Installing Joomla locally on Windows 11 uses XAMPP, a free package that turns your PC into a web server.
XAMPP includes Apache, MariaDB, and PHP, which are needed to run websites like Joomla. This lets you build and test Joomla sites on your computer before putting them online.
Joomla is a popular content management system for making professional websites. With XAMPP installed, you can get a Joomla site up and running on your own machine.
Install XAMPP, then create a database named ‘joomladb’ using its shell or phpMyAdmin. Download Joomla files into the C:xampphtdocsjoomla folder and configure the redirect in C:xampphtdocsindex.html. Finally, run http://localhost/joomla in your browser and follow the Joomla installation wizard.
Why run Joomla locally?
Running Joomla on your computer lets you build and test your website privately. You can experiment with designs and features before you ever go live on the internet.
What happens when you are done?
Your fully functional Joomla website runs on your machine after installation. You can access your Joomla website through your web browser to create content and manage your site settings.
Install XAMPP
XAMPP bundles all the necessary software for running a website locally into one easy-to-use package. If you have not yet installed XAMPP, follow the official XAMPP installation guides for Windows 11 to set up Apache, MySQL, and PHP.
Create a Joomla Database
To create a Joomla database for your Joomla installation XAMPP Windows 11 setup, you need to use the XAMPP Control Panel and the built-in shell. Open the XAMPP Control Panel with admin privileges and click the Shell button to launch the command window where you can run the commands to set up your database and user account.
Open the XAMPP Control Panel and click the 'Shell' button to open the command window. (Requires admin privileges)
You will create a database named 'joomladb' and a user named 'joomladbuser' within phpMyAdmin, a tool for managing MySQL databases that comes with XAMPP version 8.2. Use the following commands to set them up.
mysql -u root
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;exitIf you prefer not to use the command line, you can click the 'Admin' button next to MySQL in the XAMPP Control Panel to use the phpMyAdmin web interface instead.
Download Joomla Files
To download Joomla files and set them up for your Joomla installation XAMPP Windows 11 environment, you must grab the official installation package from the web. Go to your C:\xampp\htdocs folder, create a new folder named joomla, and extract all the downloaded archive contents directly inside that folder so your local server can read them.
- Navigate to
C:\xampp\htdocson your computer. - Create a new folder named
joomla.
Download the Joomla files from official download page and extract them directly into your new C:\xampp\htdocs\joomla folder.
Next, open the C:\xampp\htdocs\index.html file in a text editor to update your redirect settings. Replace the contents with the following code so your browser opens your site automatically:
<?php if (!empty($_SERVER['HTTPS']) && ('on' == $_SERVER['HTTPS'])) { $uri = 'https://'; } else { $uri = 'http://'; } $uri .= $_SERVER['HTTP_HOST']; header('Location: '.$uri.'/joomla/'); exit;?>Save the file. Go back to the XAMPP Control Panel and stop and start the Apache server to apply these changes.
Finalize the Setup
To finalize the setup for your Joomla installation XAMPP Windows 11 project, open your web browser and load the local installation page. Follow the on-screen prompts to enter your site name, create your administrator login details, and input the database name and user credentials you made earlier to complete the installation.
Follow the on-screen instructions to set your site name, admin username, and password.
When asked for database details, enter the database name (joomladb), the username (joomladbuser), and the password you created earlier. Click "Install Joomla" to finish.
Your site is now ready to use!
Summary
You've successfully set up Joomla locally on Windows 11 using XAMPP by creating a database, adding files, and running the installer.
[joomla]
[C:xampphtdocsjoomla]
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About the Author
Richard
Tech Writer, IT Professional
Richard is a writer at Geek Rewind who turns complex IT tasks into clear, step-by-step guides. He draws on years of hands-on experience in system administration and enterprise IT operations, focusing on Windows, Linux and WordPress: the problems people actually run into, and the fixes that work. His server and WordPress guides come from systems he runs himself. Richard builds and maintains the platform behind Geek Rewind, from its Ubuntu servers and Nginx configuration to its custom WordPress plugins. Many new tutorials start with readers' questions, and he's always glad to answer them in the comments.
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