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Installing Joomla (or Wordpress) on localhost problems with Xampp, Wamp, Mamp and Uniform Server

Many Joomla users have problems when installing Joomla on localhost so here are the settings to use that work.  These settings should also work for Wordpress users who also experience problems.  The errors encountered with installing joomla and installing larger extensions into it include ... Installation winding,
stalling during database population and time out.  Also the error screen 'lies' and says that a valid xml can not be found.  Those and other failures SOLVED by using the following settings.
Note when installing Joomla (or wordpress) on localhost using Xampp or Wamp use 1270.0.0.1 not localhost as database host.
 
 
 
 
(These instructions are minimum settings needed)
 
 
 
 
 
 

Xampp settings

Xampp should be set to run as Administrator.
MySQL should be set to run as 'Service' by clicking the ☒ next to it so it becomes a ☑
 
In the php.ini file change
  • max_execution_time=30 to max_execution_time=300
    and
  • upload_max_filesize=2M to upload_max_filesize=12M
  • post_max_size=8M to post_max_size=12M
Then in the my.ini
  • innodb_buffer_pool_size = 16M to innodb_buffer_pool_size = 32M
  • innodb_log_file_size = 5M to innodb_log_file_size = 8M
  • Uncomment
    • # bind-address="127.0.0.1"
 

Wamp settings

Wamp should be set to run as Administrator.
 
In the php.ini file change
  • max_execution_time=30 to max_execution_time=300
    and
  • upload_max_filesize=2M to upload_max_filesize=64M
  • post_max_size=8M to post_max_size=64M
 
Then in the my.ini
Uncoment
  • #innodb_data_home_dir = C:\mysql\data/
  • #innodb_data_file_path = ibdata1:10M:autoextend
  • #innodb_log_group_home_dir = C:\mysql\data/
  • #innodb_buffer_pool_size = 16M
  • #innodb_additional_mem_pool_size = 2M
  • #innodb_log_file_size = 5M
  • #innodb_log_buffer_size = 8M
  • #innodb_flush_log_at_trx_commit = 1
  • #innodb_lock_wait_timeout = 50

Change

  • innodb_buffer_pool_size = 16M
    to
    innodb_buffer_pool_size = 32M
  • innodb_log_file_size = 5M
    to
    innodb_log_file_size = 8M
 

Uniform Server settings

There are 3 php ini files change the following in all of them
  • max_execution_time=30
    to
    max_execution_time=300

Firewall issues

When Uniform Server starts it uses the default password 'root' and will present a 'User Authentication' screen to change (or accept) the default password. Some Firewalls (like Zonealarm) silently block the UA screen.
 
If you use Zonealarm or Uniform server fails to start then edit drive:\UniServerZ\htpasswd\mysql\passwd.txt ... change root to a password of your choice.  With the password changed the UA screen will not present itself when Uniform server is started.
 
N.B. if you change the password after Uniform Server fails to start you will need stop Uniform Server before trying to start it again.  You can do that in one of three ways :
  • Open the process manager to stop the service
  • Logout of and back into Windows
  • Reboot the computer
 
 

Explanation

 

Important

With the ENGINE=InnoDB the size of the buffer pool is critical.
mysqli engine=innodb can be slow, increasing the innodb_buffer_pool_size can improve the speed and prevent time outs.
 
The above settings work without time out errors on Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. 
max_execution_time=30 to max_execution_time=300
(allows Joomla to populate the database)
 
post_max_size=8M to post_max_size=12M
and
upload_max_filesize=2M to upload_max_filesize=12M
(allows uploading of larger extensions via upload/install.  With larger extensions you may need to Install from Directory.)

innodb_buffer_pool_size = 16M to innodb_buffer_pool_size = 32M
(allows larger extensions like Akeeba and JCE to complete their install)
 
Uncommenting # bind-address="127.0.0.1"
(Speeds up page loading and allows 'localhost' to be used instead of '127.0.0.1' as Database host)