Simple Steps to Install Wordpress on your Computer [Wordpress Weekend]

November 15, 2009
By sinha

We love wordpress and even started ‘wordpress weekend’ to share tips to use wordpress effectively.

If you run a wordpress blog on your server, it’s strongly recommended that you play with wordpress themes/plugins on your local computer first (and push to the server later) – and for this, you need to install wordpress on your local machine.

wordpress tips

wordpress tips

Here are two simplistic ways to install wordpress on your computer (each one of this will take 5-10 minutes maximum).

XAMPP Route

Follow these steps for a blissful installation

  • Download and install xampp (link) – this will install Apache web server and MySQL, PHP and Perl on your machine.
  • Download wordpress files (link)
  • Once you have installed xampp (say D:\xampp), unzip wordpress files in D:\xampp\htdocs folder.
  • Your directory structure will look like this: D:\xampp\htdocs\wordpress
  • At this point feel free to rename the ‘wordpress’ directory to any name of your choice.

[Action] – Start your servers – Go to ‘D:\xampp and click on xampp_start.exe

wordpress installer

wordpress installer

Create Database to Configure Wordpress

  • Hop to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/ and create a Database (Collation: utf8_unicode_ci). Ofcourse, you need a user id as well – so create that one and assign the user to ‘All Privileges’ for your wordpress DB.
  • Once done, hit http://localhost/wordpress (assuming ‘wordpress’ is your site name). The famous 5-min install will guide you through the entire process.

That’s it!! It’s as simple as that.

Microsoft Web Platform Installer

Microsoft’s web platform installer is a free tool that makes it easy install and run the most popular free web applications for blogging, content management and more with the built-in Windows Web Application Gallery.

The installer installs IIS web server, SQL Server 2008 Express DB, .Net Framework and once the installer is live on your system, click ‘Web Application Gallery’ and install wordpress.

What’s interesting about MS’s Web PI is that the whole installation is very easy (simple wizard/just keep clicking ‘Next’) and the product installs components based on the software you choose to install (for instance php/mysql for wordpress)

Our Recommendation

Go for XAMPP route – it’s fairly easy, consumes less memory and most importantly, you get the exact software configuration that your live wordpress blog will run on. Take MS’s Web PI route, only when you want to play with several other applications.

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12 Responses to “ Simple Steps to Install Wordpress on your Computer [Wordpress Weekend] ”

  1. [...] post: Install wordpress on your computer Tags: 5-8-minutes,  install-wordpress,  local-machine,  microsoft,  [...]

  2. amit on November 15, 2009 at 6:34 pm

    I downloaded xampp but it does not install help please

  3. amit on November 15, 2009 at 6:36 pm

    xampp does not install please help

    • Ashish on November 15, 2009 at 10:57 pm

      What error are you getting?

      • amit on November 16, 2009 at 11:45 am

        it says invalid file, my iphone has so many apps

        • amit on November 18, 2009 at 6:21 pm

          please help me

      • amit on November 20, 2009 at 4:33 pm

        please help. this author does not know the answer.

        • rajesh on November 20, 2009 at 11:57 pm

          are you trying to install wp on your iphone? :O
          Only god can help you then!

          • amit on November 22, 2009 at 2:37 pm

            you dumb*s* if apache and php runs on iphone why not wordpress read below

            iphonealley com / forums / showthread.php?t=2607

            please help

  4. amit on November 15, 2009 at 7:44 pm

    please help authour

  5. rajesh on November 22, 2009 at 10:58 pm

    Dude
    You want wordpress app on iphone or run wp server on your machine? You seem to be confused.
    This post is abt installing wp server – which RUNS ON WINDOWS.

    dumb a*s? You seem to be one!

  6. Ashish on November 23, 2009 at 9:09 am

    @Amit – As Rajesh mentioned, these steps are for installing the server on your maching..the installer won’t work on iphone.
    I believe you are looking for an iphone wordpress app?

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