ insert any word, eg: manan. The line should look like:
      $cfg['blowfish_secret'] = ‘manan’;
  6. Save the file. Note that the file name should be config.inc.php
  7. In your browser, go to:
      localhost/phpmyadmin
  8. And that’s it, login with the credentials you provided during the MySQL. If all’s done right & the php God’s are smiling you should see your login page, something like this:
phpmyadmin windows login
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~Enjoy!
Wait for the follow up post that would explain my reasoning for going through all of this :)