How to install WordPress IIS local test environment the easy way

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The following guide shows how to install a WordPress IIS test environment on your computer.

There are many guides that do this the hard way – installing IIS, PHP, mySQL, configuring and what not.

This guide skips all that by using Microsoft Web Platform Installer.

Step 1: Install Microsoft Web Platform

  1. Open the Microsoft Web Platform Installer website – www.microsoft.com/web/downloads/platform.aspx
  2. Download and begin the install
  3. Once loaded, click on the ‘Install’ button to begin
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  5. Click ‘I Accept’
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  7. The installer will now download and install any required components
  8. When done  you see see a confirmation message and list of components that have been installed.
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  10. Click ‘Finish’.

Step 2: Install WordPress

  1. In the window that loads, use the search box at the top right to search for ‘WordPress’
  2. In the search results below, click on the ‘Add’ button next to WordPress then click on the ‘Install’ button at the bottom of the window.
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  4. Enter a password for the database user. This is not the password you use to access WordPress – it is the password WordPress uses to access the database. In a producation install of WordPress you would make this password as complicated as possible, like a random stringe of numbers, leters and characters – but given that this will be a test install of WordPress you can choose a less secure password.
  5. Click ‘Continue’ after entering in the database password.
  6. You will now see a list of the required software to do your WordPress install.
  7. Click ‘I Accept’ to begin the install.
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  9. The install will take around five minutes to complete.
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Step 3: Configure WordPress

  1. When the install has finished the ‘Configure’ window will be displayed
  2. Here you can enter your unique salts that help secure WordPress passwords and communications.
  3. Since this is just a test environment, it’s fine to click ‘Continue’ – however you may choose to go to the WordPress salt generator website to get unique values for each of these fields.
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  5. When WordPress has finished installing, click ‘Finish’ to close the window.

Step 4: Running your IIS WordPress install

  1. When the install has finished a browser window will open with WordPress ready to use.
  2. The WebMatrix program needs to be open for the WordPress to run
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  4. From WebMatrix you can start, stop, restart the WordPress install and edit files using the built-in code editor.
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