How to Install WordPress Locally on Windows or Mac

Create a Server on a Windows or Mac Computer and Install WordPress Locally

If you’re looking to enhance your understanding of WordPress or expedite the process of website development and testing, learning how to create a server on Windows and install WordPress locally on either a Windows or Mac computer is highly advantageous.

By opting for a local installation, you create an environment that facilitates a smoother learning curve and empowers you to assess the compatibility and stability of various plugins or themes before implementing them on your live website. By streamlining your workflow, you reduce the likelihood of problems that could negatively affect the functionality of your live website.

You may also be interested in these helpful XAMPP FAQs.

To Run WordPress Locally You Will Need to Install

• Apache Web Server
• MySQL Database Server
• PHP
• phpMyAdmin

Step 3: Testing Your XAMPP Installation

Your local server should be installed and ready to go, but before we install WordPress let’s test your XAMPP installation to make sure everything works properly.

Starting XAMPP (Windows)
Navigate to the folder where you installed XAMPP (C:/xampp/) and click on the “xampp-control” icon, which will start the control panel. Now click the Start button next to Apache and MySQL. If it is working properly the names of the services will be highlighted in green. Red or yellow indicates a problem with your installation.

Starting XAMPP (Mac)

To start XAMPP simply open XAMPP Control (by going to /Applications/XAMPP/XAMPP Control in Finder) and start Apache and MySQL. If the MySQL server does not start, you may need to set the permissions to 777 using Terminal.

The command is “chmod -R 777 /Applications/XAMPP/xampfiles/var” without the quotes.

Step 4: Installing WordPress on Your Local Server

Now that your local server is up and running, you are ready to install WordPress. This is actually quite easy to do, but there are quite a few steps involved, so follow the instructions below carefully and you will have WordPress up and running in minutes

Download The Latest Version of WordPress – Click Here

Right Click the Zip File You Download and Click “Extract All”

Open the Folder and Rename wp-config-sample to wp-config

The database name is the same as you created, which is “wordpress” without quotes. The username is the server default “root” without quotes and the password should be blank, so you will need to delete “password_here” but NOT the single quotes. Click on the link https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/ in your text editor or copy and paste it into your browsers address bar and replace the lines of code below. Be sure that you ONLY REPLACE THE CODE HIGHLIGHTED IN THE IMAGE BELOW.

Your Edited wp-config Should Look Like The Image Below

Please note the “Unique Keys and Salts” will be different than pictured, which is the normal and desired result, since these are unique security keys, which should be different for every WordPress website you create.

CONGRATULATIONS! The Hard Part is Over.

Now Let’s Finish Installing WordPress

The last step is to copy your wordpress folder to C:\xampp\htdocs and type or copy and paste http://localhost/wordpress/ into your browsers address bar. Select your language, and follow the prompts. Even though this is a local install you should use a strong password since the username password will remain the same should you decide to transfer your WordPress website to a web host in the future.

Frequently Asked Questions About XAMPP

What is XAMPP?
XAMPP is a free and open-source software package that includes Apache web server, MySQL database, PHP programming language, and Perl interpreter. It is designed to make it easy to set up a local web server environment for web development and testing purposes.

How do I install XAMPP?
To install XAMPP, you can download the package from the official website and run the installation program. The installation process is straightforward, and you can choose which components to install.

What operating systems does XAMPP support?
XAMPP is compatible with Windows, Linux, and macOS operating systems.

What is the purpose of XAMPP control panel?
The XAMPP control panel allows you to start and stop Apache, MySQL, and other components of XAMPP. It also provides access to the configuration files and logs of these components.

How do I start and stop Apache and MySQL using XAMPP control panel?
To start Apache and MySQL, you can simply click the “Start” button next to each component in the XAMPP control panel. To stop them, click the “Stop” button.

How do I access phpMyAdmin using XAMPP?
To access phpMyAdmin, open your web browser and type “localhost/phpmyadmin” in the address bar. This will take you to the phpMyAdmin login page where you can enter your username and password.

How do I configure Apache and PHP settings in XAMPP?
You can edit the “HTTPD .conf” file in the “apache” folder of XAMPP to configure Apache settings. To configure PHP settings, edit the “PHP .ini” file in the “PHP” folder of XAMPP.

How do I create a new database in MySQL using XAMPP?
To create a new database in MySQL, access phpMyAdmin and click on the “Databases” tab. Enter a name for your new database and click the “Create” button.

Can I use XAMPP for production websites?
While XAMPP is primarily designed for local development and testing, it is possible to use it for small-scale production websites. However, it is not recommended for high-traffic or mission-critical websites.

How do I uninstall XAMPP?
To uninstall XAMPP, you can simply delete the XAMPP folder from your computer. However, this will also delete any data stored in MySQL databases. If you want to keep your data, you should back up your databases before uninstalling XAMPP.

How Do I Update XAMPP?

To update XAMPP, you can follow these steps:

1. First, backup all your data and files in the XAMPP directory before updating.
2. Download the latest version of XAMPP from the official Apache Friends website.
3. Run the downloaded installer and choose the directory where you installed XAMPP.
4. During installation, you may be prompted to choose which components you want to install or update. Select the components you want to update or install and click the “Next” button.
5. Follow the prompts to complete the installation process. The installer may ask you to stop the XAMPP services, so ensure that before proceeding.
6. Once the installation is complete, you can start the XAMPP services and test to ensure everything works correctly.

Note: It is recommended to update XAMPP regularly to keep it up-to-date with the latest security and bug fixes.

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Final Thoughts

Congratulations on installing XAMPP and WordPress Locally on your computer. Whether you are an experienced developer or new to WordPress, you are going to love being able to do almost anything you can do on a hosted site, at blazing fast speeds. If you want to install on a web host, check out our article on How to Install WordPress in Minutes for detailed instructions.

Summary

1. Install XAMPP on Windows, Mac, or Linux
2. Local WordPress Installations are FAST
3. Install Multiple Instances
4. Fantastic for Beginners
5. Essential for Developers

Note: Your computer’s resources are the only limit to the number of WordPress installations possible. However, since you will typically only run one or two sites simultaneously, it is unlikely you will ever run into any issues. At My Island Designs, we have created over one hundred local sites on a single computer without any problems.