MySQL installation on Windows details

Automatically install MySQL using the automated installer

New MySQL 5.0 users can use the MySQL installation wizard and the MySQL configuration wizard to install Mysql on Windows
The purpose of designing these two wizards is to make it easier for new users to use MySQL quickly. The MySQL Installation Wizard and the MySQL Configuration Wizard are available in the MySQL Complete Installation Package, and both are recommended for most standard MySQL installations. Exceptions to not using these two wizards include the need for users to install multiple MySQL instances on a single server and advanced users who want full configuration of the advanced server.

Introduction to the MySQL Installation Wizard

The MySQL Installation Wizard is an installer for the MySQL server, which is the latest installation technology for Microsoft Windows. The MySQL Installation Wizard, combined with the MySQL Configuration Wizard, helps users quickly install and configure the MySQL server so that it can be used quickly after installation. The MySQL Installation Wizard is an installer for all MySQL 5.0 release standards. Prior to installing MySQL with the MySQL Installation Wizard, users of previous MySQL versions had to manually shut down and delete existing MySQL devices.

Microsoft has included an improved version of the Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) in its recent Windows release. MSI has become the de facto standard for applications on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003. The MySQL installation wizard will make full use of this technology to provide a more stable and flexible installation process. The Microsoft Windows Installer mechanism was updated with the release of Windows XP. Users of previous versions of Windows can refer to this Microsoft Knowledge Base article for information on the latest version updates for the Windows Installer mechanism. At the same time, Microsoft has recently introduced the WiX (Windows Installer XML) toolkit. This is the first well-known open source project from Microsoft. Given that it is an open source project, we have moved to WiX, and it allows us to take a more flexible, script-based approach to the implementation of the entire Windows installation process.

The improvement of the MySQL installation wizard depends on the support and feedback from users like you. If you think the MySQL installation wizard lacks some important features, or if you find a bug, please use our MySQL Bug System to request features or report issues.

Download and launch the MySQL installation wizard

The MySQL server installation package can be downloaded from the following website: http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/. If the package you downloaded is in a Zip archive, then you first need to unzip it. The procedure to launch the installation wizard depends on the contents of the installation package you downloaded. If the setup.exe file exists, double-click it to start the installation process. If an .msi file exists, you will need to double-click it to start the installation process.

Selecting the installation type

There are three installation types: typical, full and custom. Typical installation types install the MySQL server, the mysql command line client and the command line application. Command line clients and programs include mysqldump, myisamchk and several other tools to help you manage your MySQL server. Full installation type installs all the content in the installation package. The entire installation package includes such things as embedded service libraries, benchmark suites, support scripts and documentation. The custom installation type gives you complete control over the entire package you wish to install. You can choose the type of package and installation path you want to install. If you choose a typical installation or a full installation, you will immediately go to the confirmation screen to confirm your choice and start the installation.

Custom Installation Dialog

If you need to change the installation path or change the specific content of the MySQL installation wizard, you should choose a custom installation type. All available content is listed in the tree at the left end of the custom installation dialog. Content that is not selected for installation has a red X mark, and the selected content has a white mark. You can determine if a content is installed by clicking the content icon and selecting a new option from the drop-down menu that appears. You can modify the default installation path by clicking the “Modify ….” button to the right of the displayed installation path. After selecting your installation path and installation content, click the “Next” button to go to the confirmation dialog.

Confirm dialog

After you select the installation type and your installation content, a confirmation dialog will pop up. Your installation type and installation path will be displayed for you to revisit your choice. If you are satisfied with your setup, you can click on the “Install” button to install MySQL. If you need to change your settings, you can click the "return" button. If you quit the MySQL installation wizard without installing MySQL, you can click the “Cancel” button. After the installation is complete, you will be provided with an option to register your MySQL site. Registration allows you to access emails from the forums.mysql.com forum and submit them to the real-time communication device while reporting bugs at bugs.mysql.com. The final scene of the installer is that the installer provides an overview of the entire installation and provides an opportunity for you to open the MySQL configuration wizard. You can use the configuration wizard to generate a configuration file, install MySQL services and configure security.

Changes made by the MySQL Installation Wizard

Once you click the "Install" button, the MySQL Installation Wizard will start the installation process and will modify your system as follows:

Modifications to the Registry

In a typical installation, the MySQL Installation Wizard will generate a Windows registry key located at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMySQL AB. When installing a major server version such as MySQL Server 5.0, the MySQL installation wizard will generate a naming key after the installation is complete. The naming key consists of two strings, a position string and a version string. The location string contains the installation path. In the default installation, it contains C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Server 5.0. The version string includes the release number. For example, for the installation of MySQL Server 5.0.13-rc, the key value contains the 5.0.13-rc value. The registration key value is used to assist the external tool in identifying the installation path of the MySQL server, which avoids a full scan of the hard disk. The registration key is not required to open the service, and the registration key value will not be generated when using the noinstall Zip archive installation.

Changes to the Start Menu

After installing the selected major MySQL installation, the MySQL Installation Wizard generates a new MySQL menu entry in the Windows Startup menu. For example, when you install MySQL 5.0, the MySQL Installation Wizard will generate the MySQL Server 5.0 section in the Start menu. The new start menu mainly includes the following:

• MySQL command line client: This is a shortcut to the mysql command line client and is configured to connect to the root user. This shortcut requires a root user password to be entered when connecting.

• MySQL Service Instant Configuration Wizard: This is a shortcut to the MySQL Configuration Wizard. Use this shortcut to configure an up-to-date installation server or reconfigure an existing server.

• MySQL Documentation: This is a link to the server documentation for the animal that exists in the MySQL server installation path. This option is not available when the MySQL server is being streamlined. For file system changes

The MySQL installation wizard will install the MySQL service to C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Server 5.0 by default, which is the default location for your system's applications, and MySQL is the main version of the MySQL server. This is a new recommended path for the MySQL server, replacing the previous default path c:mysql.

By default, all MySQL applications are stored in a normal path C:Program FilesMySQL, where Program Files is the default application location for your Windows installation. On a developer's machine, a typical MySQL installation might look like this:

C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Server 5.0

C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Administrator 1.0

C:Program FilesMySQLMySQL Query Browser 1.0

This method makes all MySQL applications installed on a specific system easier to manage and maintain