Hi there! Do you want to install WordPress on your Windows computer locally? Working with WordPress on your own device allows you to test new features, learn development, and build websites before going live.
In this guide, I‘ll show you how to properly install WordPress on a Windows PC using two different methods that I‘ve found reliable through 15 years of web development experience. This will work on Windows 8, 10, and other versions too.
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Why You Should Install WordPress Locally
Installing WordPress locally gives you a safe testing environment that won’t affect your live site. A local WordPress site is also called a local server or localhost.
As a WordPress expert since 2007, I often use local installs to develop plugins and themes without worrying about breaking a production site. Beginners can also benefit from running WordPress locally to learn the CMS, experiment with plugins and themes, and test things out.
Here are some key benefits of having a local WordPress site:
- Test new features and updates without affecting your live site
- Experiment and learn WordPress without worries
- Develop themes and plugins in a safe environment
- Show in-progress site to clients before going live
- Store site backups securely on your computer
Note that a local WordPress site is only accessible to you. If you want to make a public website, you‘ll need a domain name and web hosting. I recommend following my guide on starting a live WordPress blog when you‘re ready to launch.
Now let‘s dive into how to install WordPress locally on your Windows computer. I‘ll cover 2 easy methods, feel free to click below to jump ahead:
- Method 1: Acquia Dev Desktop
- Method 2: WampServer
Method 1: Install WordPress on Windows Using Acquia Dev Desktop
Acquia Dev Desktop is a free local development environment for building WordPress and Drupal sites on your computer. It comes bundled with Apache, MySQL, PHP and other components required to run WordPress locally.
First, download and install the Acquia Dev Desktop software on your Windows PC. Go to the Acquia website and click ‘Download‘:
Once downloaded, double-click the installer file and follow the setup wizard. Keep all the default options and click Next until the installation completes.
Then launch Acquia Dev Desktop from your Start menu. You‘ll see a screen like this:
Now we need to create a new WordPress site. Click the ‘+‘ button at the bottom left and select ‘New WordPress Site‘:
Give your local site a name and pick the WordPress version to install. I recommend going with the latest release. Then click ‘Next‘.
On the next screen, you can configure advanced settings like PHP version, web server port, MySQL credentials etc. I suggest sticking to the defaults to keep things simple.
Once you‘re ready, click ‘Finish‘ and Acquia will download WordPress and install it on your computer. Give it a few minutes to complete.
When the installation finishes, click ‘Manage‘ to access your site‘s WordPress admin dashboard and start building!
Method 2: Install WordPress on Windows Using WampServer
WAMP stands for Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP – all bundled in an easy installer called WampServer. This open-source stack allows you to quickly setup a local environment for running WordPress.
Let‘s go over how to install WampServer:
First, download the WAMP installer from the official website by clicking ‘Download WampServer‘:
You‘ll see 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Select the one matching your Windows OS architecture.
To check your system type, open Control Panel and go to System > System Type. Make note of whether you have 32-bit or 64-bit Windows:
With the right WAMP installer downloaded, launch the file to start the setup wizard.
Pick your language then accept the license agreement. Click Next on the info screens.
When prompted, choose where to install WAMP – I prefer keeping it in the default location.
You can also stick to the default components. Click Next until you get to the installation confirmation screen and click ‘Install‘.
Once the installation completes, click Finish and you‘ll have WAMP fully set up on your Windows computer.
Now we need to create an empty MySQL database for WordPress. Launch WAMP and you‘ll see an icon in your system tray. Right-click it and go to phpMyAdmin.
This will open phpMyAdmin in your browser. Enter ‘root‘ as the username and leave password blank. Then click on ‘Databases‘ and create a new database, like ‘wordpressdb‘.
With the database ready, go and download WordPress which will be a ZIP file. Extract it and copy over the ‘wordpress‘ folder to C:/wamp/www or wherever your WAMP installation is.
You can rename the folder to something easy like ‘mylocalSite‘. This will determine the URL of your localhost WordPress install.
Now open your browser and go to http://localhost/mylocalSite to start the WordPress setup. Pick your language, enter the database details we created earlier, and click Install WordPress.
Create an admin user account and password, and your local WordPress site will be ready!
Log in to the admin dashboard and start building. Your changes will only be visible to you while testing:
Let me know if you need any help getting your local WordPress install up and running on Windows!
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some quick troubleshooting tips based on issues I‘ve helped users resolve over the years:
- If you get database connection errors, double check your database name, username (‘root‘), and blank password.
- Try restarting WAMP/Acquia Dev Desktop and your computer if you see errors.
- Google any error messages you get during WordPress installation for solutions.
- Ensure your firewall or antivirus is not blocking access to your local sites.
- Check that you extracted WordPress files properly and uploaded them in the right folder.
Migrating from Localhost to Live Website
When you‘re ready to go live with your local site, refer to my guide on migrating WordPress from a local server to live hosting. Let me know if you have any other questions!
Why Use WordPress?
WordPress powers over 43% of all websites as of 2022, including 35% of the top 10 million sites. It‘s the world‘s most popular CMS thanks to its ease of use, extensibility, vibrant community, and open-source model.
Whether you‘re looking to start a blog, business website, portfolio, or ecommerce store – WordPress is a great choice for building professional sites without needing to code.
I hope this guide helped you understand how to properly install WordPress on a Windows PC using Acquia Dev Desktop or WampServer. Don‘t hesitate to reach out if you have any other questions!
