Why We Should Install WordPress Locally?Setting up WordPress on your Local PC/Windows machine is not a very easy job. Moreover, setting up XAMPP also requires a good understanding of it.
But let me tell you that, once it’s installed you can run WordPress locally without any issue. And we are here to make that tough task easy. Using this guide you can set up XAMPP on PC/Windows and after that, you can Install WordPress locally on XAMPP and run in PC/Windows.If you are running an active blog or you want to learn WordPress, then a localhost environment would be very useful for you.
Xampp Wordpress Mac
Hence you need to know the procedure to install WordPress on localhost. If you are a blogger then you must maintain a localhost environment, so that you can install & test new versions of themes, plugins etc before updating it to your live blog. Note: Even if you maintain a test environment, we recommend running your live blog with a reputed webhost, who are having backup facilities. Bluehost, SiteGround, InMotion are some of them who provide automatic backup facilities.Another great thing about running WordPress on localhost is that your test site will run much faster than what it would have run online. A localhost install of WordPress is also more secure and creates an ideal testing environment on your PC/computer. And this can be done by installing WordPress on XAMPP.For this tutorial, we would be using XAMPP Version 7.2.1 the newest version as of January'2018 and Windows 10. So here is an updated guide on how to install WordPress on XAMPP in Windows Platform.
This guide would also cover some tricky part on XAMPP setup, such as information on how to configure windows firewall for XAMPP and work around of port issues. What is XAMPP?XAMPP stands for (X) cross-platform, Apache, MySQL, PHP, and Perl. It’s a simple, easy, and lightweight application package that lets you create a local web server for testing purposes.Although in this tutorial we are using XAMPP on Windows, XAMPP is a cross-platform application.
It also works on Linux and MAC. You can go to XAMPP Download page and download for your desired Platform.WordPress also can't run as a stand-alone application and requires server software at the backend. In this case, XAMPP can provide the necessary backend environment required to run WordPress on a local machine or localhost. It has all the required components such as Apache, PHP, MySQL, and phpMyAdmin that are required to setup WordPress locally.
Install Wordpress On Xampp Locally
Step 6 - Run Final XAMPP Installation:The unpacking & installation process is quite lengthy and can take up to few minutes to complete. So be patient. I’m not attaching that screenshot to reduce few bytes of webpage size.Once installation completes, you’ll be asked whether you would like to start the XAMPP Control Panel right away.
Download Wordpress For Xampp
XAMPP Control Panel is the interface from where you can control the XAMPP to run your localhost environment. Leave this option ticked and click Finish to open the control panel. Step 7 - Open XAMPP Control Panel:If you selected the option on the last step of installation, the Control Panel will automatically open. If you somehow unchecked the option then you have to go to the Start menu to open the XAMPP Control Panel. Alternatively, you can go to the XAMPP folder (C:XAMPP in our installation) on your computer and open XAMPP Control Panel.If the installation process was successful then the control panel will open with blue and black text updates at the bottom. If there is any issue while running XAMPP, then it will show updates in red.
Step 8 - Troubleshooting Apache Port Error:Now you may sometime see red errors like the one shown above, showing the posts that XAMPP is trying to use are not available. If you see this error you must follow the steps given below:The main reason why XAMPP shows errors like this is due to another program on your machine using ports 80 or 443 (Required for Apache and MySQL).In Windows 10, it mainly shows the error due to the TCP port 80 is blocked by World Wide Web (WWW) Publishing Service. This WWW Publishing service is used by Internet Information Services (IIS) and comes pre-installed. To run XAMPP you must stop the service from running on your machine.
To stop the service running, follow the steps given below:. Go to Start, and in the 'search programs & files' field, type in “services.msc” and select the best match. Scroll down in the Services window until you find World Wide Web Publishing Service,. Right-click on it, go to properties, select 'Disable' from the drop-down, hit the stop button, and then click Apply or Ok.
This should now free up TCP port 80. Restart the XAMPP application and it should run without errors.If that doesn’t resolve the issue, then you windows firewall must be not configured properly.
To set up a new firewall rule to unblock the port follow these steps:. Go to Windows Control Panel, Open Windows Firewall, Then click on Advanced Settings on the left. Click on 'Inbound' on the left, then on the far right click 'New Rule'. Click on Port and then on TCP. In the field below for Specific Ports type “80, 443” and click on Next. Check 'Allow the Connection' then click on Next.
Make sure all options are checked and click on Next button. In the name field, enter any name you want, and Click Finish. Repeat Step i to vi, but this time click on 'Outbound' in step ii. Restart your computerNow Ports 80 and 443 should now be open locally on your computer.Please note that if you get any security/firewall warnings while installing or using XAMPP (example as shown below), make sure you check “Private networks' and click on “Allow access”. This is a very important step as if you cancel/don't press the 'Allow access', XAMPP would not work.