How to Run WordPress On A Windows Server

What Do I Need?

• Any Dedicated or Virtual Server
• Microsoft Windows Server
• WordPress

What is a WordPress?

If you’re in the market for a new website, you’ve undoubtedly heard WordPress mentioned quite a bit. Which means you’ve probably found yourself wondering, “what is WordPress anyway?”

WordPress is a full-featured content management system that just happens to be the world’s most popular tool for creating websites. In fact, it’s so popular that over 38% of all websites are built with WordPress. The reasons for that massive popularity require a little more explanation. WordPress can power virtually any kind of website, from a simple blog to a full-featured business website. You can even use WordPress to create an online store by using the popular WooCommerce plugin.

WordPress is easy enough that anyone can use it. It’s also deep enough that many web professionals choose WordPress as the starting point for custom websites.

Some of the most popular websites in the world are built with WordPress. Take a look at the WordPress Website Showcase, and you’ll see everyone from The New York Times Company to The Rolling Stones using WordPress. WordPress is used widely across nearly every industry, including non-profits.

1. Set Up IIS
   1. Open the ‘Server Manager’ dialog and click on ‘Add Roles and Features’.
      
      
   2. Next, you’ll see the Server roles screen. Select the Web Server (IIS) checkbox and click ‘Next’.
      
      
   3. Click ‘Add Features’.
      
      
   4. On the next screen, select the CGI option and finish the installation by clicking ‘Next’.
      
      
   5. You now have IIS installed on your server.

Install WordPress using Web Platform Installer

1. Now that we’ve got IIS installed on your server, we’re going to use the Web Platform Installer to install WordPress on your server.
2. Open the ‘IIS Manager’ and select ‘Web Platform Installer’ from the menu.
   
   

3. Wait for the Platform to start.
   The speed of this is dependent on the power of your server hardware.
   

4. Search for ‘Wordpress’ on the search bar on the top right of your dialog.
   Click ‘Add’ followed by the ‘Install’ button.
   

5. The system will detect that you’ve not got MySQL Database setup or even installed. It’ll automatically install the MySQL Database.
   Enter a complex password for the root user and click on the ‘Continue’ button.
   
   

6. The system will show a list of required software that will be automatically installed.
   
   

7. The system will download and install all the required software automatically.
   
   

8. On this screen, you are able to perform IIS customizations.
   In our example, we did not perform customizations. Click on the ‘Continue’ button.
   

9. Here you need to enter random characters to help keep your WordPress installation safe.
   
   

10. The web installer software will show you a summary of your installation.
    
    

11. The system will automatically open the WordPress web installation wizard.
    Select the desired language and click on the Continue button.
    
    
    
    

12. On the next screen you will have to enter the following information
    :

• Your website name
• Your administrator username
• Your administrator password
• Your administrator e-mail account
  

13. After entering the desired information you need to click on the Install WordPress button.
    
    

14. On the next screen, you will receive the confirmation of your WordPress installation.
    
    

15. Click on the ‘Log In’ button to be sent to the official login screen.
    On the login screen, you need to enter the administrator account and password.
    After a successful login, you will be sent to the ‘WordPress Dashboard’.
    

1. 16. Congratulations, you have installed the WordPress on Windows.
       To access your WordPress website:
       1. Open your browser and enter the IP address of your web server plus /wordpress. In our example, the following URL was entered in the Browser:
          http://172.31.14.215/wordpress
          
          

Conclusion

Now you’ve got WordPress installed and running on your Windows Server you’ve managed to combine two absolute thoroughbreds of the internet and web world. You’ll find it super quick and easy to rapidly develop and implement creative and complex websites hosted on your Windows Server environment provisioned in one of the most commonly used CMS applications ever launched – WordPress.

• Check out our recommendations for the best wordpress web hosting.