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How to Install Wordpress...with Better Instructions

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How to Install Wordpress...with Better Instructions

Install Wordpress without any doubt - this guide will show you how, with more descriptions to help if something should go wrong! (Good news: Wordpress has improved significantly with its automatic updates since this guide has been written!)

Get Wordpress!

To eliminate any doubt: there are two kinds of Wordpress. There's Wordpress.com (that's not the one we're looking to use, here!) - which lets you maintain your free blog on Wordpress' servers. While this sounds nice, its downfall is that Wordpress can ban you for any reason they see fit, at any time, leaving you up the creek without a paddle. Also, you'll be forced to use a domain name like mysite.wordpress.com.

Then, there's Wordpress.org - it's the free downloadable software that you install on your server, and point your own domain name to. Here are the steps you can take to download and install Wordpress (these are the manual steps, if you don't have the Fantastico service included with your server account...you can also follow Wordpress' installation instructions):

Download and Install Wordpress

Download Wordpress here, then un-zip it to your desktop.
Create a database on your server: this is typically done through PHPmyadmin -> MySQL.
Rename the file "wp-config-sample.php" to "wp-config.php"
Open this file (wp-config.php, that is), in a text editor, like Notepad or Wordpad (which comes with Windows). Simply scroll down and fill in any of the blank fields that are required, which ask for your database information that you created in step 2. This information will include the name of the database, the database username and password. Save the changes you've made.
It's time to place the files in your web space! Open your FTP program (I recommend FileZilla, it's free and really awesome), and create a new account in the FTP program for your new website. The FTP program will ask for the "Host" (which is "www.WhateverYourSiteIs.com" - or your IP address, whichever you prefer), the Username and the Password. The username and password will be whatever you set them to be, when you originally created your server account. If you've forgotten them, simply go back to your server account and look within the "Accounts" area in your sidebar.
Connect to your server account from within your FTP program. Doubleclick the "public_html" folder. Then, drag and drop the files within the unzipped Wordpress folder (from step 1) directly in the "public_html" folder area (once again, you're dragging and dropping the loose files and folders within the big Wordpress folder you've unzipped).
Visit the temporary installation page in your browser, by typing: "WhateverYourSiteIs.com/wp-admin/install.php", and the installation process will begin. Simply follow the instructions, and it's all downhill from there!

Something got screwed up

These things happen, and it's almost always user error! Be sure to check the following, if your Wordpress installation went wrong:

Make sure you've added the database username to the database (a common thing people forget to do, after creating their database). What this basically does, is it says "I give this username permission to access this database."
Make sure you've inputted the correct info into your wp-config.php file. Did you use the correct database username? For instance, did you type "username" instead of "databasename_username"?

Wordpress is Installed!

Congrats - you now have Wordpress, in its vanilla form. Time to pour on some toppings! First step's first: you should get acquainted with Wordpress, its administration panel, especially the "plugins," "themes" and "post" sections.