How to Install Joomla on Your Windows 11 Computer Using XAMPP

What is XAMPP?

XAMPP is a free software package that turns your Windows 11 computer into a local web server so you can test websites offline. It includes Apache for showing web pages, MariaDB for storing site data, and PHP to run applications like Joomla without needing an internet connection.

• Apache (the web server that shows your site)
• MariaDB (a database to store your site’s information)
• PHP (a language that helps Joomla work)

You can use XAMPP to try out Joomla and other website tools on your PC before making your site live on the internet.

Step 1Install XAMPP

If you haven’t installed XAMPP yet, follow this easy tutorial here:

How to Install XAMPP on Windows 11

Once installed, open the XAMPP Control Panel to start working with your local web server.

Step 2Create a Database for Joomla

You need to create a blank database using phpMyAdmin or the command line before you install Joomla on XAMPP. Open the XAMPP Control Panel, start the MySQL service, open phpMyAdmin in your web server browser, and create a new database specifically for your Joomla files.

Here's how to do it using XAMPP's built-in tools:

1. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
2. Click the Shell button to open a command window.

   

3. Type this command and press Enter to log into the database system:
   
   mysql -u root
4. Now type these commands one by one (press Enter after each):
   
   CREATE DATABASE joomladb CHARACTER SET utf8mb4 COLLATE utf8mb4_general_ci;CREATE USER 'joomladbuser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password_here';GRANT ALL ON joomladb.* TO 'joomladbuser'@'localhost';FLUSH PRIVILEGES;exit
   
   Replace your_password_here with a password you create.

Can't use the command line? No problem! You can also create the database and user using phpMyAdmin:

1. In the XAMPP Control Panel, next to MySQL, click the Admin button.
2. In phpMyAdmin, click Databases, enter joomladb as the database name, and click Create.
3. Go to the Users tab, add a new user called joomladbuser with your chosen password, and give it all privileges on the joomladb database.

Step 3Download Joomla

Download the latest installation package directly from the official Joomla website to set up Joomla on your Windows 11 computer using XAMPP. Save the zip folder, extract the files, and place them inside the C:\xampp\htdocs directory so your local server can read them.

1. Go to the official Joomla download page: https://downloads.joomla.org/
2. Download the latest Joomla zip file.
3. Open C:\xampp\htdocs on your computer.
4. Create a new folder here named joomla.
5. Extract all the Joomla files you downloaded into this joomla folder.

Step 4Make Joomla Show as Your Homepage

You can make your new site open automatically when you visit http://localhost on your Windows 11 computer by editing the default index files in your XAMPP folder. Rename or replace the standard start page inside C:\xampp\htdocs so your browser loads the Joomla installer right away.

To do this, edit the file C:\xampp\htdocs\index.php (or index.html) and replace its content with this code:

<?php
if (!empty($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && ($_SERVER['HTTPS'] == 'on')) {
$uri = 'https://';
} else {
$uri = 'http://';
}
$uri .= $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST'];
header('Location: '.$uri.'/joomla/');
exit;
?>
Something is wrong with the XAMPP installation :-(

1. Save the file.
2. Restart Apache in the XAMPP Control Panel by clicking Stop and then Start.

Step 5Open Joomla in Your Browser

You finish the setup by opening http://localhost in your web browser on Windows 11 to launch the on-screen Joomla installation wizard. Follow the prompts to choose your language, connect the database you made earlier, and create your administrator login details.

http://localhost/

You should see the Joomla installation page.

Follow the steps on screen:

1. Choose your language and enter your website's name.
2. Click Next.
3. Set up your admin account by entering your name, username, password, and email.
4. Click Next.
5. On the database page, enter:

   • Database Type: MySQLi
   • Host: localhost
   • Username: joomladbuser
   • Password: the password you created earlier
   • Database Name: joomladb
6. Click Install Joomla.

Once installation is complete, you will see a success message.

Congratulations! Your Joomla website is now ready to use on your Windows 11 computer.

Summary

• XAMPP lets you run Joomla on your PC without needing the internet.
• You created a database for Joomla using either the command line or phpMyAdmin.
• You downloaded Joomla and placed it in the right folder inside XAMPP.
• You changed the homepage to open Joomla by default.
• You completed the Joomla setup by following the installation wizard in your browser.

Running Joomla on your Windows 11 computer using XAMPP gives you a complete offline environment for building and testing websites. You now have a working local server, a dedicated database, and the core Joomla files ready for your web development projects.