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.

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 2.5.3.1.3, “The Custom Install Dialog”, for more information on performing a custom install.

If you choose the Typical or Complete installation types and click the Next 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 Next button, you advance to the custom installation dialog, described in Section 2.5.3.1.3, “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 on 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 Change... button to the right of the displayed installation path.

After choosing your installation components and installation path, click the Next 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 Install button. To change your settings, click the Back button. To exit the MySQL Installation Wizard without installing MySQL, click the Cancel button.

After installation is complete, you have the option of registering with the MySQL web site. Registration gives you access to post in the MySQL forums at forums.mysql.com, along with the ability to report bugs at bugs.mysql.com and to subscribe to our newsletter. The final screen of the installer provides a summary of the installation and gives you the option to launch the MySQL Config Wizard, which you can use to create a configuration file, install the MySQL service, and configure security settings.

Once you click the Install 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 5.1. 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 5.1\. The Version string contains the release number. For example, for an installation of MySQL Server 5.1.47, the key contains a value of 5.1.47.

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 Start menu under a common MySQL menu heading named after the major version of MySQL that you have installed. For example, if you install MySQL 5.1, the MySQL Installation Wizard creates a MySQL Server 5.1 section in the Start menu.

The following entries are created within the new Start menu section:

Changes to the File System

The MySQL Installation Wizard by default installs the MySQL 5.1 server to C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.1, where Program Files is the default location for applications in your system, and 5.1 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:\Program Files\MySQL, where Program 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 5.1
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.

In MySQL 5.1.23 and earlier, the default location for the data files used by MySQL is located within the corresponding MySQL Server installation directory. For MySQL 5.1.24 and later, 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 5.1.34 to MySQL 5.1.37, but not from MySQL 5.0 to MySQL 5.1.

In MySQL 5.1.32 and later, the EXE version of the MSI installer packages were removed. When upgrading an existing MySQL installation from the old EXE based installer to the MSI based installer, please keep the following notes in mind:

See Section 2.5.7, “Upgrading MySQL on Windows”.