Using WampServer to Set Up a Local WordPress Install

Setting up a local WordPress install is quick, simple, and extremely useful. Many bloggers have experienced the unpleasant complications that can sometimes occur during the update of a WordPress plug-in. Some have even suffered a complete lockout from their WordPress site. It never pays to practice on live blogs. This article teaches you two important tasks: 1) how to download and install WampServer onto a local machine; 2) how to install WordPress into the local WampServer environment.

WampServer 2

WampServer is an open source application that enables uses to utilize the features of an Apache server on a local machine. The current project can be downloaded in both 32-bits and 64-bits formats. The project includes the following programming and database management applications:

• Apache 2
• MySQL 5, as is compatible with both 32 or 64 bits
• PHP 5 and phpMyAdmin
• SQLBuddy

The Apache server drives website browser handling routines. Likewise, the MySQL database is used to store online data. PHP is one of the primary programming languages that are used to access and manipulate the MySQL files. By installing WampServer onto a local system, the user creates a personal web server environment.

Installing WampServer

The installation is pretty much fully automated.

1. Go to the following web link: WampServer
2. Download the appropriate version to fit your operating system.
3. Run the WampServer installer program. Accept the default options.

Installing WordPress

The steps are as follows:

1. Open the wamp working directory: C>wamp>www.
2. Create a new folder for your WordPress website. Name it to match your planned website name.
3. Download WordPress.
4. Extract the WordPress files into the newly created folder.
5. Locate and launch WampServer.
6. Put WampServer online. This option is the bottom button on the WampServer control center.
7. Launch phpMyAdmin. It is second from the top in the WampServer control center.
8. When your browser opens, check for the following URL: http://localhost/phpmyadmin/. In the event of error, recheck the previous steps. You may even need to reinstall WampServer.
9. From the phpMyAdmin control screen, create a new database. If you are duplicating an existing WordPress database, be sure to use the same name. This name should also match the name of the newly created folder.
10. From the WampServer control center, launch Localhost.
11. If you correctly created and named your WordPress folder, it will show up under the Localhost project files.
12. From Localhost, open YourNewFolder, and then follow the prompts to setup the WordPress database.
13. On the database screen, set the MySQL username to root.
14. Follow the prompts to finish the WordPress setup.

About the Author

Steven Farrell is the administrator of ReversePhoneLookup.org, a site where you can perform a reverse lookup for as little as $1.