Installing WordPress for a Test Environment

Here are directions on how to install wordpress and xampplite for a testing environment on a PC. You can make changes to your themes and plugins first in your testing environment before making the changes to your production website. Coming soon I am working on steps to backup your current production website and restoring it in your testing environment for a better testing environment.

Download XAMPP Lite (.exe is recommended) – http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html#646

Download WordPress - http://wordpress.org/download/

Install Xampplite – Xampplite provides an apache server emulation. Installing xampplite on your machine will make your machine will allow you to run WordPress on your machine.
1. Drag Xampplite-w3.exe to the Virtual Machine window.
2. Double click on Xmapplite-w3.exe, extract xampplite to C:\
3. Click Extract.
4. Open the xampplite folder on your C:
5. Click setup_xampp.bat
6. Press any key when prompted.
7. Click on xampp-control.exe.
8. Click on the Start Button for Apache. Click Unblock if prompted.
9. Click on the Start Button for MySQL. Click Unblock if prompted.

Create the wordpress database
1. Open the browser in the virtual machine.
2. Type in http://localhost/xampp/splash.php for the address.
3. Click on your language.
4. On the left side under Tools, click on phpMyAdmin.
5. Look for the Create new database fields on the right side.
6. Enter wordpress for the database name.
7. Select utf8_unicode_ci .
8. Click Create.

Install WordPress
1. Extract the wordpress files from the wordpress zip file.
2. Extract the files to c:\xampplite\htdocs
3. open c:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\wp-config-sample.php.
4. Modify the following

define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘wordpress’); // The name of the database
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘root’); // Your MySQL username
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ”); // …and password
define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’); // 99% chance you won’t need to

Your database name should be wordpress.
Your db_user name should be root.
The db_password should be left blank

5. Save the file as wp-config.php.
6. In the browser window go to http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php
7. Enter your blog title.
8. Click Install WordPress.
9. Copy the username and password.
10. Click Login.
11. Change the password to a password you can remember.
12. WordPress is now configured.

To access your wordpress admin page go to – http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin
To access your wordpress website go to – http://localhost/wordpress

Plugins and themes can be copied to
C:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\wp-content\plugins
C:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\wp-content\themes

Setting up a WordPress Testing Environment with Virtual PC

This details how to setup a virtual testing environment with Windows XP and Virtual PC. You can setup a wordpress testing environment on your machine but using a virtual testing environment leaves minimal footprint and modifications to your current machine. The same principles apply when working with other virtual environments but this is catered toward Windows XP and Windows Vista Users. If you would like to install WordPress on your PC instead of a virtual environment check out these instructions on how to install a WordPress testing environment on a PC.


System Requirements:
• Windows XP SP3 or Windows Vista SP1
• Atleast 4 GB RAM
• 10 GB of availabile disk space


Here is what you need to do:
NOTE: The XP virtual hard drive will expire after a certain date. You want to make sure you backup your files in case it expires. If you want a long term solution, install xampplite directly on your machine. Here are the instructions to install WordPress and Xampplite directly onto your workstation.

1. Download Virtual PC 2007 – http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=28C97D22-6EB8-4A09-A7F7-F6C7A1F000B5&displaylang=en
2. Download the virtual PC image of your choice. I have only tested this on Windows XP, but is should work on Vista also. - http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=21EABB90-958F-4B64-B5F1-73D0A413C8EF&displaylang=en (XP SP3 with IE6 is recommended).
3. Download XAMPP Lite (.exe is recommended) – http://www.apachefriends.org/en/xampp-windows.html#646
4. Download WordPress - http://wordpress.org/download/
5. Install Virtual PC 2007
6. Expand the downloaded image that was downloaded in Step 2.
7. Start Virtual PC and add the VHD.
a. Click on the New button on the Virtual PC Console.
b. Click Next.
c. Select Create a virtual machine.
d. Enter a name for the virtual machine.
e. Select the Windows XP as the Operating System.
f. Adjust the RAM if needed, I recommend atleast 500 MB or up to 1GB if you have enough RAM.,
g. Select An existing virtual hard disk.
h. Click Browse to find the expanded virtual PC image. For this example we are using the XP SP3 with IE6 VHD. Select XP SP3 with IE6.vhd.
i. You can choose Enabled undo disks to revert back and commit any change. For this case I have chosen not to enable the undo disks.
j. Click Finish.
8. Go back to the Virtual PC console.
9. Highlight your Virtual Machine you just created, click Settings.
10. Click on Networking, on the right side select your network adapter. If you want Internet access from the virtual machine, select your network adapter that is connected to the Internet.
11. Click OK
12. Click Start to start your virtual machine.


Install Xampplite – Xampplite provides an apache server emulation. You can install this on your machine without Virtual PC. With the Virtual PC, you have the ability to uninstall things and to have an actual server like environment.
1. Drag Xampplite-w3.exe to the Virtual Machine window.
2. Double click on Xmapplite-w3.exe, extract xampplite to C:\
3. Click Extract.
4. Open the xampplite folder on your C:
5. Click setup_xampp.bat
6. Press any key when prompted.
7. Click on xampp-control.exe.
8. Click on the Start Button for Apache. Click Unblock if prompted.
9. Click on the Start Button for MySQL. Click Unblock if prompted.


Create the wordpress database
1. Open the browser in the virtual machine.
2. Type in http://localhost/xampp/splash.php for the address.
3. Click on your language.
4. On the left side under Tools, click on phpMyAdmin.
5. Look for the Create new database fields on the right side.
6. Enter wordpress for the database name.
7. Select utf8_unicode_ci .
8. Click Create


Install WordPress
1. Extract the wordpress files from the wordpress zip file.
2. Extract the files to c:\xampplite\htdocs
3. open c:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\wp-config-sample.php.
4. Modify the following


define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘wordpress’); // The name of the database
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘root’); // Your MySQL username
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ”); // …and password
define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’); // 99% chance you won’t need to

Your database name should be wordpress.
Your db_user name should be root.
The db_password should be left blank

5. Save the file as wp-config.php.
6. In the browser window go to http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php
7. Enter your blog title.
8. Click Install WordPress.
9. Copy the username and password.
10. Click Login.
11. Change the password to a password you can remember.
12. WordPress is now configured.

Goto http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin to access your WordPress admin page.

Goto http://localhost/wordpress to see you wordpress website.

Plugins and themes can be copied to


C:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\wp-content\plugins
C:\xampplite\htdocs\wordpress\wp-content\themes