Install Drupal Website on Windows

By Fares Solution, 20 August, 2023

1. Install WampServer

  1. Download WampServer:

    • Go to the WampServer website.

    • Download the WampServer installer suitable for your Windows version (32-bit or 64-bit).

    • Run the installer, following the prompts to install WampServer. Choose a directory (e.g., C:\wamp64).

  2. Launch WampServer:

    • Open WampServer after installation. A green icon should appear in your taskbar, indicating WampServer is running properly with Apache, MySQL, and PHP.

2. Download Drupal

  1. Download Drupal Core:

    • Visit Drupal's download page.

    • Download the latest .zip version of Drupal for Windows.

  2. Extract Drupal Files:

    • Extract the downloaded file into the WampServer www directory (e.g., C:\wamp64\www\drupal).

3. Create a Database for Drupal

  1. Open phpMyAdmin:

    • Access phpMyAdmin by navigating to http://localhost/phpmyadmin in your browser.

  2. Create a New Database:

    • In phpMyAdmin, click New.

    • Enter a name for your database (e.g., drupaldb) and select utf8_general_ci as the collation.

    • Click Create.

4. Configure WampServer for Drupal

  1. Adjust PHP Settings (Optional but Recommended):

    • Open WampServer settings by clicking the WampServer icon in your taskbar.

    • Under PHP, ensure necessary extensions like openssl and gd are enabled.

  2. Start the Drupal Installer:

    • In your browser, go to http://localhost/drupal.

    • The Drupal setup screen should appear.

5. Install and Configure Drupal

  1. Select Language:

    • Choose your preferred language and click Save and continue.

  2. Choose Installation Profile:

    • Select either Standard or Minimal depending on the features you need.

  3. Database Configuration:

    • Select MySQL/MariaDB as the database type.

    • Enter the database name you created (e.g., drupaldb), username (root for default WampServer), and password (leave blank if none set).

    • Click Save and continue.

  4. Complete Installation:

    • Drupal will install its modules and configurations automatically.

    • When prompted, enter the site details (e.g., site name, admin username, and password) and other configuration settings.

6. Access and Customize Your Drupal Site

  • Once installation is complete, you can visit your Drupal site at http://localhost/drupal.

  • Log in with the admin credentials you created to start customizing the site.

Troubleshooting Tips

  • Port Conflicts: If Apache doesn’t start, it may be due to a port conflict (often with Skype or IIS). In this case, open the httpd.conf file in the WampServer Apache configuration and change the port from 80 to 8080.

  • Permissions: If you encounter issues with file permissions, ensure the WampServer www directory allows read/write access.