MySQL Installation Wizard is an installer for the MySQL server that uses the latest installer technologies for Microsoft Windows. The MySQL Installation Wizard, in combination with the MySQL Configuration Wizard, enables a user to install and configure a MySQL server that is ready for use immediately after installation.
The MySQL Installation Wizard is the standard installer for all MySQL server distributions, version 4.1.5 and higher. Users of previous versions of MySQL need to shut down and remove their existing MySQL installations manually before installing MySQL with the MySQL Installation Wizard. See Section 2.3.3.1.6, “Upgrading MySQL with the Installation Wizard”, for more information on upgrading from a previous version.
Microsoft has included an improved version of their Microsoft Windows Installer (MSI) in the recent versions of Windows. MSI has become the de-facto standard for application installations on Windows 2000, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003. The MySQL Installation Wizard makes use of this technology to provide a smoother and more flexible installation process.
The Microsoft Windows Installer Engine was updated with the release of Windows XP; those using a previous version of Windows can reference this Microsoft Knowledge Base article for information on upgrading to the latest version of the Windows Installer Engine.
In addition, Microsoft has introduced the WiX (Windows Installer XML) toolkit recently. This is the first highly acknowledged Open Source project from Microsoft. We have switched to WiX because it is an Open Source project and it enables us to handle the complete Windows installation process in a flexible manner using scripts.
Improving the MySQL Installation Wizard depends on the support and feedback of users like you. If you find that the MySQL Installation Wizard is lacking some feature important to you, or if you discover a bug, please report it in our bugs database using the instructions given in Section 1.7, “How to Report Bugs or Problems”.
The MySQL installation packages can be downloaded from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/. If the package you download is contained within a Zip archive, you need to extract the archive first.
If you are installing on Windows Vista it is best to open a
network port before beginning the installation. To do this,
first ensure that you are logged in as an Administrator, go
to the Control Panel, and double-click
the Windows Firewall icon. Choose the
Allow a program through Windows Firewall
option and click the button.
Enter MySQL into the
Name text box and
3306 (or the port of your choice) into
the Port number text box. Also ensure
that the TCP protocol radio button is
selected. If you wish, you can also limit access to the
MySQL server by choosing the Change
scope button. Confirm your choices by clicking
the button. If you do not open a
port prior to installation, you cannot configure the MySQL
server immediately after installation. Additionally, when
running the MySQL Installation Wizard on Windows Vista,
ensure that you are logged in as a user with administrative
rights.
The process for starting the wizard depends on the contents of
the installation package you download. If there is a
setup.exe file present, double-click it
to start the installation process. If there is an
.msi file present, double-click it to
start the installation process.
There are three installation types available: Typical, Complete, and Custom.
The Typical installation type installs the MySQL server, the mysql command-line client, and the command-line utilities. The command-line clients and utilities include mysqldump, myisamchk, and several other tools to help you manage the MySQL server.
The Complete installation type installs all components included in the installation package. The full installation package includes components such as the embedded server library, the benchmark suite, support scripts, and documentation.
The Custom installation type gives you complete control over which packages you wish to install and the installation path that is used. See Section 2.3.3.1.3, “The Custom Install Dialog”, for more information on performing a custom install.
If you choose the Typical or Complete installation types and click the button, you advance to the confirmation screen to verify your choices and begin the installation. If you choose the Custom installation type and click the button, you advance to the custom installation dialog, described in Section 2.3.3.1.3, “The Custom Install Dialog”.
If you wish to change the installation path or the specific components that are installed by the MySQL Installation Wizard, choose the Custom installation type.
A tree view on the left side of the custom install dialog lists all available components. Components that are not installed have a red X icon; components that are installed have a gray icon. To change whether a component is installed, click that component's icon and choose a new option from the drop-down list that appears.
You can change the default installation path by clicking the button to the right of the displayed installation path.
After choosing your installation components and installation path, click the button to advance to the confirmation dialog.
Once you choose an installation type and optionally choose your installation components, you advance to the confirmation dialog. Your installation type and installation path are displayed for you to review.
To install MySQL if you are satisfied with your settings, click the button. To change your settings, click the button. To exit the MySQL Installation Wizard without installing MySQL, click the button.
The final screen of the installer provides a summary of the installation and gives you the option to launch the MySQL Configuration Wizard, which you can use to create a configuration file, install the MySQL service, and configure security settings.
Once you click the button, the MySQL Installation Wizard begins the installation process and makes certain changes to your system which are described in the sections that follow.
Changes to the Registry
The MySQL Installation Wizard creates one Windows registry key
in a typical install situation, located in
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\MySQL AB.
The MySQL Installation Wizard creates a key named after the
major version of the server that is being installed, such as
MySQL Server 5.5. It contains
two string values, Location and
Version. The Location
string contains the path to the installation directory. In a
default installation it contains C:\Program
Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5\. The
Version string contains the release number.
For example, for an installation of MySQL Server
5.5.9, the key contains a value of
5.5.9.
These registry keys are used to help external tools identify
the installed location of the MySQL server, preventing a
complete scan of the hard-disk to determine the installation
path of the MySQL server. The registry keys are not required
to run the server, and if you install MySQL using the
noinstall Zip archive, the registry keys
are not created.
Changes to the Start Menu
The MySQL Installation Wizard creates a new entry in the Windows menu under a common MySQL menu heading named after the major version of MySQL that you have installed. For example, if you install MySQL 5.5, the MySQL Installation Wizard creates a section in the menu.
The following entries are created within the new menu section:
: This is a shortcut to the mysql command-line client and is configured to connect as the
rootuser. The shortcut prompts for arootuser password when you connect.: This is a shortcut to the MySQL Configuration Wizard. Use this shortcut to configure a newly installed server, or to reconfigure an existing server.
: This is a link to the MySQL server documentation that is stored locally in the MySQL server installation directory. This option is not available when the MySQL server is installed using the Essentials installation package.
Changes to the File System
The MySQL Installation Wizard by default installs the MySQL
5.5 server to C:\, where
Program
Files\MySQL\MySQL Server
5.5Program Files is the default
location for applications in your system, and
5.5 is the major
version of your MySQL server. This is the recommended location
for the MySQL server, replacing the former default location
C:\mysql.
By default, all MySQL applications are stored in a common
directory at C:\, where
Program
Files\MySQLProgram Files is the default
location for applications in your Windows installation. A
typical MySQL installation on a developer machine might look
like this:
C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.5 C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Workbench 5.1 OSS
This approach makes it easier to manage and maintain all MySQL applications installed on a particular system.
The default location of the data directory is the
AppData directory configured for the user
that installed the MySQL application.
The MySQL Installation Wizard can perform server upgrades automatically using the upgrade capabilities of MSI. That means you do not need to remove a previous installation manually before installing a new release. The installer automatically shuts down and removes the previous MySQL service before installing the new version.
Automatic upgrades are available only when upgrading between installations that have the same major and minor version numbers. For example, you can upgrade automatically from MySQL 5.5.5 to MySQL 5.5.6, but not from MySQL 5.1 to MySQL 5.5.