On Windows platforms, the MySQL server can be installed as a Windows service. When installed this way, the MySQL server can be started automatically during system startup, and even restarted automatically by Windows in the event of a service failure.
The MySQL Server Instance Configuration Wizard installs the
MySQL server as a service by default, using the service name
MySQL. If you do not wish to install the
service, uncheck the box next to the option. You can change the service
name by picking a new service name from the drop-down box
provided or by entering a new service name into the drop-down
box.
Service names can include any legal character except forward
(/) or backward (\)
slashes, and must be less than 256 characters long.
If you are installing multiple versions of MySQL onto the same machine, you must choose a different service name for each version that you install. If you do not choose a different service for each installed version then the service manager information will be inconsistent and this will cause problems when you try to uninstall a previous version.
If you have already installed multiple versions using the same
service name, you must manually edit the contents of the
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services
parameters within the Windows registry to update the
association of the service name with the correct server
version.
Typically, when installing multiple versions you create a
service name based on the version information. For example,
you might install MySQL 5.x as mysql5, or
specific versions such as MySQL 5.5.0 as
mysql50500.
To install the MySQL server as a service but not have it started automatically at startup, uncheck the box next to the option.