Install Prestashop on a local host WAMP server

Check you have a working WAMP installation

WAMP stands for Windows, Apache, mySQL, PHP. It refers to the key components used to run a lot of dynamic websits on a Windows Server. It often used for developing web applications on your local machine before putting it live on your server. You can get prebuilt installation routines that make installing a WAMP a real breeze. The one I am using for this article can be found here www.wampserver.com.

If you don't already an installation the Download it and install it. Once it is installed you need to set it running. On Windows XP this is done by clicking on

Start -> All Programs -> WampServer ->Start WampServer

Once that is started you should see the WAMP server manager icon in the system control. See below for the WAMP server starting (Windows XP WAMP Shown)

Create a Database to install Prestashop in

After a successful WAMP install you will have mySQL server also installed.
By default mySQL is installed with a username of root and a blank password.

You can easily create and manage mySQL databases using a mySQL manager called phpmyadmin. You can access this by entering the following URL in your browser

http://localhost/phpmyadmin/

Once this is open you should see a create database section. We need to create a database for our prestashop installation. So enter the name presta in the create database box and click "create"

You have created a blank database to install prestshop into. As this is a local test on your pc we have left the default security of login or root and no password. We will need to rememeber that for a little later in the install.

Down load and Unzip the prestashop install files

From the prestashop website download the prestashop install files

www.prestashop.com/en/downloads/

Once intalled unzip them files under the default areas that wamp serves it's web sites from. This is usually c:\wamp\www\

Once unzipped you should have a folder structure like this.

Run the Prestashop installer

Open a web browser and open the the URL http://localhost

This should pring up the wamp home page

Scroll down the page and under the Your Projects
you should see prestashop listed. Click on this

You will see the the installer welcome page. Choose your language and click next.

The prestashop installer will show you the prestashop requirements on the System Compatibility Page. You should find that most recent versions of WampServer 2+ should have all the requirements so you should not need to do anything. Do a quick check and ensure the requirements are met and then click next.

Now on the Systems configuration page enter your database details. As this is a default install of WampServer you can lave the prestashop suggested configuration. Click Verify now!

NOTE! Since this is Windows WAMP server there is no mail server or MTA installed so you can ignore the e-mail part as this won't work any way

Then click Next

From this point you should be pretty much ready to finish the install and have prestatshop installed. You will be asked to rename the default admin folder name which is pretty straight forward to do within windows.