Using Wordpress on Windows Based Servers

Wordpress is one of the best known and most popular Content Management Systems (CMS) around, and has been so for many years. Mainly used as a blogging platform, Wordpress is a PHP-based application that offers flexibility and reliability, and best of all... it’s free.

LAMP vs. WISP

There has always been some confusion over whether Wordpress could be properly installed and managed on a Windows-based server. Because it is a PHP-based application, many people assumed that Wordpress would only be suitable for integration with software configurations that openly supported PHP, such as a LAMP infrastructure. But this is not so.

LAMP stands for Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP and is a well known configuration. It is a standard set-up used on many Linux-based servers. But Microsoft has an alternative... WISP.

WISP is Windows, IIS, SQL, and PHP. Since the introduction of Windows Server 2003, Window-based servers have been able to support the installation of Wordpress, but once Microsoft introduced Windows Server 2008, the process got a whole lot smoother.

Windows Server 2008 and IIS7

Windows Server 2008 fully supports PHP hosting. This means that a PHP-based application like Wordpress is fully compatible. And with the latest version of Internet Information Services (IIS) 7, the process of installing the Wordpress application has been made much simpler.

Installing Wordpress on a Windows Server

There are two main methods for installing Wordpress on a Windows server. The first method shown below uses Microsoft’s Web Platform Installer application to simplify the process and add semi-automation to the installation. The second example will highlight how Wordpress can be installed manually using the IIS management console.

Installing Wordpress Using the Microsoft Web Platform Installer (MS WPI)

The Microsoft WPI is a great application that will allow you to install Wordpress, as well as other third party and dependency applications needed to run Wordpress. And the whole process can easily be completed in less than 10 minutes.

With MS WPI, you can install everything in one go. So there is no need to go searching for separate downloads for PHP or MySQL etc. MS WPI will not only tell you what you need in order to install Wordpress, it will supply all the relevant applications and dependancies for you.

The first thing you will need to do is download the MS WPI. You can find this from this link: Download WPI from Microsoft Site

You will require .NET framework on your server, most people will already have this but if you don’t then you can find it here: Install .NET framework. You will download a wpilauncher file that is an exe file. Locate this on your server and double click to start the installation process. Then follow the on screen installation instructions. Once this has been installed the WPI will open.

The first display you will see is the Spotlight screen. You will need to select the Applications tab along the top of the console. This will then produce a list of available applications to install. Locate the Wordpress app and click ADD.

This will add one item to be installed to the console and will make the Install button at the bottom right of the screen clickable. Now click Install.

The next screen will highlight any important applications that you do not already have installed (such as MySQL) and will offer you the chance to install these, as well as the Wordpress application. After you have accepted this, you will be taken a screen that lists what you will be downloading.

This will start with the Wordpress application itself and will then list all the dependencies required to support a Wordpress installation. You will need all these, so simply click on the ‘I Accept’ button at the bottom of the screen to start the installation process.

The next step is configuring the Wordpress installation in IIS. The MS WPI will guide you along this process. On this new screen you will be given various options. Select ‘New Web Site’ under the Web Site section at the top and then fill in the relevant details contained on the rest of the screen. Then click Continue.

Because Wordpress uses MySQL, the next process involves configuring MySQL. This is a simple matter of filling out the information on the screen and clicking Continue again.

You have now installed Wordpress and all its relevant dependencies.

Manually Installing Wordpress on a Windows Server 2008 with IIS

To manually install a Wordpress application, you will need to download some essential components and configure these before installing Wordpress. IIS7 does provide a user-friendly management console to assist with installation, but you will need to download and save the latest version of:

1. MySQL
2. PHP
3. Wordpress

While the process of Wordpress installation is not overly complicated, it is far simpler to visually demonstrate the various steps required to complete the procedure. Here is an excellent video tutorial, by Microsoft’s Ryan Dunn, that walks you step-by-step through a manual Wordpress installation on IIS7:

The Benefits of Wordpress

Which of these methods you choose to use may depend on your level of technical familiarity with Windows-based server systems and their component software applications. The Microsoft WPI certainly makes the process of installing Wordpress and its dependencies much easier but reduces the intricate level of control that a manual installation offers.

Wordpress itself is a hugely popular and well-supported CMS platform. Users benefit from a vast array of commercial and open source add-ons and plug-ins. The platform has excellent technical support and a massive community, so help is never far away.

The flexibility and durability of Wordpress makes it a great option for anyone looking for a user-friendly CMS platform, or blogging application. And now it is easier than ever to install Wordpress on Windows-based servers.

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